# What to do when you get bit?



## Sukai94

I have had plenty of Avics and will be getting my first Pokie soon. Yay!  

As a girl you could say I am somewhat of a <edit>. I really don't plan on getting bit but if I do I want to be prepared. I did a search on it but couldn't find much.

Some said cut the bite are off and rinse with hot water, some say if the bite is on a finger to bleed it out. I don't know if any of that is true and some help would be much appreciated. 

-Jamie


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## rustym3talh3ad

ive never been bit...but from reading bite reports i think the best thing to do is take some Benadyrl a shot of stiff liquor and then just relax and wait for the magic to happen. ive been waiting for my first bite and i know its going to be from something ridiculous like my H. mac or my Pokie. But from what i know trying to seperate ur self from the wound (aka bleeding or cutting) is just a pointless endeavor and will likely lead to worse problems. also going to the hospital is probably worthless because from what ive seen most doctors look at you like ur an idiot for messing with tarantulas and they give u some motrin and a bill for $900 dollars lmao. sooooo not being a pro at gettin bit this is just anecdotal but from what ive gathered chilling ur ass out with some motrin and some anti-histamines are ur best option.


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## agent lead

its highly recommended that you do NOT attempt to handle the pokie untill you havesignificant experiance with this species..

a bite from a pokie will be much more potent then most other T's, you do NOT want to get tagged!!


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## the_mask86

i'd recommend not handling unless necessary.

but in case of a bite, just take a few shots of brandy, then chill and wait for the numbness to come!


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## satanslilhelper

I'm about to take out my Cobalt Blue for the first time. Nature Boy talked me into it and a few beers. Cup and remove from home and 100% less likely to be defensive. I will update after my first experience.


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## Draiman

It is exceedingly difficult to get bitten by a tarantula unless you are exceedingly stupid (like me). I wouldn't worry if I were you.


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## satanslilhelper

I tried handling my Cobalt. It hauled ass once it got out of the cup. I caught it in the cup.  When it went over my hand it had no intention of stopping so I let it go. I got it back in the cup and then it put up one hell of a fight to stay out of it's enclosure. It's now back in and considering that it looks dull as hell I'm not taking it back out till it molts. A remodeling and behavioral challenge all in one week might be too much.


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## xhexdx

I would suggest reading the bite reports.  Most people are pretty good at describing not only symptoms, but what they did in response to the bite.

Hope this helps!

--Joe


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## FuzzOctave

Sukai94 said:


> I have had plenty of Avics and will be getting my first Pokie soon. Yay!
> 
> As a girl you could say I am somewhat of a pussy. I really don't plan on getting bit but if I do I want to be prepared. I did a search on it but couldn't find much.
> 
> Some said cut the bite are off and rinse with hot water, some say if the bite is on a finger to bleed it out. I don't know if any of that is true and some help would be much appreciated.
> 
> -Jamie


Not wanting to get bit, nor dealing with the after effects, does not make one a pussy. Poecilitheria is not a genus to take lightly. I've had my regalis for about nine months and I never try to handle him. He generally runs and hides, but the one time I did housing maintenance, I coaxed him out with a paint brush and cupped him. 

Rob c is a big guy, and he says it was one of the most painful experiences he's had. I can't imagine what it would be like for a guy my size (5'7", 150lbs.). No thanks... If that makes me pusillanimous, then so be it.

If you decide to do this and are bitten, it may be wise to keep a couple of muscle relaxers nearby. You can take the Benedryl, but I'm not sure that's gong to do much, especially where the pain is concerned. Don't forget to document your experience.


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## rvtjonny

I dont handle any of my Ts but things happen and have a few things on stand by like pain killers, muscle relaxers and some hard Liquor to wash it down. got a friend thats going to get me an EpiPen soon, also have a venom extractor that i picked up from walmart.


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## Drachenjager

agent lead said:


> its highly recommended that you do NOT attempt to handle the pokie untill you havesignificant experiance with this species..


not sure how this is possible but hey nice try lol


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## Draiman

Drachenjager said:


> not sure how this is possible but hey nice try lol


Why not? :?


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## Drachenjager

rvtjonny said:


> I dont handle any of my Ts but things happen and have a few things on stand by like pain killers, muscle relaxers and some hard Liquor to wash it down. got a friend thats going to get me an EpiPen soon, also have a venom extractor that i picked up from walmart.


epipen is not gonna help


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## Dave

I see more than one reply post suggested alcohol?! 

I don't care if this is supposed to be a joke, mixing alcohol and venomous anything is just plain stupid, and not something to joke about! 

