Being Bit...

[RugbyDave]

Didn't i hear about a case in France where some 20 year old guy died after ingesting some type of psilocybe (semilanceata perhaps?).

I thought they did tests afterwards and positively ID'd it as a psilocybe variant? I could have sworn that the official french results were some type of psilocybe? I could research it next time i drop by school. I can't remember right now.. i could be wrong though.

Remember the Gomilla case where they thought it was psilocybe, but ended up not being psilocybe.. man, that was a while ago, and the story eludes me right now.

peace
dave

 

[Code Monkey]

Originally posted by RugbyDave
Didn't i hear about a case in France where some 20 year old guy died after ingesting some type of psilocybe (semilanceata perhaps?).

Is this a recent case? I'm going by the documented cases by Jochen Gartz in his book, which is one of the more scholarly works on the subject. It is always possible that there's a more recent case then the ones he went through, but I would always remains skeptical of anyone attributing the death of an adult to a direct effect of something that has been demonstrated to be physically harmless millions upon millions of times by volunteers. If I get bored, I'll double check the book, but this is decidedly off-topic so who knows

 

[RugbyDave]

As per being bit to test reactions, didnt a couple of guys in the 60's and 70's do this in some lab in their house? I could've sworn i read an article about those guys. They never published anything, but they did so many tests with spiders and snakes (T's included). Am i just making this up?!! I seriously have read this somewhere.. unless it was one of those dreams...

Chip - as for the french kid dying, i believe it was in 1997, but it could've been 1996. Maybe i'll google it now and shoot it over to you par PM.

grilled meat and cold beer await,
dave

oh yes,

Originally posted by Code Monkey
<snip>I would always remains skeptical of anyone attributing the death of an adult to a direct effect of something that has been demonstrated to be physically harmless millions upon millions of times by volunteers<snip>

that's how i feel about another issue well-discussed in the watering hole

 

[arachnopunks]

