Very Old Joke; Why are there no aspirin in the jungle? Because the parrots eat 'em all! [Apologies to any friends across the Pond, who may not understand, as their name for paracetamol is acetaminophen] But as we age, the contents of our medicine cabinet grows, and I was struck recently by the utter silliness of some of the names for the products, when you say them out loud. I mean, for starters, the main thing in aspirin is salicylic acid. Sally-Silly-Cassied
For years, we've had tubs of Sudocrem in the bathroom [great for sore skin, nappy rash etc] But if you say PseudoCeam, it sounds like one of those greasy synthetic products which lurks in the supermarket somewhere between 'dairy' and 'desserts'. You know, stuff like Elmlea, CoolWhip or Nestles TipTop.
Then there's Gaviscon. Which is how we always refer to it, even when the bottle is an own brand from Boots, Waitrose or another supermarket. But the trouble with Gaviscon is that it always reminds me of that old Glen Campbell song, Galveston.
Recently another arrival in the cabinet has been Omiprazole. I don't think I pronounce this correctly. I usually sing "O Mi Prazzo Li!" like an Italian Opera Singer. I'm sure it should be the third verse of O Sole Mio, and roughly translated O Mi Prazzo Li means "O, my guts are gurgling" [maybe this side effect is something only I struggle with]
The latest one from the pharmacist is Bob's Clopidogrel. I suspect that Cloppy-Doggerel is a poem by Pam Ayres, about carthorses.
Does your family have any pet names for medications?
This post made me smile - fortunately we don't have any need of them as I couldn't pronounce half of them if I had to buy them especially not the 'Omi' ones! DH laughing still at my attempts.
My Parkinson's drug is co-caroldopa, a bit of a mouthful. Steve calls it " Carol's a dope" when he helps me with my meds. Sorry to any Carols out there but it does make me smile.
Too funny! I was given Omeprazole when I was undergoing chemo to help with the nausea. Over here, the "me" in the name is pronounced like the "me" in "mermaid" and "zole" rhymes with "sole". So, "O-me(r)-pra-zole", which doesn't sound half as fun as "O mi prazzo li". :) No, no one is clever enough in my family to come up with pet names for medications.
Preacher, teacher, wife, mother, grandmother, craftswoman. Married to wonderful Pastor Bob since 1979, now happily retired to Norfolk, but still busy. I am blessed with two brilliant grown-up daughters and four wonderful grand children
This post made me smile - fortunately we don't have any need of them as I couldn't pronounce half of them if I had to buy them especially not the 'Omi' ones! DH laughing still at my attempts.
ReplyDeleteMy Parkinson's drug is co-caroldopa, a bit of a mouthful. Steve calls it " Carol's a dope" when he helps me with my meds. Sorry to any Carols out there but it does make me smile.
ReplyDeleteAnything that helps us smile when we're on meds is a good idea
DeleteI'm glad it's not just me who thinks that about Gaviscon!
ReplyDeleteToo funny! I was given Omeprazole when I was undergoing chemo to help with the nausea. Over here, the "me" in the name is pronounced like the "me" in "mermaid" and "zole" rhymes with "sole". So, "O-me(r)-pra-zole", which doesn't sound half as fun as "O mi prazzo li". :) No, no one is clever enough in my family to come up with pet names for medications.
ReplyDeleteI first encountered Sudocrem when I had babies, but it's useful for sore skin too
ReplyDeleteYou made me laugh with these! Yes, they have bizarre names!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed a good laugh over those names. We have omiprazol and clopidogrel here in India as well and I have wondered about them 😁
ReplyDeleteKavitha
I suppose it is important that the same names are used round the world to prevent mistakes.
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