Not to mention, alcohol thins the blood. Did we forget that? This will make the effects of the venom worse. 

Sukai94, you may have considered the alcohol thing a joke, but in case you didn't, this is bad advice. Please don't do it in the case of a bite.


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## agent lead

Draiman said:


> Why not? :?


i think he is saying that you cant gain experience with them unless you handle them, what i was saying was just observing them and their actions and speed for a while before sticking your hand in their home..and even then its not recommended


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## Draiman

agent lead said:


> i think he is saying that you cant gain experience with them unless you handle them, what i was saying was just observing them and their actions and speed for a while before sticking your hand in their home..and even then its not recommended


I was supporting what _you_ said, pal.


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## agent lead

i totally understood that my man...i was just thinking that that could be the only reason why that other dude would say that..


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## kupo969

I'd say take some Ibuprofen, sit back and monitor your symptoms.


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## cacoseraph

rvtjonny said:


> I dont handle any of my Ts but things happen and have a few things on stand by like pain killers, muscle relaxers and some hard Liquor to wash it down. got a friend thats going to get me an EpiPen soon, also have a venom extractor that i picked up from walmart.


that's freaking awesome!


what, praytell, lead you to the conclusion all that crap is a good idea?

i hope you are joking... mixing painkillers + muscle relaxers *+* alcohol is completely stupid to take.  throw an epipen into the mix and my only hope is that it kills you and doesn't just give you brain damage so your body craps up the medical system for the next 20 years











my suggestion is to tough it out and not take anything... or if you must, go to the hospital to let ppl who know a bit more about how the human body works dose you


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## the nature boy

Jeez, we're making this out to be a big friggin' deal, lol.   First, I'm going to take issue with the no booze statement.  When your hand and arm (or whatever) is screaming in pain it does indeed help dull the pain.  So what if it thins the blood?  T venom isn't going to make your vital organs shut down when it reaches them.

The only thing you really can do is take ibuprofin and, if you feel like it, benedryl (I've read mixed reports on whether it helps and have never tried it myself).  If you're having severe chest contractions or trouble breathing you can go to the hospital and be given whatever they deem appropriate to address the severe symptoms and probably a high octane pain killer.  Personally, I've always chosen to just ride it out.  It's not as if you've been tagged by a pit viper or had half your arm loped off with a machete.  Relax people, this is ridiculous. :wall:


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## the nature boy

Before you go after me about combining ibuprofin and booze I'm going to go in record as saying I've consumed prodigious amounts of the latter followed by ibuprofin for...oh...about 20 years and never had a problem.


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## BigBryan

i was also wondering if the alcohol thing was a joke. but now that i think about it alcohol + pain killer = wont feel a thing lol. makes sense


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## the nature boy

BigBryan said:


> i was also wondering if the alcohol thing was a joke. but now that i think about it alcohol + pain killer = wont feel a thing lol. makes sense


you learn, grasshoppa.


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## xhexdx

The problem is knowing when you've taken too much ibuprofen or drank too much booze, or both.

If you don't know how well your body can handle it, you could easily kill yourself.


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## Londoner

the nature boy said:


> you learn, grasshoppa.


Speaking of whom.......RIP grasshopper  .




Apologies for the brief hi-jack.


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## Jackuul

What if you don't partake in the consumption of alcohol (a teetotaler like myself) and do get tagged?  Is there any alternate for numbing the pain?  

I did have a nice wasp sting last week (it hid under the car handle! It knew what it was doing, that beeep) and I did have some minor pain, but I treated that with first squeezing from the sides the poison, which cam out as a clear liquid, followed by sucking and spitting, then some rubbing alcohol, neosporin, and 6 ibprofins.  One thing I did notice was my heart began to beat at a brisk pace for about half an hour, and I did have a minor headache, but that was about it.

So, if a T 'bite' is as bad as that, great.  But if it's worse, then what?


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## xhexdx

How much do you weigh to be taking 6 ibuprofen?  I'd think 2 would be sufficient...


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## Jackuul

ibuprofen is not as toxic as people make it out to be.

[edit]I have to stop misspelling ibuprofen.  I keep forgetting that darn u.
[edit 2] For myself to even reach near the toxic levels I would need to take around 50 ibuprofen 200mg capsules.  1200 is chickenfeed compared to that.  Even a 50kg (110 lb) human would need to take 5,000 mg, or 25 200 mg pills to be near the beginning of the toxic levels - and even then from person to person it varies.  It can cause bleeding of course, and gastrointestinal side effects and also all that other stuff if you do consistent high doses, but it is a heck of a lot less toxic than aspirin.  I usually never take pain medications anyways, and when I do it is because I am in real pain.


