Medicines for treating Tarantula bites - suggestions ?

[~Androctonus~]

i never bitten by "serious" species, at least not more than Chaetopelma olivaceum and Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens, that i let my hand to bite by intention.
how you guys treat a serious tarantula bite, one with crapms, swelling, hardness with moving the bitten part, vomiting, stomach pain and all the other more serious symptoms ?
as you well know, emergency will just take your money and say "hey, youve got bitten, take that benadryl, acamol and go home, rest a little. oh, and give me 500$ please" and make a big scene out of your spider. they dont really know what to do...

by "more serious" i mean, by species like: Pterinochilus, Pamphobeteus, Haplopelma, and of course Poecilotheria and so on. anyway, you've got the point.

so what medicins (names will be great) and treatments did you used to reduce the pain, cramps and the other sympoms, and what was the most effective? thanks you !

 

[Shrike]

i never bitten by "serious" species, at least not more than Chaetopelma olivaceum and Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens, that i let my hand to bite by intention.
how you guys treat a serious tarantula bite, one with crapms, swelling, hardness with moving the bitten part, vomiting, stomach pain and all the other more serious symptoms ?
as you well know, emergency will just take your money and say "hey, youve got bitten, take that benadryl, acamol and go home, rest a little. oh, and give me 500$ please" and make a big scene out of your spider. they dont really know what to do...

by "more serious" i mean, by species like: Pterinochilus, Pamphobeteus, Haplopelma, and of course Poecilotheria and so on. anyway, you've got the point.

so what medicins (names will be great) and treatments did you used to reduce the pain, cramps and the other sympoms, and what was the most effective? thanks you !

I checked the bite reports for some of the species you mentioned and most people seem to just let the venom run its course. The TKG has a section devoted to bite first aid. You might want to check that out.

Or you could just amputate the limb and then nuke the tarantula from orbit. It's the only way to be sure

 

[Amoeba]

No idea why Pamphobeteus is on the "serious" list.......

Here is a link: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/772583-medication#1

 

[~Androctonus~]

No idea why Pamphobeteus is on the "serious" list.......

because it is pretty big as adult and can cause mechanical damage, not only the venom itself that may make crampings and more.

The TKG has a section devoted to bite first aid.

i didnt got it. where is section about it ? and btw i checked the posts on bite reports and saw someone who actually made a list, this is why i wanted you to share. check it out:

Tarantula: Pamphobeteus vespertinum
size: 7"+
gender: Female
.....
.....
.....
Treatment I've Used:
benadryll (sorry for the speling) - No effect at all
bengae for muscle cramps - lil help
hot towel for muscle - no effect
ice bag for muscle - lil help
tylinol for swelling - it help
two other sleeping and muscle relacants - it kinda help
Doctor - no help
emergency room - no help (waste of money and time)
rest and vitamins (calicium) - it helps alot
masage - very helpul

thanks you

 

[1hughjazzspider]

Honestly, it all depends on how a person's own individual body will react to the venom. Just because a certain type of medicine does or doesn't work for one person, doesn't mean it will or won't work for another person with a similar type bite.

 

[mcluskyisms]

Ive never been bitten personally although for new world species Id recommend taking some Benadryl and cleaning the bite wound up and maybe a plaster, for urticating hair reactions I always keep antihistamine cream handy too. Its also worth mentioning if you do get bitten and start developing cramps & muscular pain then its always best to seek out medical advice, especially if its an old world species.

 

[sbullet]

Running the bite site under extremely hot water seems to be a popular course of action, as it breaks down the enzymes in the venom. (I know it isn't enzymes but I am groggy and just woke up lol).

People seem to take antihistamines as well, and then of course your favorite pain killer.

BUT the most important step is to immediately get your hand under the HOTTEST possible water you can stand, and keep it there.

 

[Jared781]

If you want to try healing the bite, your best bet would be to try Polysporin

 

[jayefbe]

Running the bite site under extremely hot water seems to be a popular course of action, as it breaks down the enzymes in the venom. (I know it isn't enzymes but I am groggy and just woke up lol).

Reference or source for this?

 

[Stan Schultz]

First, you're asking for medical advice over the Internet from people who aren't doctors. I don't know who would be taking the bigger risk, the person asking or the person giving?

