Reliefs for Tarantula Bites, and likelyhood of allergy

Dracorex5

Arachnopeon
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Feb 4, 2012
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As a T keeper, I know that you can be the smartest and most careful, and still get bit... and everyone can have different reactions to the same bites.

I am curious as to what you turn to to ease pain, and avoid the effects of bites to the best of your ability. Medicines? Foods? Exercises? What do you guys do?

Also, how common is the tarantula bite allergy? Can it be species specific? I've never been stung by a bee or wasp, a scorpion, or bit by a T in my life. Which is funny, because I play with all of the above quite frequently! But in such, I'm not sure if it's possible to get an emergency use epi-pen. Is that something to be worried about? I've kept scorpions, spiders, and reptiles most of my life and never really thought about it.

Thoughts?
 

PeaceBee

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Jan 16, 2013
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As far as I'm aware, the peptides in tarantula venom are too small to elicit an allergic reaction. Naturally, some people might have worse symptoms, but no allergy that I've ever heard of. :)

I've not been bitten myself, but I know a lot of people seem to do fine with OTC painkillers based on accounts I've read, but it depends on the species and severity. Venom of some species cause tachycardia and other issues, too. Some head for the hospital in the case of very painful bites. I don't know that much can really be done except for ride things out
 
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Dracorex5

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Feb 4, 2012
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I was always confused about the chemical composition of tarantula venom as opposed to a bee or a wasp, or even other spiders. I just always assumed that allergy was a possibility just based on injection. Just as you can in fact be allergic to snake venom (though with many snakes you're not going to be noticing any allergies with how much pain you'll already be in :p) I always thought T's could be the same
 

PeaceBee

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Maybe someone with more knowledge of venom can pitch in :) my understanding is that you can't be allergic to tarantula venom, but I could be wrong!
 

Dracorex5

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Feb 4, 2012
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After your comment I've been researching. This is impressively fascinating! I studied allergens in one of my classes, and had no idea that tarantulas didnt have the peptide constructs to cause that lovely tasty allergy shock. Of course the hairs can cause hives in some people, but it seems as though you're right about the venom! How awesome!
 

PeaceBee

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Jan 16, 2013
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I'm glad you were able to find more info! :) Yeah, it's interesting stuff for sure. I can't wait to learn more when I get further along in my education :D

The differing reactions to urticating hairs is interesting to me, too. Oddly, I had a worse reaction handling an A. avicularia molt than I did from my A. geniculata kicking it's butt fluffs at me. I guess there is the off chance that I was reacting to something else in the environment, but I'm pretty sure it was my sweet pinktoe's hairs :p

Oh, forgot to mention intermittent icing can help prevent further swelling and help with healing, too.
 

cold blood

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How does one go through life and never get stung by a bee/wasp?? If I lived in a bubble, I bet a bee would find its way in and sting me at some point....lmfao. It seems almost impossible....as the "smart" guy (Vizzini) in the movie "The princess bride" says...."inconceivable!" Anyone else out there that has never been stung by a bee?
 

Cavedweller

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I'm very interested in that rumor that tarantula venom doesn't trigger allergies. Are there any studies to back it up?
Anyone else out there that has never been stung by a bee?
I haven't. If I'm in a pool I make a habit of picking up soggy bees and holding them till they dry off enough to fly away, so they must know me as an ally haha

I got stung by a wasp in kindergarten though and it sucked, left a scar for several years.
 

NewAgePrimal

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May 31, 2014
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I've not been tarantula bit yet, but as far as bee and wasp stings I bite the end off a cigarette, chew it and put it on the sting. It helps draw the sting out and it's always on hand since I'm a smoker. If I do get bit by a T I'll see if that helps, but I'm not going to go out of my way to try. I would also like to add that I don't encourage anyone to start using tobacco just to keep a sting remedy handy. I'm sure there is better stuff out there!
 

sugarsandz

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Jul 28, 2012
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I am 29 and have never been stung. I've stepped to close to wasp nests on a few occasions and have always been lucky enough to get away unscathed. I once outran my little sister from a swarm of wasps and she got stung 7 or 8 times. I feel really bad as an adult looking back on being a giant baby and leaving her.
 

