# does anyone know of a good home remedy for snake bites?



## hipoint (May 3, 2010)

Got bitten by a copperhead last night, didn't get enough venom to warrant a dose of antivenin but enough that my foot looks like a football and it hurts like heck.

so does anyone know any of "grandma's" remedies for bringing the swelling down?

here's a pic, this is a couple of hours after the bite, looks a little worse now.


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## Sterlo58 (May 3, 2010)

I would let a doc take a look. Even a little venom can cause problems if not treated.


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## Nicodemus (May 3, 2010)

For a venomous snake bite, there is no home cure. Go to a doctor!


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## Twenty five ought six (May 3, 2010)

Nicodemus said:


> For a venomous snake bite, there is no home cure. Go to a doctor!



He did,

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=380350
post 33

I think he wants something to relieve the pain and swelling.

Me, I'd recommend something that was bottled in bond, but don't know if that is good advice or not.


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## hipoint (May 3, 2010)

yeah, i've been considering a good dose of "kickin chicken"...  I don't like pain medicine, not a good feeling, and I'd rather hurt than have my head all fuzzy from drugs.  

#1 snakebite prevention... FLASHLIGHT!!!! 

 If my batteries hadn't died on me I wouldn't be in this mess now, can't work for at least a few days and i've got some bills due Plus whatever the hospital charges for a 4 hour stay, a shot of tetanus, and a bag of saline solution.

On the bright side, it makes for a cool story


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## JamesG (May 3, 2010)

hipoint said:


> so does anyone know any of "grandma's" remedies for bringing the swelling down?


strychnine and shine, might not help with the swellin though


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## threeleggedpigmy (May 3, 2010)

Natural herbal home treatment for snakebite
Black cohosh syrup helps to relieve pain. Take 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of the syrup three times daily. 
Poultices of comfrey, slippery elm, or white oak bark leaves and bark can be used. Comfrey salve, plantain poultice, or plantain salve can also be used. 
Echinacea, taken in tea and/ or capsule form, boosts the immune system. 
Olive leaf extract has antibacterial properties. 
Yellow dock can be used to alleviate symptoms. Drink a cup of yellow dock tea or take 2 capsules of yellow dock every hour until the symptoms are gone. 
If medical help is not available, apply a constricting band two to four inches above the bite. Keep calm and immobilize the affected area, keeping it below heart level if possible. If rapid swelling or severe pain develops, an incision can be made directly below the fang marks and suction performed. The cut should be made along the long axis of the limb with a sharp, sterilized blade. Cut just through the skin (about an eighth of an inch deep), making an incision about one-half-inch long, and then apply suction for at least thirty minutes with a suction cup, snakebite kit, or with the mouth (spit out the blood). Caution: This procedure should be performed only in an extreme situation, only if the bite occurred less than five minutes ago, and only if you have had some training in how to do it. Otherwise, it can cause more problems than it solves. Never make cuts on the head, neck, or trunk. Do not perform this procedure if the snake was a coral snake. 
Here is the linkSnake Bite Don'ts 
Do not apply cold therapy, such as an ice pack. This can cause tissue damage. 
Don't use the small rubber suction cups found in some first aid kits because they are too weak to remove any significant amount of venom. 
Do not raise the site of the bite above the level of the victim's heart. 
Don't excite the victim or even allow the victim to walk if it can be avoided. Doing so will increase blood circulation, speeding the spread of the venom beyond the area of the bite. 
Snake Bite Do's 
GET MEDICAL help immediately. 
If possible, splint the wounded area to immobilize it. This helps to prevent muscle contractions from spreading the poison faster. 
Limit liquid intake because the body pumps fluids to the bite site, increasing painful swelling. Avoid alcohol, which increases metabolism and impairs judgment. 
Remember that most bites, even from poisonous snakes, are not fatal. Panic can increase the danger to the victim by inducing rapid heartbeat. 



http://www.best-home-remedies.com/injuries/snakebite.htm


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## Nicodemus (May 3, 2010)

Twenty five ought six said:


> He did,
> 
> http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=380350
> post 33
> ...



It`s not, for snakebite purposes.


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## hipoint (May 3, 2010)

threeleggedpigmy said:


> Natural herbal home treatment for snakebite
> Black cohosh syrup helps to relieve pain. Take 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of the syrup three times daily.
> Poultices of comfrey, slippery elm, or white oak bark leaves and bark can be used. Comfrey salve, plantain poultice, or plantain salve can also be used.
> Echinacea, taken in tea and/ or capsule form, boosts the immune system.
> ...





hey, thanks.  I have been already using echinacea tea, along with several detox teas all mixed together.  I figure it would be best to treat internally because the bite site isn't really bad, it's below it in my foot that is swelling and hurting so much.  so it's really more of a non-acute swelling that i'm trying to treat.

copperhead bites hurt...