... as you well know, emergency will just take your money and say "hey, youve got bitten, take that benadryl, acamol and go home, rest a little. oh, and give me 500$ please" and make a big scene out of your spider. they dont really know what to do...

Unfortunately, you are correct in most cases. Even in the more enlightened emergency rooms, the treatment du jour is merely to treat the symptoms and let the victim's physiology eventually solve the problem of the venom. But, at least you'll get some help with the pain and discomfort.

... by "more serious" i mean, by species like: Pterinochilus, Pamphobeteus, Haplopelma, and of course Poecilotheria and so on. anyway, you've got the point.

so what medicins (names will be great) and treatments did you used to reduce the pain, cramps and the other sympoms, and what was the most effective? thanks you !

But, I'll try to answer your question as politely as I can because I think you're honestly seeking some guidance.

This topic hasn't been adequately addressed by the medical profession yet, probably because it isn't important enough or common enough to warrant any sort of intensive investigation. (Read that to mean that there's not enough money to be made off it, so they'll do cardio stuff instead.) So, what I can give you is based on very limited personal experience, plus what little I could garner off anecdotal reports I've seen, plus snippets of wisdom copied and pasted from parallel circumstances, plus common sense. In a way there's a strong argument in favor of me being a fool for publishing this on the 'Net. And, if you get bit there's an even stronger argument in favor of you being a bigger fool for trusting me!

So first, you need to be reminded that different tarantulas have different components to their venoms. That's important because the drug used to treat one species' bite may not work on another's bite. For instance, Demerol worked on Marguerite against the bite of an OBT (Pterinochilus murinus). But, I've heard reports that it didn't work against Poecilotheria (or was it Pelinobius muticus (formerly Citharishius crawshayi?) venom.

And, for a variety of different reasons different people react differently to venoms. One of the most high profile examples of this was Bill Haast of the Miami Serpentarium who made himself immune to cobra venom as an experiment. Bill died last year, not of snakebite, but of old age related causes at age 100! He treated cobra bites with a band-aid. You and I would end up in a casket.

Further, different people react differently to the drugs used to treat the bites. Thus, urban legend has it that heroine addicts are relatively unaffected by morphine and other opioids, and cocaine users by Novocaine. And, I have a close friend who pretty much lives on Percocet for a severe back problem who probably wouldn't respond to much less than a near fatal overdose of the drug. And, we all know of people who are profoundly allergic to many of the drugs that might be used. In this case, applying the treatment could easily be more dangerous than the original problem. (In fact, the last person of record to die as a consequence to a black widow's bite in North America didn't die from the venom, but rather in reaction to the antivenom!)

Lastly, the single person in North America who was doing some research on the issue, and who might have had some idea of how to proceed with treatment for the bites of various species of spiders, Dr. Darwin Vest of Eagle Rock Research, Idaho Falls, Idaho, disappeared in June of 1999, presumably due to foul play. So we lost the best expert we had.

But, we can still make some rather superficial, generic recommendations.

Those who have been bitten by some of the tarantulas with "medically significant bites," whatever those might be, sometimes report some relief from the symptoms by taking large doses of steroids and/or antihistamines. But, I don't remember which brands or types, or how much they took. (Perhaps some of you can offer brand or generic names?) And, the "taking large doses" part implies that they were overdosing. Those of us with strong hearts and livers may be able to get away with it once in a while if necessary. But, if you have a cardiac or liver problem, especially if you're not aware of it, you could be in really, Really, REALLY big trouble by overdosing, far worse than if you'd merely toughed it out without the drugs.

There are those who have used the time-honored cure of emptying a bottle of strong liquor to deal with the discomfort of a bite. That's so foolish that I really can't believe that anyone would try it! Not only is the victim's physiology and biochemistry under profound attack from the venom, but now it's being poisoned by the alcohol too! (With friends like that, who needs enemies?) And, in a state of profound inebriation the victim can't judge when it's time to run to an emergency room for help, or even make a reliable effort to get there! Dumb. Really dumb.

What about antivenoms? A number of them are being produced for various species of dangerous spider around the world, and a list appears on this Wikipedia page, but if you're keeping a Sydney funnelweb spider in New Jersey, for instance, the antivenom in Australia will do you no good whatsoever. I would strongly urge you to either make every effort to acquire ample supplies of the antivenom and make sure they're kept fresh, or get rid of the spider and keep plastic philodendrons instead.