pyro fiend

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iv never been stung by a bee. wasp nor even bit by an ant only mosquitoes and fleas have "attacked" me... iv sprayed down mudd dobbers, relocated bees and ever once o.0 [tho i did accidently bump into a strand of electric fence and swore up and down was a bee flying around me till i walked past it again and it got me XD] iv always kind of wanted to know about the possibility of allergic reaction to T venom.

personally iv only been bit by constrictor snakes P regius P.reticulatus and a fiesty little L. getula tho i never plan on being bit by any snake T or stung by a scorp. i keep what is labeled "feed and bleed box" inside this box i keep a small bottle of rubbing alcohol, salt, pain killers, gauze, bandages, "medical tape", sterile needle, dental floss [new no flavor] small tweezers, hemostats and some neosporen XD iv had to use this box many times with snakes [and have had to do makeshift stitches a time or two] the way i see it better safe then sorry XD iv wanted to add quick clot but havent gotten that far XD
 
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oooo35980

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Jan 20, 2014
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61
How does one go through life and never get stung by a bee/wasp?? If I lived in a bubble, I bet a bee would find its way in and sting me at some point....lmfao. It seems almost impossible....as the "smart" guy (Vizzini) in the movie "The princess bride" says...."inconceivable!" Anyone else out there that has never been stung by a bee?
I haven't been stung since I was a kid, and every sting back then was more my fault than the insect's.

I know what you mean about the bubble though. When I was stationed in HI one night my wife and I were lying in bed when she screamed bloody murder, jumped out of bed, and started flailing around. After I got her calmed down we looked around and there was a honeybee crawling around in the bed. It put a good size welt on her too.
 

Lucky Luciano

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Feb 15, 2014
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I'm very interested in that rumor that tarantula venom doesn't trigger allergies. Are there any studies to back it up?

I haven't. If I'm in a pool I make a habit of picking up soggy bees and holding them till they dry off enough to fly away, so they must know me as an ally haha

I got stung by a wasp in kindergarten though and it sucked, left a scar for several years.
Replace "doesn't" with "does" and you've got the right question. The burden of proof is on those who make claims and there is no proof, except anecdotal.
 

Poec54

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Oddly, I had a worse reaction handling an A. avicularia molt than I did from my A. geniculata kicking it's butt fluffs at me.
Yes, Avic hairs can cause irritation, even though they don't kick them, and you don't have contact with the spider(s). I've conclusively gone thru this in the past couple weekends, and a few other members have similar stories. Avics would seem to have loose hairs in their cages and silk (intentionally or otherwise) and stirring them up can give reactions similar to other species kicking clouds of hairs.
 

BobGrill

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Avic hairs are, in my experience, not normally as irritating as some other genera.

Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk 2
 

Dracorex5

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I don't know how I've dodged it for so long to be honest. I still catch paper wasps in my house and raise them on honeydew melons out of insanity sometimes :p I guess they've never frightened me, so they are never frightened of me!
 

Cavedweller

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I've not been tarantula bit yet, but as far as bee and wasp stings I bite the end off a cigarette, chew it and put it on the sting. It helps draw the sting out and it's always on hand since I'm a smoker. If I do get bit by a T I'll see if that helps, but I'm not going to go out of my way to try. I would also like to add that I don't encourage anyone to start using tobacco just to keep a sting remedy handy. I'm sure there is better stuff out there!
I don't imagine that trick would work for tarantula bites, since they don't leave an embedded stinger. Might be worth a shot with hairs though!

I don't know how I've dodged it for so long to be honest. I still catch paper wasps in my house and raise them on honeydew melons out of insanity sometimes :p I guess they've never frightened me, so they are never frightened of me!
Why are you wasting delicious honeydew on bugs who can't properly appreciate it? Feed them cantaloupe!
 
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tweakz

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May 14, 2014
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Yes, Avic hairs can cause irritation
IDK if you remember last week when I posted about not reacting to hairs, but the other day I picked up an A. avic. Rehoused her, removed her webbing with my hand and handled her for a moment before putting her in her new enclosure, lo and behold I finally got a reaction. Never any problems with my versi's though.
 

Poec54

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Avic hairs are, in my experience, not normally as irritating as some other genera.
I've never had a reaction to Avic hairs, until 2 weeks ago when I unpacked 200 w/c juveniles and adults & transferred them to deli cups. Now I seem to be sensitive to them. The inside of my wrists have been itching on and off since then (perpetuated by working with the Avics in my collection).
 
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