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Northern Copperhead Bite
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by ward on September 20, 2009
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It is unfortunate that this gentleman was not referred to the only specialty center for envenomations in Central Pennsylvania. The PinnacleHealth Toxicology Center in Harrisburg is staffed by medical toxicologists with decades of experience, based on the latest scientific information available, and has participated in national envenomation studies. Envenomations from Northcentral PA are routinely transferred to our center, usually by helicopter. The pain and residual disability this man suffered can be avoided with knowledgeable and expert treatment. See our website at www.pinnaclehealth.org/toxicology
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Northern Copperhead Bite
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by camoyeti on November 29, 2009
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Thanks for sharing your story with all of us here, and needless to say, mild or not, getting hit is still getting hit. I'm a proud owner of a beautiful copperhead, and he's my first HOT, but just because he's New to me, he's still got those old traits of being a snake, and he gets my full attention and respect. Have fun and be safe. Thanks for the story.
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RE: Northern Copperhead Bite
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by Dmonty on May 7, 2010
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You seem to be knowledgeable concerning copperhead bites.
I was bitten 9-15-09. The bite was in my right foot and I have healed fairly well. Crofab was administered 36 hrs after the bite. I have some nerve damage and I am not finding much info as to what to expect. For a while I had numbness over the front of my knee with occasional feelings of electric shocks up the inside of the knee. I am not sure if this is the healing process or if something else because the pain I feel now(5-2010) is much more intense and like being stung, plus the pain lasts longer than the electric shock sensation. I have continued with random surges of pain at the bite site and up my leg. My Drs do not seem to know much about recovery. Any info you could share or a dr.'s name that is familiar with snakebite care would be hugely appreciated. Thanks!
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Northern Copperhead Bite
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by pyromedic on August 12, 2010
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This was great documentation on your experience. I was bit by a southern in September 08 when I mistakingly identified it as a rat snake. This occured at our fire station while we were conducting training. I went over picked up the hose and sure enough there was about a 3 footer lying under it, I immediately stepped on its head. This greatly reduced my ability to ID from head shape, while I am stepping on him and attempting to get a concensus of what he was, he begane to musk, which for me had always been a sure sign of the rat snake. Wrong assumption, I asked for one of our nitrile EMS gloves so that I would not get it on my hands as I have done with my ususal FF gloves, as I reached down thinking I was behind the head but still close enough to prevent any mouth action, as I removed my boot he made popped me on the thumb, ripping the usually tough nitrile glove and drawing blood, it was then that I realized that those are fangs and this aint no rat snake, now here is where most sane and logical thinking individuals would have dropped him and got the heck out of his way, but remember I am a firefighter/paramedic who has for nealry 30 yrs done responding to other peoples worst events in an effort to rectify the situation, put out the fire, rescue the trapped patient, treat the medical condition etc...all of this as a volunteer for our community, so sane thinking and normal I aint. When I did not drop him but instead applied more pressure he proceded to latch onto my index finger near the base, why I have no idea but I continued to attempt to choke a reptile that can be run over by all 18 wheels of a semi and still slither off, not smart again. I went to my truck got a pair of cutters and had another FF remove his head so that I could show the ER staff that yes indeed it was a copperhead. Then the events began to blur, I grabbed a EMS crew and we headed straight to Parkland per our protocol all the time watching my hand expand like it was being aired up with a hose, we advised our medical control that it was one of our medics that we were transporting and upon arrival I was met with a group of specialists who were going to make sure that they got on this quickly and with the best therapy. My finger and hand were swollen to unbelievable proportions, the swelling went past my wrist in less than an hour, in 3 hours it was past my elbow and in 6 hours my shoulder was showing the effects also. They began immediate Crofab infusion, as well as IV morphine and other antibiotics. At about 1 hour in I began to get really sick with projectile type vomitting, this lasted quite a while and the standing joke was that I had not chewed any of the fried pickles I had eaten for lunch. As the swelling increased, so did the pain, so I recieved more Crofab, then more Crofab until I had recieved a total of 6 vials over the next 48hrs. I spent the next 3 days being observed and monitored with blood draws and watching for any type of infection setting in. I went home with instructions to have blood drawn 2 per week
for six weeks, my hand remained swollen for 2-3 of those weeks but at about 4 weeks into it , I developed blood clots in my lower left leg, This led to getting prescribed with Louvinox, then coumadin. My IR levels remained all over the place as my body was being totally invaded by venom, then antivenin then anti coagulants. Three weeks after the blood clots I began to have extreme back pain, numbness and impingement of my L5 disc on the sciatic nerve which became an equally painful part of my life. The MRI showed that I had bulging disc which had never been an issue in the past, then started a long attempt to use medicines in an attempt to make life tolerable. The pain meds that I was now hooked on and allowing me to function with the snakebite did nothing for the back issues, muscle and nerve relaxers did nothing, rehab abd decompression did nothing to ease the pain. There was a clear need for surgery but they would not do that due to the recent blood clot history, by Dec08, when no amount of the most potent pain meds were giving any relief, I had surgery to place an IVC filter in the inferior vena cava to catch any clots, the next day surgery was performed, instant relief and no pain, Yippee. Then came teh surgery to remove the filter, done in a cath lab it should have take 15 minutes tops, 4 hrs later I am told sorry you will have to live with it and take anti coagulants the rest of your life. No problem except after as I move off the surgical bed I now have a burning in my back , unknown reason by the cardio surgeon but I have the same exact pain to this day as I did when I slid off the table. Innformation points to the use of the papaya extract used to help the antivenin bond also softens disc material to allowing them to move back within the disc, mine came out once softened up. Since mine was a work comp issue I got the usual "doc in the box" primary care facility for followups and blood work.
