# Work medicated or stay home? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 3, 2004, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-medicated-or-stay-home/277815 "2004-12-03T00:44:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davmilasav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@davmilasav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davmilasav)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-medicated-or-stay-home/277815/1 "2004-12-03T00:44:01Z")
I’m a Doper on Dope. Today I was given some prescriptions to help me with a dental problem. (I have to take the meds until they are gone, at which point I get to have a broken tooth pulled.) ☹ I’m feeling really wonky. My toothache is gone but my right arm feels heavy, I’m woozy and slightly light-headed. Things are much funnier than they should be.(Them’s some gooood drugs!) I have to take these pills every 4 hours for the next 5 days. I work part time in customer service at Carnival Cruises. I can’t afford to take days off because our Christmas bonus is directly tied to attendance. We get to miss 5 days for the year, then we’re docked. Over the weekend I will have to directly deal with over 9000 people. (I’m in a security position; nobody boards without showing me their ID.) Do I go to work loopy or stay home and miss 2 of my 5 days? What would you do? ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-medicated-or-stay-home/277815/2 "2004-12-03T00:51:04Z")
> [@davmilasav](#): > > Do I go to work loopy or stay home and miss 2 of my 5 days? What would you do? You say you can miss 5 days a year–what definition of “year” do they use? Considering that 2004 ends in less then 30 days, I’d say “take 'em” if they use calendar years… ---
**Author:** ![davmilasav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@davmilasav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davmilasav)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-medicated-or-stay-home/277815/3 "2004-12-03T00:56:47Z")
Sorry about the lack of clarity about the “year.” Our year starts in November. If I take these 2 now I’ll most likely have forgotten about them later on when I really _do_ need a day off. ---
**Author:** ![MrFantsyPants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@MrFantsyPants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrFantsyPants)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-medicated-or-stay-home/277815/4 "2004-12-03T01:07:57Z")
Work Loopy! yay for loopy. ---
**Author:** ![davmilasav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@davmilasav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davmilasav)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-medicated-or-stay-home/277815/5 "2004-12-03T15:17:46Z")
I like how you think, **MrFantsyPants**! 😃 Now things are worse, though. One side of my face is pouched out like a basketball! :eek: Anybody familiar with Keflex? How long will this new side effect last? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-medicated-or-stay-home/277815/6 "2004-12-03T15:42:16Z")
I believe that’s a heavy-duty antibiotic, right? If so, I don’t think you should be loopy. I’d report THAT side-effect to the doctor. At any rate, I’m no good at working loopy. I’ve tried a couple times, and it’s just not do-able for me. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-medicated-or-stay-home/277815/7 "2004-12-03T16:02:00Z")
5 days…that sucks! It’s not enough fora dose of the flu, a sprained ankle or a kid at home with chicken pox. Your company’s policy isn’t exactly forgiving. If your docotr or dentist gave you a sick note, could you take the days without losing part of your bonus? Or take the days unpaid? It doesn’t sound like you should be out of bed, never mind dealing with 9000 people. It sounds like you might have some kind of infection or abcess, despite the antibiotics…swelling is never good, get it checked up on.