Where did blood thinner originate?
An inquiring mind wants to know who the idiot was.
An inquiring mind wants to know who the idiot was.
"Blood thinner" origin??
- Thread starter catwoman
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To imply that the one who originally coined the phrase years and years ago was an idiot is ?. well idiotic ?. What about the people who come here for the forst time needing help and information who are scared S*&$less and that is the term they have heard all of their lives from uniformed people? I would think that they might be offended and leave and not come back ?.
Keep in mind that I am not calling you an idiot ?. I just can see how newbie and lurkers might be made to feel less than and make them hesitate to ask other questions.
I think you can find a lot of the history and myths as well on Al's website.
I heard once that this started in the fiftie's when President Eisenhower was put on it, and the media created this myth.
It doesn't bother me to hear that from someone on the street who has no clue, but when a doctor, dentist, or someone on their staff uses that term and believes it, then I get upset.
For example when getting ready for my last colon check, the person in that doctor's office gave me insructions on how to handle the anti-coagulant problem. She said 'you will have to stop it for three days prior because we don't want your blood to be too thin'. It was all I could do not to let her have it, but I was nice.
These days whenever I go to a doctor or dentist and think this subject may come up, I always carry some statements sent to me regarding this myth.
I don't believe that is being mean, but I want to educate these people.
After all if we don't teach them who will?
Rich
I heard once that this started in the fiftie's when President Eisenhower was put on it, and the media created this myth.
It doesn't bother me to hear that from someone on the street who has no clue, but when a doctor, dentist, or someone on their staff uses that term and believes it, then I get upset.
For example when getting ready for my last colon check, the person in that doctor's office gave me insructions on how to handle the anti-coagulant problem. She said 'you will have to stop it for three days prior because we don't want your blood to be too thin'. It was all I could do not to let her have it, but I was nice.
These days whenever I go to a doctor or dentist and think this subject may come up, I always carry some statements sent to me regarding this myth.
I don't believe that is being mean, but I want to educate these people.
After all if we don't teach them who will?
Rich
I think the term "blood thinner" definitely has a place in common vocabulary, it is a very simple term to use with youngsters or seniors on warfarin therapy who may not understand the "mechanics" of warfarin. There's nothing wrong with that and I would not consider it "idiotic" by any means.
People on Plavix don't all use the term "anti-platelet"......saying blood thinner is alot simpler, even if not 100% correct by definition.
People on Plavix don't all use the term "anti-platelet"......saying blood thinner is alot simpler, even if not 100% correct by definition.
not necessarily an idiot, just not an expert. checking the dictionary, coagulate can
mean to thicken....so the opposite of to thicken, or to anti-thicken, would be to thin.
or you could use any of the other anti synonyms for coagulant; anti-clotting agent,
anti-congealant, anti-curdling stuff, anti-flocculant. but then for all us reg'lar joe non
pallin' around wit terr'rist six-packs, isn't it more sensible to say blood-thinner?
you betcha!
mean to thicken....so the opposite of to thicken, or to anti-thicken, would be to thin.
or you could use any of the other anti synonyms for coagulant; anti-clotting agent,
anti-congealant, anti-curdling stuff, anti-flocculant. but then for all us reg'lar joe non
pallin' around wit terr'rist six-packs, isn't it more sensible to say blood-thinner?
you betcha!
Cooker:
Perhaps I should have said uninformed or inaccurate, rather than idiotic or idiot.
But -- that aside -- blood thinner is an incorrect term, and I AM interested in the origin of that.
I took a course in undergraduate school and again in graduate school on origin of words. Thus, the interest.
Origins of some of our four-,five- and more-letter words can be very interesting.
Wise
Well-known member
I've wanted to know the answer to this question also. Thanks for posing it.
I didn't take catwoman's question as negative at all. A little education never hurt anybody. Class, can you define viscosity?
I've tried to get my mother to understand that the Coumadin clinic doesn't really understand that Coumadin doesn't affect the viscosity of blood, thereby doesn't make it thinner. If she wants to call it a thinner, I'm not going to freak out about it, but I want her to understand the difference. Also, my brother took Coumadin (mechanical valve) and she had all of the wrong ideas about Coumadin; only after she's taken it for a while does she now know that she's better off with it than without it.
Many times anticoagulant and blood thinner are used together. Not a problem. That is a way to educate the public that anticoagulant is the medical term and that blood thinner is the layperson's term.
But it's very common -- sometimes more common, in fact -- to see blood thinner used w/out any reference to anticoagulant.
I have googled for origin of blood thinner, but have not found a good hit yet. I suspect it was the media that coined the phrase. My own occupation. (sigh)
But it's very common -- sometimes more common, in fact -- to see blood thinner used w/out any reference to anticoagulant.
I have googled for origin of blood thinner, but have not found a good hit yet. I suspect it was the media that coined the phrase. My own occupation. (sigh)
Cooker:
Perhaps I should have said uninformed or inaccurate, rather than idiotic or idiot.
But -- that aside -- blood thinner is an incorrect term, and I AM interested in the origin of that.
I took a course in undergraduate school and again in graduate school on origin of words. Thus, the interest.
Origins of some of our four-,five- and more-letter words can be very interesting.
Marsha:
Yes, I think the terms uninformed or inaccurate would have been better.... In no way was my post intended to pique (I know, obsolete)
I'm sure there is no answer to the original question.
"Blood thinner" is not a word.......but a broadly used term for meds such as: Coumadin, Plavix, Heparin, Lovenox, and at times Aspirin.
