Rat Poison

[Slattery]

Why are anticoagulants referred to as Rat Poison!!

[jonjub]

As i understand the history and provided this is accurate, Warfarin was in the past used as a control chemical for rats/rodent pests. These animals are notorious for gnawing through many materials, some of which would cut them and cause bleeding. Warfarin, being an anticoagulant the animal would bleed to death.

[Beancounter Volunteer]

For a long time warfarin was the only anti-coagulant available to patients (others were available in hospitals) and in large doses warfarin in rat bait could make the rats bleed to death. But it's seldom used now I understand as many rats have grown immune to it.

Of course now we have a much wider selection of anti-coagulants and they act on 3 different parts of the very complex coagulation mechanism.

Be well

Ian

[BobD Volunteer]

Some people use this expression because many years ago warfarin was used as rat poison. It hasn't been used for this purpose now for many years as it didn't work very well. They used to spread it about soaked into grain which of course is high in Vit K which counteracted it. Now they use a much more potent poison which you REALLY would not want to take. Sadly these few people do "poison" the subject for others which is annoying.

[djmnet in reply to BobD]

Bob, warfarin is still used today in the US for mice/rat control -- our pest control company puts it down monthly in the bushes to curtail these pests.

[irene75359]

Ha! Reading this as I am up early waiting for pest control to come and eradicate (hopefully) rats in our loft - the scampering across the ceiling made my hair stand on end!

[nettecologne]

As far as I know it was a highly effective method for rodent control. Death usually came by internal bleeding without any injury. To my knowledge it was not stopped because it did not work but because rats became resistant (they are not only clever, but also survival specialists:).

Sorry Bob if I "poison" the subject, but truth will out

Warfarin is a poison and was developed as such. Just as Viagra initially was developed for high blood pressure. So the side effects are there and are logical.

You have to balance the risk you are willing to take against your personal side effects. if you do not have any or small ones, so much the better. I have very drastic side effects on all anticoagulation, some have none at all.

There are many meds (all?) who have bad side effects, yet we take them. I underwent chemotherapy, talk about side effects...One very nice doctor once told me that a lot of the unpleasant things that happened were strictly speaking not side effects, but in reality the drug doing its work! So in chemotherapy if you get sores in your mouth, if your blood cells go down, if you feel like dying, it is not exactly a side effect, it is THE effect of the drug, which is wanted-killing cells.

Same goes for Warfarin and I think for the NOACs. If you get a result, it will in all probability not be restricted to just one area of your body. And not only to positive, intended results.