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## the nature boy

Jackuul said:


> ibuprofen is not as toxic as people make it out to be.


If it was 9/10 of college students would die within their first week at school.  Who didn't drink themselves into oblivion then throw a handful of ibuprofen down their throat before passing out?


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## Dave

Jackuul said:


> ibuprofen is not as toxic as people make it out to be.
> 
> [edit]I have to stop misspelling ibuprofen.  I keep forgetting that darn u.


Over the counter painkillers due a number on your liver long term. Sure, you can take a bunch of them with really no immediate side effects, but over time you're killing your liver.
Come to think of it, alcohol does the same thing...


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## Jackuul

the nature boy said:


> If it was 9/10 of college students would die within their first week at school.  Who didn't drink themselves into oblivion then throw a handful of ibuprofen down their throat before passing out?


Teetotlers like myself, although I might be the only one.



Dave said:


> Over the counter painkillers due a number on your liver long term. Sure, you can take a bunch of them with really no immediate side effects, but over time you're killing your liver.
> Come to think of it, alcohol does the same thing...


The rarity that I do use them means my system is pretty much fine.  Organic foods I have been doing for a few years, and the future purchase of a reverse osmosis filter so that I can save my pineal gland from calcification is next. 

Otherwise I might be stuck with taking melatonin for my insomnia issues for the rest of my friggen life.  At least it gives me my dreams back. 

So back to spider bites!  Would it be worse than the wasp sting I received, and are there any alternates to alcohol for lessening any swelling or bodily discomfort caused by the venom?  

Also, if I extract the venom quickly (syringe) would that have an immediate effect on the outcome of envenomation, pain, etc, if I get a 'wet' hit?


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## the nature boy

Dave said:


> Over the counter painkillers due a number on your liver long term. Sure, you can take a bunch of them with really no immediate side effects, but over time you're killing your liver.
> Come to think of it, alcohol does the same thing...


We're not discussing long term use of pain killers and alcohol.


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## the nature boy

Jackuul said:


> So back to spider bites!  Would it be worse than the wasp sting I received, and are there any alternates to alcohol for lessening any swelling or bodily discomfort caused by the venom?
> 
> Also, if I extract the venom quickly (syringe) would that have an immediate effect on the outcome of envenomation, pain, etc, if I get a 'wet' hit?


Of course alcohol use is not required in the treatment of tarantula bites, lol.  Pain killers and benedryl (whose aid in these situations is questionable but can't hurt) are options.  The hospital undoubtedly has stronger pain killers and other medications for severe symptoms.  Everything I've ever read about venom extraction and T bites has indicated it's of no use.


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## rvtjonny

cacoseraph said:


> that's freaking awesome!
> 
> 
> what, praytell, lead you to the conclusion all that crap is a good idea?
> 
> i hope you are joking... mixing painkillers + muscle relaxers *+* alcohol is completely stupid to take.  throw an epipen into the mix and my only hope is that it kills you and doesn't just give you brain damage so your body craps up the medical system for the next 20 years


Thanks dude :?  Do you have a bug up your ss or something? I don't normally take any kind of drugs for any reason nor am i an alcoholic so think ill live another day to tell about it.  thinking maybe you need a drink today


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## blix

rustym3talh3ad said:


> *ive never been bit...but from reading bite reports i think the best thing to do* is take some Benadyrl a shot of stiff liquor and then just relax and wait for the magic to happen. ive been waiting for my first bite and i know its going to be from something ridiculous like my H. mac or my Pokie. But from what i know trying to seperate ur self from the wound (aka bleeding or cutting) is just a pointless endeavor and will likely lead to worse problems. also going to the hospital is probably worthless because from what ive seen most doctors look at you like ur an idiot for messing with tarantulas and they give u some motrin and a bill for $900 dollars lmao. sooooo not being a pro at gettin bit this is just anecdotal but from what ive gathered chilling ur ass out with some motrin and some anti-histamines are ur best option.


So you are giving a long advice on something you've never experienced? ...


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## Dave

the nature boy said:


> We're not discussing long term use of pain killers and alcohol.


If you get tagged once a year and down 6 pk's and a shot of hard liquor, here's to you. Good luck with the liver. 