Originally posted by Psycho
So.... what you're saying is that the reaction to a T bite is just that...... a reaction that everyone has. It's not an allergic reaction?

~~~Psycho~~~

There are alot of bite reports about the immediate effects. Most will have some type of reaction i.e. numbness, swelling, fatigue, and other reported reactions. The allergy effect comes on a more individual basis. If I get stung by a wasp I will have a small bump and pain, my wife ,on the other hand, will have an allergic reaction which in her case is severe swelling. Allergic reactions can be as severe as anaphalaxis, which can kill. Most of the bite reports which I have read have not been severe but there was still a reaction. The only way an individual can know if they are allergic to something is direct exposure i. e. inhaled, ingested, or vector and only then will they know the severity of their reaction.

 

[Kali]

i gave a male friend a curly hair sling. he whined and cried that it would bite him and he was scared to handle it, (after months of bugging me for one). i regularly handled this T, so felt no fear in carefully removing it from its enclosure, handing it to my friend, and watching in morbid fascination as it scurried onto his arm and bit him. very rewarding! didn't hurt him at all.

Psycho, my 4-year old loves our T's and is very conscious of the fact that they can bite or escape. Children understand off limit T's like off limit dogs. Some they get to know and some they don't want to know.

Kristin;P

 

[SkyeSpider]

On the issue of allergic reaction to a tarantula bite:

I think I'm a good example for this. I'm VERY allergic to urticating hairs (a small hit can swell up my entire arm, fingers to shoulder). Because of that, I was always deathly afraid of a bite.

About a year ago, I was bitten for the first (and only) time. It felt like a fire-ant bite and nothing more. I had NO reaction to it at all. {you can read about it in the bite reports, under Avicularia versicolor}

Either way, I don't see anyone having an allergic reaction from venom

-Bryan

 

[Code Monkey]

Originally posted by arachnopunks
Most will have some type of reaction i.e. numbness, swelling, fatigue, and other reported reactions. The allergy effect comes on a more individual basis. If I get stung by a wasp I will have a small bump and pain, my wife ,on the other hand, will have an allergic reaction which in her case is severe swelling. Allergic reactions can be as severe as anaphalaxis, which can kill.

You are mistakenly attributing venom sensitivity to an allergy. Venom reactions, no matter how severe and mild between individuals, are almost never due to an allergic reaction.

Allergic reactions are when your immune system treats an otherwise innocuous (or only mildly irritating) protein as though it's a huge threat. Venom is designed to cause reactions, everything from blood clotting to blood thinning to necrosis to nerve paralysis to swelling to muscle spasms to pain, etc. However, due to the fact that we are talking protein-protein interactions, people will react differently to the same venom.

An allergic reaction is a very specifically defined subset of reactions involving the immune system. With something like Ts or wasps, you *may* be allergic if and only if you have a very dramatic reaction to a venom well known to only have a particular range of effects in a majority of people exposed to it.

 

[phoenixxavierre]

My reactions to urticating hairs have increased over the years. It affects more than the apparent area hit by the urticating hairs for me. If I'm sexing (by picking up and eyeballing) adult Theraphosa apophysis or Theraphosa blondi, Brachypelma boehmei, or any other tarantula that has a strong effect on me by its urticating setae, the itching quickly spreads all over my body. It's the closest thing to an eczema itch I can describe, a deep itch that scratching doesn't satisfy. It used to be that these hairs NEVER affected me. Gradually I've reacted worse and worse over the years. I imagine venom could be the same, varying individually in its effects. So for some it could eventually bring about worse and worse reactions, while for others no major change in reaction, depending, of course, on frequency of bite experiences and amount of venom injected. Tarantulas have a tendency, like most venomous snakes, to try to save their venom for their prey, unlike scorpions who use their venom for defense equally as much as they use it to subdue their prey.

Paul

 

[Valael]

I think I'm actually the same as you freaks that "want" to get bitten



I'd like to experience one of the nastier bites for some reason, just to see how bad it is.


This doesn't mean I'm going to be careless and hope I get bit, or even let it bite me. It's just a curiousity thing. If it happens, it happens. I'm not going to do anything strange to increase my chances

 

[Mojo Jojo]

Ok, since nobody else has said it, I guess I will.

To all you wierdos who desire to be envenomated by your spiders, especially those whose venoms are reportedly extra-hot, YOU NEED HELP!!!!!

Jon

 

[Valael]

I don't really DESIRE it. I'm just curious as to how bad it is. I see all of these reports about comas and stuff and I honestly don't believe them.


I'm not going to get bit unless it's by accident. I bet a lot of people have been curious as to what it feels like being bitten.

 

[Phillip]

I have the same curiousity myself. I have actually thought about having each species nail me and making detailed notes of the effects simply due to my belief that the " really hot ones " are greatly over rated.

Phil

 

[wsimms]

Originally posted by indigoeyes

I had the idea to treat it like a snake bite. (Run the bite under scalding hot water for five minutes to draw the poison out, cut open the bite with an exacto knife, suck the remaining poison out, take a Benedryl.) Is this a good idea? Or should I just get to the ER if I notice symptoms? :?

Sorry I'm getting into this thread kinda late...
1)If bitten, DO NOT cut the site or put ice on it. Hot water is a waste of time. Benadryl is OK, as are H2 blockers like Tagamet, Zantac and Pepsid, but are probably not necessary since, as already pointed out, there are no cases of anaphylaxis reported in association with tarantula bites.
2)If bitten by one of the species with reportedly potent venom (pokies, etc) The Extractor www.sawyerproducts.com is the only way to go.

W

 

[whoami?]

Originally posted by Phillip
I have the same curiousity myself. I have actually thought about having each species nail me and making detailed notes of the effects simply due to my belief that the " really hot ones " are greatly over rated.

Phil

Well, I don't think I'd go THAT far. But I would like to be bitten by a large variety of species.

 

[Mojo Jojo]

DAMN FREAKS!!!

I agree!

Jon

;P

 

[phoenixxavierre]

Originally posted by Big Dragonfly
Ok, since nobody else has said it, I guess I will.

To all you wierdos who desire to be envenomated by your spiders, especially those whose venoms are reportedly extra-hot, YOU NEED HELP!!!!!

Jon

In your avatar, is that a big fat Acanthoscurria geniculata poised over your wrist, fangs dripping, getting ready to take a bite?? lol!

Paul

 

[Mojo Jojo]

Originally posted by phoenixxavierre
In your avatar, is that a big fat Acanthoscurria geniculata poised over your wrist, fangs dripping, getting ready to take a bite?? lol!

Paul

Oh...

Um...

Well...

Oh...

Hmmm...

Let me get back to you on that one.



Jon

 

[phoenixxavierre]

Originally posted by Big Dragonfly
Oh...

Um...

Well...

Oh...

Hmmm...

Let me get back to you on that one.



Jon

LOL!!

=D

Paul

 

[xBurntBytheSunx]

aren't those kind supposed to be really docile?

 

[phoenixxavierre]

Originally posted by xBurntBytheSunx
aren't those kind supposed to be really docile?

No. But then every individual has their individual personality.