I don't freak out about it anymore.
"Blood thinner" is not a word.......but a broadly used term for meds such as: Coumadin, Plavix, Heparin, Lovenox, and at times Aspirin.
I don't freak out about it anymore.
Woe with me?..If I only had picked a tissue valve I would not even read these "blood thinner" threads
ALCapshaw2
Well-known member
YEAH, Let's blame the MEDIA for not getting it Right!
(It's their turn to be in the "hot seat"
OOPS! Sorry about that Marsha
.........
FWIW, one of my Coumadin Clinic Nurses uses "thick and thin" also.
I just let it go in one ear and out the other. I know what she means.
I can see the Young, Elderly (I am one now per one of my Doc's descriptions), and Undereducated or Uninformed struggling with the concept of "anti-coagulation". Their eyes will glaze over and their mind will wander out to 'left field'. Blood Thinner? Works for the masses. Let it go.
(Adding anti-coagulation to a sentence containing "Blood thinner" is probably a good idea IF you think the listener will 'get it'.
'AL Capshaw'
L
Lisa in Katy
The expert at my doctor's office who "manages" my dose will even say "You're a little thin this month." Since I know he's not talking about my weight, I assume he's talking about my INR. I know that he knows the process, but I think it's just easier, especially when most of the people he deals with are much older and less Warfarin educated than I am.
If I had to guess, I would bet the misunderstanding came from comparing the actions of Warfarin to a related experience. Think about a bottle of catsup. Now think about the same bottle with water in it. Which is easier to pour? Water, of course. Why? Because it's thinner. So, when you are on Warfarin, your blood comes out easier and in greater quantities, so, based on a related experience, it is natural for people to think it's because it's thinner, or not thick enough to "goop up" and stop - at least not as quickly as it would otherwise.
You have to remember that much of modern medicine is extremely recent. It hasn't been that long since the days of leeches!
If I had to guess, I would bet the misunderstanding came from comparing the actions of Warfarin to a related experience. Think about a bottle of catsup. Now think about the same bottle with water in it. Which is easier to pour? Water, of course. Why? Because it's thinner. So, when you are on Warfarin, your blood comes out easier and in greater quantities, so, based on a related experience, it is natural for people to think it's because it's thinner, or not thick enough to "goop up" and stop - at least not as quickly as it would otherwise.
You have to remember that much of modern medicine is extremely recent. It hasn't been that long since the days of leeches!
So you are a "wordsmith"?
I have am amateurish interest in etymology,and spend alot of time
thinking ..."I wonder if that's where or how such and such word originated?"
No one else seems to be too excited over these revelations
I hope you don't mind answering a question or two in the future
Herb M
Well-known member
My wife keeps telling me to stop taking Counadin because there are many other safe blood thinners. I tell her that Coumadin is different than blood thinners, but she usualy forgets and keeps telling me about other effective blood thinners.
netmiff
Well-known member
from Merriam-Webster
" Main Entry: blood thinner
Function: noun
Date: 1969
: a drug used to prevent the formation of blood clots by hindering coagulation of the blood
- blood-thin·ning adjective "
" Main Entry: blood thinner
Function: noun
Date: 1969
: a drug used to prevent the formation of blood clots by hindering coagulation of the blood
- blood-thin·ning adjective "
MikeHeim
Well-known member
I know many people around here get very offended by the term "blood thinner", but I really don't understand why. For the average person who has never heard of Coumadin and thinks St. Jude is a high school, the term "blood thinner" is effective enough to get a rough idea of what's going on. Anyone who wants to sit down with everyone they meet and explain the difference between an anticoagulant and an anti-platelet, and why the term "blood thinner" is technically inaccurate - be my guest.
From the doctor's standpoint I don't think it's really that different. I would guess that 90%+ of their patients don't care about those nuances either, and therefore "blood thinner" is close enough. I believe that the members of this site are actually an anomoly in that we prefer to understand everything that is going on and supplement it with our own research.
Just my two cents.
From the doctor's standpoint I don't think it's really that different. I would guess that 90%+ of their patients don't care about those nuances either, and therefore "blood thinner" is close enough. I believe that the members of this site are actually an anomoly in that we prefer to understand everything that is going on and supplement it with our own research.
Just my two cents.
lb151
Well-known member
I like to think of my blood as slippery,, "An example of two highly protein bound drugs is warfarin (a blood thinner) and aspirin (given to cardiac patients to make their blood ?slippery.") ..."
From University of Michigan Health System:
http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/guides/coumad.htm
Quote: "Warfarin (Coumadin) is a blood thinner. It helps prevent clots from forming in blood vessels and in the heart. It is very important to take warfarin exactly as directed by your physician. Too much warfarin can cause bleeding, and not enough warfarin can allow dangerous blood clots to form".Unquote
http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/guides/coumad.htm
Quote: "Warfarin (Coumadin) is a blood thinner. It helps prevent clots from forming in blood vessels and in the heart. It is very important to take warfarin exactly as directed by your physician. Too much warfarin can cause bleeding, and not enough warfarin can allow dangerous blood clots to form".Unquote
KristyW
Well-known member
Mike,
I know that for me the problem I have with "blood thinner" is constantly explaining that my blood is not runny like rubbing alcohol. People who hear "blood thinner" think that if I get a paper cut, that I'll need to go to the hospital for a transfusion. When I say "anticoagulant" I don't get that response. It's more about helping others understand how all this works, so they don't panic when I accidentally staple my finger! LOL