This seems to be turning into an argument that's going round and round with two different viewpoints, so I've said what I needed to say and won't be commenting on the alcohol thing anymore in this thread. 
No hard (liquor) feelings. I don't want to cause any pain(killers). (Ok, my jokes really "bite"). Honestly though, I'm just trying to take the "sting" out of the debate. OK! I'll stop... (my liver from working properly)


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## the nature boy

rvtjonny said:


> Thanks dude :?  Do you have a bug up your ss or something? I don't normally take any kind of drugs for any reason nor am i an alcoholic so think ill live another day to tell about it.  thinking maybe you need a drink today


Andrew's a great guy but I agree he's probably having a lousy day.  God knows I've had them.


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## Dreamslave

Come on people! Most bites from t's won't even necessitate the use of any type of painkiller or alcohol or crystal meth or whatever! Stop debating about if you should get drunk/high or not when being bit!!! Just like a bee sting for none-allergic people, do you take painkillers or get drunk? Come on!!! :wall:


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## the nature boy

Dreamslave said:


> Come on people! Most bites from t's won't even necessitate the use of any type of painkiller or alcohol or crystal meth or whatever! Stop debating about if you should get drunk/high or not when being bit!!! Just like a bee sting for none-allergic people, do you take painkillers or get drunk? Come on!!! :wall:


We're not talking about dry bites.  How many times have you been on the receiving end of a big old worlder pumping and dumping?  How do you address the situation?


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## rvtjonny

the nature boy said:


> Andrew's a great guy but I agree he's probably having a lousy day.  God knows I've had them.


not a big deal really, we all do.. its cool though, no hard feelings here.


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## cacoseraph

rvtjonny said:


> not a big deal really, we all do.. its cool though, no hard feelings here.


do you really not know what would happen if you mix pain killers, muscle relaxers, and alcohol?


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## Jackuul

Speaking of homemade tranquilizers, anything that could be used to clam down a hyper-defensive spider without killing it?


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## cacoseraph

Jackuul said:


> Speaking of homemade tranquilizers, anything that could be used to clam down a hyper-defensive spider without killing it?


fridging or CO2 are pretty much the only things i know of. both are somewhat finicky and dangerous


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## Protectyaaaneck

rvtjonny said:


> I dont handle any of my Ts but things happen and have a few things on stand by like pain killers, muscle relaxers and some hard Liquor to wash it down. got a friend thats going to get me an EpiPen soon




UHH, are you trying to kill yourself?  Do a bit of research on what pain killers, muscle relaxers, liquor and EpiPens do to your body before you go taking them all at once.  Btw, EpiPens are only to be used by the person they were prescribed for.  Buying, or getting one for free from your friend is definitely illegal.   Same goes for all prescribed medication.


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## burmish101

Ive been bitten by many species over the years, and yes some can have extremely painful bites. If you dont have a medical emergency and are not in a lifethreatening situation I suggest just suck it up and not be pansy about it. Sorry if I come off harsh but mixing ibuprofen with alcohol? Little overkill lol. IMO if you obtain a species you should know a bite is a possibility and be prepared to deal with the pain/side effects if a bite does occur. If you cant handle the pain then go to the emergency room and see if they can help at all, self medicating epipens have potential to kill you if used in the wrong situation and probably shouldnt be used for invertebrate bites in general.


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## Jackuul

cacoseraph said:


> fridging or CO2 are pretty much the only things i know of. both are somewhat finicky and dangerous


Okay, no vodka in the water dish then.  (it's a joke...)


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## cacoseraph

epipens are fantastic tools when used by the appropriate people in just the right situation


that happens to be when someone with known allergies is suffering anaphylaxis and is in danger of dying of anaphylactic shock.  


most other times it just produces a boost of adrenalin and not much else

taken when suffering venom induced tachycardia (too high of heart rate) it can push you over the edge and possibly even kill you 
















and i don't specifically hope anyone dies... but if you are stacking what might be three central nervous system depressants on top of a venom that might be reducing your blood pressure you could drop your brains oxygenation level to the point you go into a coma and get brain damaged... in that case i hope you die, so you don't have to be kept on life support systems for 20 years stealing medical resources from someone who could actually be saved.  


i really wish more ppl would actually research how their body works, how drugs they take work, and how venoms work.  it might sound like i am being crazy here... but ppl can die or be mangled from surprisingly little


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## cacoseraph

Jackuul said:


> Okay, no vodka in the water dish then.  (it's a joke...)


of course not vodka


asiatic species will only drink sake. 


everyone who keeps them should know that


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## xhexdx

cacoseraph said:


> ...but ppl can die or be mangled from surprisingly little


I know what you mean...my best friend was in a 30mph motorcycle accident, fully geared, and died instantly.

A little OT, I know, but it proves that it doesn't take much.