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## MonroeTaco (May 3, 2010)

PM Germag, he's the expert on anything serpent related.


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## Buck111 (May 3, 2010)

Go to a doctor.


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## THREEJAYS (May 3, 2010)

A friend of mine got bit by one a few years ago,went to dr. and they basically let him get over it on his own.Don't know if they gave anything for pain or swelling though.


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## hipoint (May 6, 2010)

It's starting to get a little better now.  glad I didn't get a full dose from Mr. snake.  thanks for those who helped.  Those who said "go to a doctor" well...  trying to be nice here....  of course I went to the ER when it happened...  but I work for a hospital in the ER and anyone else who has any sense at all knows a hospital doesn't really do anything for you but charge you money...  If I had needed antivenin, that's about all they could have done, but since I didn't, then all they did was charge me $1,700 dollars for a tetanus shot and a bag of IV saline.

They wrote me a prescription for pain pills, but I don't go that route...

I think the best thing I did was to drink lots of fluids and a full run of detox tea.  seems like it worked, I'm 4 days in now and can walk on it a little.

anyone else who might happen upon this thread will definitely want to consider that.  

When I went to the ER they watched me for 4 hours (standard protocol) and kept measurements of my calf.  What they were looking for is swelling closer to my heart than where I was bitten, we kept my ankle down so all the swelling was there.  If I get bitten again that's what I'll do, and skip the $1700 dollar bill.  Of course if it is swelling nearer the heart (proximal) then that's a sign you may need antivenin.  

I've seen the aftermath of copperhead bites that got a full dose of venom, it's not pretty.  I definitely got some, but I had no blistering and so far no necrosis.  

Pretty lucky I know, and now I have some first hand experience on what to do with a snakebite.  

Here is a rundown of my symptoms...  Got bitten around 8:30 or so, got to the hospital by 8:45, they marked the veins on my foot (you should do that yourself if possible right away) so if it swelled they would know where to stick me, they gave me a tetanus shot, measured my calf, and waited...  by 1:00 I was free to go, it was hurting pretty bad by then and I had a small amount of swelling in my foot (below the bite)...  Monday I had more swelling, and it was hurting much worse... Tuesday it was swollen huge and hurt terribly... Wednesday it's now a little better, swelling has gone down...  I think by Friday I'll be able to get a shoe on again and maybe hobble around and work some.  

I know the detox tea helped with my swift recovery, I don't remember all the ingredients in it, but they were all liver herbs to clean out the blood.  I kept my foot up very high starting tuesday, that helped alot as well.  I think a "compression bandage" or stocking would have helped to keep the swelling down as well, should have put that on as soon as I got home... Oh well, live and learn...

I hope this info helps someone else out who is in this same boat, I sympathize because it hurts like heck, much worse than when I broke several bones in the same foot.


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## hipoint (May 6, 2010)

Oh and one more thing for the "ill informed" out there.  They do not give you antivenin just because you got bitten, antivenin can be worse than the bite itself, so usually they just observe and if they feel your life or limb is in danger then they start giving it...  That is the ONLY treatment there is that I know of.... which is why I was asking on here, funny though out of all the posts only a couple were actually helpful...


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## Nicodemus (May 6, 2010)

I stand behind what I said about goin` to the hospital. If that had been a hot bite, instead of a semi-dry bite, you would not have been so lucky. 

Sorry you didn`t get the answers you were lookin` for here. Perhaps you should ask the folks where you work, for better advice.


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## CAL (May 6, 2010)

Sounds like you sorta lucked out all the way around.Like Nick said,I would have gone to the hospital and stayed till the coast was clear.I have a friend what was bitten by a tiny 8 inch copperhead.Even after going to the hospital he almost lost his arm.It almost rotted off! I agree with you,$1700.00 dollars is a lot of money too.Compared to ones life it is only pocket change.I hope you heal good and fair well with the rest of your recovery,good luck!


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## kg4ghn (May 7, 2010)

I am the only one here reading that he did indeed go to the hospital?

Everybody keeps saying go go go after he said he has already went...


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## olcowman (May 7, 2010)

Anybody ever die from a copperhead bite? Old remedy if someone still has recipe was a mustard "plaster" or mustard "poultice" my granny could take one of these evil smelling things and strap it to an appropriate spot on your body and in about 4 hours when removed something is going to be sucked out of you... good or bad, trust me


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## shakey gizzard (May 7, 2010)

olcowman said:


> Anybody ever die from a copperhead bite? Old remedy if someone still has recipe was a mustard "plaster" or mustard "poultice" my granny could take one of these evil smelling things and strap it to an appropriate spot on your body and in about 4 hours when removed something is going to be sucked out of you... good or bad, trust me



My neighbors lab did!