Worse yet, none of the mentioned antivenoms seem to have any cross-reactivity with tarantula venom. So, they're effectively worthless for our purposes.

Several strong recommendations I can make:

1. Do not treat yourself by drinking alcohol. I still can't believe...

2. Do not exceed the maximum recommended dose of any pain killer, antihistamine, or steroid without a doctor's specific recommendation or supervision. You WILL survive the tarantula's bite. You MAY NOT survive the overdose!

3. If you live alone, DO NOT stay by yourself for at least the first 48 hours after the bite. Either spend the first night or two at a friend's home, or have them stay with you. You are to be checked every hour or so to make sure you haven't slipped into shock or a coma. (And no, I'm not sure that anything like that could or would happen. It's just better to be safe than sorry.)

4. If you develop any symptoms that affect your heart or breathing, or you have trouble maintaining consciousness, immediately get to an emergency room. Don't drive yourself. Either have a friend take you or have an ambulance called.

5. Before you finally hurt badly enough that you're ready to hurt yourself or commit suicide to stop the pain, it's time to throw in the towel and get help!


And, the $500? Think a moment. You can always make another $500. You've done it before, you'll do it again. If you OD on a home cure, you may never have the chance again. Or, even if the alternative is only to just lie there and writhe in pain for 8 hours, is it really worth it?

I'll ask you again after the 8 hours is up!


Enjoy your little, 8-legged, Lucrezia Borgia

 

[sbullet]

Read something on it on this forum, I'll look around for it when I have time today.

Reference or source for this?

 

[sbullet]

Can't find it. Take it or leave it idc, but it is what I plan on doing if I ever get bit. Rob C commented on the thread it was in, saying it was great advice (or something along those lines).

Or I might be lying to all of you.

 

[Stan Schultz]

Running the bite site under extremely hot water seems to be a popular course of action, as it breaks down the enzymes in the venom. (I know it isn't enzymes but I am groggy and just woke up lol).

People seem to take antihistamines as well, and then of course your favorite pain killer.

BUT the most important step is to immediately get your hand under the HOTTEST possible water you can stand, and keep it there.

This is an extremely interesting concept. The practice is used in the tropical fish industry for home treatment of lionfish (genus Pterois) stings. It apparently works because those fractions of the venom that cause a lot of the pain are rather unstable and decompose readily with a little heat.

Will this really work with tarantula venom? Somebody out there! Get bit by your Poecilotheria and try it. Be sure to report back on this thread. (I'm joking! I'm joking! NO - DON'T DO THAT! If you even consider trying this you should be institutionalized!)

Having said all this, we should perhaps keep this in mind. The next time we see a bite report with "medically significant symptoms" maybe the victim would be willing to try it on the way to the emergency room?

 

[1hughjazzspider]

I'd be curious to know, how many people who have been bitten by a medically significant species, that instead of going to the dr chose to do nothing about it aside from taking your normal over the counter pain medication. And what the various levels of pain and other symptoms each person had. It would also be worth noting what kind of physical shape was each person in, as well as what their past medical history may be like. For example; how healthy did each person eat? How often did they exercise? Did they smoke or drink alcohol often? Or were they the lazy type who never really did anything physically demanding? All of those things can factor into how strong one's immune system might be and how it might react to a more potent venom. And you could do the same thing with those who chose to seek medical attention. As unlikely as it may be for someone to go thru all the bite reports on here and attempt to contact everyone who has been bit and analyze all that data, it still would be really interesting to find out what sort of conclusion one might come to.

 

[jayefbe]

Can't find it. Take it or leave it idc, but it is what I plan on doing if I ever get bit. Rob C commented on the thread it was in, saying it was great advice (or something along those lines).

Or I might be lying to all of you.

Or you might not have any idea what you're talking about.

If you've only heard a couple people mention "something along those lines" then you really shouldn't be saying that it's a common and best method of action, coupled with a pseudo-scientific explanation.

 

[sbullet]

It is still what I plan on doing if it ever happens to me. What I read was compelling enough to just MENTION it on here, knowing full well that superior-complexed individuals on these boards will call "bs" on the credibility, or lack there of, as you say.

That being said, it seemed sensible enough that it might be worth trying-- the next OW bite report victim I urge you to try it-- a first hand test would be interesting.