Hell, even being massively constipated can bring a grown man down pretty quickly.  Doubt it'll kill you, but again, you get the point.

--Joe


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## rvtjonny

Protectyaaaneck said:


> UHH, are you trying to kill yourself?  Do a bit of research on what pain killers, muscle relaxers, liquor and EpiPens do to your body before you go taking them all at once.  Btw, EpiPens are only to be used by the person they were prescribed for.  Buying, or getting one for free from your friend is definitely illegal.   Same goes for all prescribed medication.


umm, dont recall saying that i would take all that stuff at the same time,or for that matter any of it,  but i guess i opened the door for the criticism. whatever?

flame on if it makes ya feel better. 

and if i was to kill myself it would be doing something illegal on my bike, no drug like a buck fifty or better :drool:   



xhexdx said:


> I know what you mean...my best friend was in a 30mph motorcycle accident, fully geared, and died instantly.


Sorry to hear that about your friend Joe, always sucks to hear about a fallen rider.


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## Protectyaaaneck

I don't know, maybe when you said you would wash it all down with some alcohol,  I thought you meant you were going to take it all at once.  There is no flaming here, all I was doing was pointing out the obvious.  

I have a bit of firsthand knowledge when it comes to EpiPens as well.  I'm pretty sure injecting yourself with epinephrine would only speed up the process in which the venom travels throughout your body...


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## rvtjonny

Protectyaaaneck said:


> I don't know, maybe when you said you would wash it all down with some alcohol,  I thought you meant you were going to take it all at once.  There is no flaming here, all I was doing was pointing out the obvious.
> 
> I have a bit of firsthand knowledge when it comes to EpiPens as well.  I'm pretty sure injecting yourself with epinephrine would only speed up the process in which the venom travels throughout your body...


thing is,  i didnt say *all* :? better check that one dude.

btw i know what the EpiPen does and probably would never use the thing anyway but ya never know, i was stung by a bee about 30 years ago, before you were born so no telling what my reaction would be.


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## xhexdx

rvtjonny said:


> thing is,  i didnt say *all* :? better check that one dude.
> 
> btw i know what the EpiPen does and probably would never use the thing anyway but ya never know, i was stung by a bee about 30 years ago, before you were born so no telling what my reaction would be.


You're right, you didn't say 'all', but I will admit that's the impression I got as well.

I'm not trying to start anything, just stating how I took it.

Carry on.  :}


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## Protectyaaaneck

rvtjonny said:


> i was stung by a bee about 30 years ago, before you were born so no telling what my reaction would be.


Well you don't just somehow develop an allergy to something out of nowhere, so I doubt that if you were stung by a bee again you would feel anything different than when you first got stung.




rvtjonny said:


> btw i know what the EpiPen does


Then why get one?  

I figured someone as old as you would know better.


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## Dave

What was this thread about again? :? :?


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## Thoth

There is no scientific evidence of an allergic reaction to tarantula venom in the literature at all.  What occurs is a direct effect of the venom and not an allergic reaction because the venom itself contains histamine. An allergic reaction is a specific type immune response (IgE mediated). 

No need for an epi-pen. An anti-histamine may help cut the duration of some of the symptoms.


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## mhill

I hate to say this, but after reading this thread Ive come to the conclusion that this forum in general gets dumber by the day. :?


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## Dave

mhill said:


> I hate to say this, but after reading this thread Ive come to the conclusion that this forum in general gets dumber by the day. :?


One misguided thread and this guy thinks the whole forum is dumb. 
If you find a better arachnid forum I'll gladly join. I've learned A LOT since I've been on AB. Take the good with the bad, you'll never find one that's perfect.


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## codykrr

i hate to be the retard to ask but what is an "epipen"?

also the times ive been bitten all sucked but i just rode it out. it sucked bad but i lived nothing like some obt venom running in your veins.

also to comment on drinking and taking stuff for pain. wouldnt that be worse for your overall health? i mean when you get bitten, your liver is filtering out the venom from your blood, so adding alcohol to the mix would olny  make your live work harder for longer. not to mention each time one gets drunk it acually takes your liver around 3 weeks to fully recover, so id say that mixing venom and alcohol is dumb, even if it does dull the pain, because i bet it does a great job, just wouldnt be a very good idea.  and id say if i can handle an obt bite( a full blown bite) then i coulds handle most. and im not very good at dealing with muscle cramps and racing heart beats.


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## RottweilExpress

Good god this thread is a heap of crap. I seriously hope no sane people read this and take any of it as knowledge or good reference in a bite situation.