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## fishinbub (May 8, 2010)

CAL said:


> Sounds like you sorta lucked out all the way around.Like Nick said,I would have gone to the hospital and stayed till the coast was clear.I have a friend what was bitten by a tiny 8 inch copperhead.Even after going to the hospital he almost lost his arm.It almost rotted off! I agree with you,$1700.00 dollars is a lot of money too.Compared to ones life it is only pocket change.I hope you heal good and fair well with the rest of your recovery,good luck!



I've always heard the small snakes are the worst. The reason behind that was that they hadn't learned to control their venom so no dry bites and you get a full dose every time. Don't know if it's true, but makes sense.


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## golffreak (May 8, 2010)

hipoint said:


> funny though out of all the posts only a couple were actually helpful...



Probably because most would have gone to the doctor and took their advice. Once everyone saw you wanted home remedies for a poisonous snake bite what were they supposed to do?

Anyway, I'm glad you are feeling better...it could have been worse.


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## stepup (May 12, 2010)

golffreak said:


> Probably because most would have gone to the doctor and took their advice. Once everyone saw you wanted home remedies for a poisonous snake bite what were they supposed to do?
> 
> Anyway, I'm glad you are feeling better...it could have been worse.



He went to the Hospital.


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## olcowman (May 12, 2010)

A bit off topic... but turn you loose some hogs around the house for a couple weeks and you ain't going to have to worry about snakes no more. My wife got pretty perturbed about her flower beds but we was seeing copperheads on a daily basis, they were everywhere you looked and one of my catahoula pups got bit and nearly died. That was the last straw... I went old school on the snake population and introduced them to some half wild piney woods rooters.


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## Miguel Cervantes (May 12, 2010)

Glad you're healing up good.

Cognitive reading skills have always been an issue with a small percentage of members on any forum, this one's no exception.


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## golffreak (May 12, 2010)

I understand and read perfectly that he went to the hospital. I can also read between the lines and understand that he was only going to take so much of the doctor's advice...hence the solicitation for home remedies. No problems reading here.


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## Throwback (May 12, 2010)

If it were me I'd likkerize. 



T


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## germag (May 12, 2010)

olcowman said:


> Anybody ever die from a copperhead bite? Old remedy if someone still has recipe was a mustard "plaster" or mustard "poultice" my granny could take one of these evil smelling things and strap it to an appropriate spot on your body and in about 4 hours when removed something is going to be sucked out of you... good or bad, trust me



There are no records that I've been able to find of a healthy non-allergic adult ever dying from a single copperhead bite. There was one record I saw once...somewhere....of a guy dying from bites from 4 copperheads. I never did get any more details on that one and have no earthly idea how you accidentally get bitten by 4 different copperheads......

It's not really considered a life-threatening bite...meaning that the bite itself is very, very unlikely to kill a human. That's not to say that you couldn't die from causes secondary to the bite, such as anaphylaxis or infection that turns systemic. Antivenin therapy is normally not indicated for copperhead bites, although Crofab has titer against copperhead venom. In the old days, when Wyeth Polyvalent Crotalid was the only antivenin available, there was a lot of problems with serum sickness and allergic reaction. Not so much now. Crofab is not an equine serum, it is an ovine serum. Wyeth Polyvalent Crotalid antivenin was an equine serum....it has a lot higher incidence of allergic reaction.  The problem with Crofab is that it is in short supply and is expensive. The Wyeth AV isn't even available any more. In cases of a severe copperhead envenomation where there is a likelihood of severe disfiguring tissue damage, AV therapy is sometimes used.

A copperhead bite is a notoriously painful bite and can result is severe necrosis, tissue loss, and even amputation.


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## olcowman (May 13, 2010)

They has got to be a good story behind somebody getting bit by four different copperheads. I imagine it starts out with.... "well first thing that morning we stopped up at the liquor store and ...."


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## Miguel Cervantes (May 13, 2010)

olcowman said:


> They has got to be a good story behind somebody getting bit by four different copperheads. I imagine it starts out with.... "well first thing that morning we stopped up at the liquor store and ...."


 
Then next all of his buddies heard, "Hey y'all watch this!!!"


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## Johnny B (May 19, 2010)

Well I got bit several years by the biggest "Copperheaded Rattl'n Moccosin" I've ever seen. Actually it was a Copperhead but a big one and it hurt worst than when I got hit by a truck. I couldn't walk on my ankle for a month and thought it was going to rot off. Didn't die but I sure thought I might there for a while.


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