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## Lennie Collins

RottweilExpress said:


> Good god this thread is a heap of crap. I seriously hope no sane people read this and take any of it as knowledge or good reference in a bite situation.


Agreed! Would this be considered "trolling"?:?


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## dantediss

I am very saddened at this thread, people wishing other people dead for making a statement and about doing things we know they would never do,I was recently a passenger in a very serious car accident in which i almost did die and now will suffer from it for the rest of my life


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## dantediss

and to see people wishing this fate on others is disquisting. if the op did get bit and believed a benedryl and stiff drink would help so be it, and when you wish bad things upon me for saying that remember,your also wishing ill will on rob c. cus he was bit by a pokie and thats exactly what he did.... think about that one. im sad to be a member of this board right now : (


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## Jackuul

dantediss said:


> and to see people wishing this fate on others is disquisting. if the op did get bit and believed a benedryl and stiff drink would help so be it, and when you wish bad things upon me for saying that remember,your also wishing ill will on rob c. cus he was bit by a pokie and thats exactly what he did.... think about that one. im sad to be a member of this board right now : (


So instead of dwelling on it, why not make the best of it and post your emergency kit and what you would do


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## cacoseraph

Protectyaaaneck said:


> Well you don't just somehow develop an allergy to something out of nowhere, so I doubt that if you were stung by a bee again you would feel anything different than when you first got stung.


actually, for bees and ppl with severe allergies to them you need to get stung once to be sensitized and then the NEXT sting can trigger anaplylactic shock (which is the ONLY time i know of epipens being medically indicated)






to the rest of you little nancies reading this... did you actually read what i posted?  or just come up with some weak knee-jerk emotional response?  did you read my contribution to rob c's thread?  and the subsequent contributions by other members?









also, thoth... there was a girl who had something like 25% elevated IgE level a weak after she was bit by a pokie.  of course, i don't know how you could differentiate that from "regular" allergies... espeically a WEEK after the bite...  but the "no evidence of allergic response" tagline is no longer 100% true.  i believe their is a ref in the rob c thread


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## robc

cacoseraph said:


> also, thoth... there was a girl who had something like 25% elevated IgE level a weak after she was bit by a pokie.  of course, i don't know how you could differentiate that from "regular" allergies... espeically a WEEK after the bite...  but the "no evidence of allergic response" tagline is no longer 100% true.  i believe their is a ref in the rob c thread


There is some pretty good info in there...I admit I did the wrong thing....cacoseraph has some very good info in there and has taught me to study the venom and effects and also the drugs you mix....they can be deadly....I do trust cacoseraph advice...he at least has some experience and facts to back-up what he is saying.

Robc


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## cacoseraph

and i don't think i have ever said i know what will happen... if i did i misspoke.  what i do know is that there are a TON of chemical reactions involved and to add even more complexity for a fairy dubious pay off will probably hurt more than help


heck, i would even venture to guess a fair amount of the perceived relief that a lot of self medicating might produce is mostly psychosomatic.  from personal experience the more i freak out about a bite the worse it is... but the calmer, cooler, and more collected i can keep myself the better.







for instance... in venom one kill mechanism for verts is to have their blood pressure dropped.  this causes the organs to deoxygenate.  alcohol, some pain killers, and some muscle relaxers ALSO drop blood pressure

another kill mechanism is tachycardia... fast, light heart beats... if you combine tachycardia with a low blood pressure you can lose even more ability to oxygenate.   in reality, your body is HEAVILY biased to protect your brain... so it might just decide to shunt blood away from extremities... of course, you don't *really* need all you fingers and toes so i guess that isn't that big of a deal...









the thing that really cracks me up is that i don't actually care if someone dies from poorly self medicating a Pokie or Hap bite... i don't keep them anymore.  i like native bugs... any regulation against african or asian species wouldn't affect me in the least


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## dantediss

To my knowledge no t bite will kill you. My best advice is just relax and deal with it, If you must take a benedryl and drink lots of water...I would never tell one TO drink but i highly doubt A benedryll and A shot of whisky wovld kil5 you


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## the nature boy

dantediss said:


> when you wish bad things upon me for saying that remember,your also wishing ill will on rob c.


I don't know about you but I'll take any opportunity to wish ill on Rob, LOL!  j/k


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## cacoseraph

barring someone with pre-existing sensitivities or conditions i would be fairly surprised if someone who wasn't going to die would die from a single low dosage of benadryl and a single shot.  i would NOT be surprised if they had a worse time from some venoms. i would be surprised if it objectively helped them out at all


but... if someone were to take say, five doses of benadryl and five doses of alcohol it could be a whole different ball game.   taken in the absence of alcohol and without other complicating factors they would probably just make you inordinately drowsy... but add in a decreased blood pressure from venom effect and there could be some serious medical complications that arise



in my experience, most people are horribly undereducated about drugs/medicine and how their body actually works.  ppl like this might think well, i think i felt improvement from A benadryl and and A drink... surely 3 of each would make me feel even better... and that is were you run into significant risks


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## venomous.com

If I get bit I'll take a vicodin or two, have a couple of beers and notate the reactions and pain. Not scared in the least.

I swear, it's like some of you never lived through the rave phase


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## cacoseraph

ptviperz said:


> If I get bit I'll take a vicodin or two, have a couple of beers and notate the reactions and pain. Not scared in the least.
> 
> I swear, it's like some of you never lived through the rave phase


most vicodin these days are a tiny amount of hydrocodone paired with 200+ mg of ibuprofen (ooh, could that be a synergistic reaction? i think so  ).  to my understanding, the hydrocodone is the one you would potentially have to worry about... but as i said it is a TINY dose per pill.  most american beer is about as strong as my piss after a good night drinking.  combining a relatively small amount of hydrocodone with a relatively small amount of alcohol and you probably won't see much happen. probably.  

combining those two drugs in the presence of a venom cocktail and it becomes much more difficult to predict. there is probably a tiny chance that if you have a bum ticker or bad nervature or the venom is particularily sedative in nature something bad could happen.  

and if you take something with some actual punch to it, like meperidine and drink a few shots of alcohol you could actually reasonably expect to see surprising effects


i have been to quite a few raves. rather enjoyable until lots of ppl started drinking at them.  and when i went.. i was the one ppl would ask their party favor questions to 


it's not like i'm pulling all this out of my ass... i have read quite a bit about how my body and the drugs in it work


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## Dave

So, cacoseraph,
If you have any insight, what is the reasoning behind consuming alcohol after getting tagged, since it seems to be such a popular thing to do, and also is the underlying antagonist behind this crazy thread?
Is it just a "tough guy" thing to do, or is there actually another reason, perhaps just to calm the nerves?
This is a question by someone who does not drink and therefore has no justification into the topic.


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## cacoseraph

well, it is a CNS depressant so it does dull pain.  it also would probably calm some ppl down, which would alleviate psychosomatic affects.





and to be honest, in venoms that don't seem to have neuro effects i personally do drink some.  but this is because i did enough research to feel comfortable that the alcohol and venom wouldn't synergize on me.  it is still not a sure thing... but i did do enough research to have some weak form of an informed opinion





and really, i don't think i have ever said A drink is likely to mess someone up... i am more against mixing multiple CNS depressants with venom that does exhibit neurological affects without doing so much as a single freaking google on anything, much less and kind of substantial research


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## dantediss

I in no way suggest getting bit and binging.But i do know that a single shot or a speedily drunk beer will take the edge off ,Usually long enough for the relaxing effect of tylenol pm...Make it easier to relax and cope with the venom allowing it to run its course my 2 cents


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## cacoseraph

in my experience a single drink of alcohol won't do anything noticeable for pain severe enough to want to do something about it.  i have had some pretty gnarly centipede bites and even five drinks didn't do anything (the venoms from those species are not known to have systemic affects).  Excedrin didn't do anythign that i could really tell either



that has kind of been one of my points in the past... bites severe enough to make someone really want to treat them are not likely to appreciably respond to a single dosage of OTC drugs (including alcohol) and taking more than one dose even in the absence of complicating venom factors is increasing folly. taking enough doses of OTC drugs (or worse prescription drugs or even worse alcohol + drugs) to actually feel nice is just plain stupid


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## venomous.com

cacoseraph said:


> and to be honest, in venoms that don't seem to have neuro effects i personally do drink some.  but this is because i did enough research to feel comfortable that the alcohol and venom wouldn't synergize on me.  it is still not a sure thing... but i did do enough research to have some weak form of an informed opinion


As an ex-hots keepers, I'd never recommend mixing venomous and drinking. Real venom and alcohol can be a potent mix. Also with venomous you have to consider the chances of venom sensitivity and anaphylaxis even if you've never been bitten before.

I don't consider a T to be in the league of any of the creatures I used to keep. I'm sure a pokie bite might hurt and all but I don't even slightly consider it as 'life threatening'


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## cacoseraph

hot snakes and centipedes have almost nothing in common.  

in centipedes there is maybe one species that has the possibility of gross systemic effects that we know of (Scolopendra alternans).  most just have local effects.  all the med. lit. i read lead me to believe mixing alcohol would not be a big deal.  there are three cases of death from centipedes that can be found and two of them were obviously from secondary infections (and said as much).

would it be safer to abstain? almost certainly... but have i read anything that would make me leary of stacking centipede venom and alcohol? not yet.


the dopey stuff i read from some of the ppl in this thread leads me to believe they didn't do any research at all AND some species of tarantula have pretty dramatic systemic effects making them a horrible candidate to drink or do other drugs with


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## Fran

Dont do stupid things. Dont bother the animals, let them be, take precautions and it will be *almost *imposible to get bitten.

If you decide not to, then deal with it if they bite you...what can I tell you.


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## Thoth

cacoseraph said:


> ...
> also, thoth... there was a girl who had something like 25% elevated IgE level a weak after she was bit by a pokie.  of course, i don't know how you could differentiate that from "regular" allergies... espeically a WEEK after the bite...  but the "no evidence of allergic response" tagline is no longer 100% true.  i believe their is a ref in the rob c thread


I have seen the paper. That is no indication of correlation.  First it is the only such mention of such an elevation. Second like you mentioned it was measured a week later, which in the meanwhile anything could have caused it. Also if she was given cortisone to treat any symptoms, it is known to cause an increase in IgE levels. So I am still not convinced, if further proof is published I am willing to concede and admit I was mistaken, till then I stand by my original assertion.


Though the hairs from a tarantula are a different issue and are well known allergens and there has been documented case of anaphylaxis from inhaled hairs.


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## burmish101

Just a question but all those that pop pain pills and drink on it, do you have very low pain tolerence? Or are you afraid that the bites hurt much more than they do? I've had bites that caused allot of pain but nothing that couldnt be handled with a little t.v. or something to that extent Oo


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## the nature boy

burmish101 said:


> Just a question but all those that pop pain pills and drink on it, do you have very low pain tolerence? Or are you afraid that the bites hurt much more than they do? I've had bites that caused allot of pain but nothing that couldnt be handled with a little t.v. or something to that extent Oo


What have you been bitten by, how large was it, and do you think you got a full load?


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## the nature boy

the nature boy said:


> What have you been bitten by, how large was it, and do you think you got a full load?


I'm going to go out on a real limb here and say you're experience with old world bites is minimal.


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## jbm150

the nature boy said:


> I'm going to go out on a real limb here and say you're experience with old world bites is minimal.


He's been bitten by an h. mac.  It may not be an s. cal but its still pretty stout...apparently.

Why take anything at all?  Just sit back and let it run its course.  Yeah, its probably going to suck but think about how it feels.  Concentrate on the feelings.  You're going to make it through with no to minimal side effects and its just going to be a memory before long.  At least this way, you can always look back on it and you can tell a good story.


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## cacoseraph

i don't know about OW tara bites (never been bit, and don't keep them anymore) but for my worst centipede bite i don't think i slept for about 36h straight from the pain


and i play with pain for fun... it hurt quite a bit


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## the nature boy

cacoseraph said:


> and i play with pain for fun... it hurt quite a bit


I don't doubt that in the slightest, lol! :worship: :worship: :worship:


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## the nature boy

jbm150 said:


> He's been bitten by an h. mac.  It may not be an s. cal but its still pretty stout...apparently.


H. macs are indeed supposed to hurt.  Do you know how large it was and whether he thinks he got a full load?  I have a high pain tolerance and can ride just about anything out, but why?  Moreover, I'll use any excuse to drink scotch, lol.


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## dantediss

Yea to be honest i dont take medicine and very rarely do i drink, im not a hardass pain is pain...But i usually ride it out and try to hold onto the sensation,It makes you alot more cautious in the future...And if you think a t bite is bad may i suggest a jellyfish...  now those are man makers


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## the nature boy

dantediss said:


> And if you think a t bite is bad may i suggest a jellyfish...  now those are man makers


Been there when in Mexico once.  I have no idea what species it was but it wasn't fun.  By the way, do those things envenomize prey or is it simply a poison to say "get away!" ?


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## jbm150

He mentioned a while back how big it was, I think 3 or 4 inches.  Said it messed him up for a coupla months (gotta love the h. mac goodness)

As for jellies, yes, they envenomate their prey.  They're very fragile animals and by having very potent venom, they minimize the risk of injury from struggling prey.  And its also defensive.  If the victim survives, hopefully it'll try to avoid them in the future.


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## the nature boy

jbm150 said:


> If the victim survives, hopefully it'll try to avoid them in the future.


I will.

--the nature boy


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