I am now coming up on 2 yrs after the intial bite, my finger has about 70% range of motion and still feels numb and tingling with the occasion shooting nerve pain, I cant lift my right arm past 90degrees, nor can I make a normal throwing motion. All of this I trace back to the bites of a copperhead whom I made the mistake of picking up, then not dropping after the first bite or the second bite either, I believe I got the full volume of his venom sac.
Sorry for the long note, and remember everyone reacts differently to bites and treatments, be sure to seek further specialized care if problems persist. There is a wealth of knowledge on the web even if your area does not usually see them.
Stay safe and use proper protective equipment in everything you do.
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RE: Northern Copperhead Bite
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by Char on October 26, 2010
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I joined the Copperhead Club on Friday the 13th, July, 2007.
I was getting some things out of the back of my cargo van which I had earlier backed up to some blocks and rocks (which I normally did not do). In and out of the van, unloading all kinds of stuff. I was wearing flip flops. While pulling another load out of the van, I felt a scratch on my heel and knew immediately I had been bit by a copperhead even though I had never seen a copperhead out where I live before or since. I live in a very rural area next to a state forest and my neighbors report seeing copperheads regularly. Rattlers are in this area also. After I was bit, I looked down and saw a large pink snake coiling around the rocks at my feet.
I immediately drove myself to the nearest hospital, 45 minutes away. My foot and ankle were already swelling and painful. I refused to take any drugs since I am very sensitive to drugs and chemicals. They kept me for 3-4 hours and then sent me home. Since I was bit on the left heel, I was still able to drive home ~ but just barely. I crawled into the house and didn't leave for nearly two months.
My foot, ankle, and leg swelled up all the way to my groin. They turned green, black, blue, and purple and were excruciatingly painful. Lowering my leg was even more painful and increased the pressure and swelling in my foot. Eventually, the discoloration of my leg faded but my foot remained puffy, purple, and painful and lowering it made it unbearable. I could not touch my foot to the ground or anything for a month.
I was also extremely tired and have since learned that the venom destroys red blood cells and can cause anemia.
I was on crutches for two months. But mostly I was in bed with my foot elevated. Week after week went by with no change. My foot remained puffy. purple, and painful and I began to wonder when or if it would ever get better. The doctor had told me it would be better in a few days and this was much longer than a few days!
I eventually started wrapping my foot in an ace bandage to stop the extreme swelling that occurred whenever I lowered my leg. Wrapping my foot made it possible for me to eventually give up the crutches.
I eventually visited a naturopath who, after some research, recommended a homeopathic, ledum, orally. Not sure if it helped or not as I was already well on the road to recovery before I started taking it.
Later, in December, I was in Chicago for several days and walking on the concrete seemed to aggravate my foot and create swelling and limping again. I had to buy an ace bandage and start wrapping again until I returned home. You should have seen the look on the faces of the city dwellers who asked why I was limping and I told them I was bit by a snake!
After the trip to Chicago, I have never had any more problems. Sometimes I fancy some tenderness in my foot which is probably more due to the bad memory. Actually, writing this and thinking about it has brought back some of that tenderness but, generally, I am fully recovered.
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RE: Northern Copperhead Bite
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by drewb on November 11, 2010
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I teach biology in South Carolina as well and try to change many of my students views on snakes. I currently have nine in the classroom. I teach over 150 students and all of them now enjoy handling them.
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Northern Copperhead Bite
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by ptcrep1 on January 26, 2011
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In response to some of the replys to this article, i agree that the Copperhead does not get the respect it deserves. I've worked with venomous snakes for 25 years and have had 3 bites involving envemomation. Two bites were from Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes, and the most recent a Southern Copperhead. My two previous rattler bites were from adult snakes, and both were able to hit me with 2 fangs. The bites were painful, but neither included longer than a day in the hospital and I had full recovery within a week.
However, the copperhead bite was a different story! As of today the bite is on day 11. The 14" subadult snake was able to catch the side of my right pinky with 1 fang. It was a fast bite and the snake was not able to hang on for any extended period of time. I experienced an immediate burning sensation at the site of the bite, and proceeded to call every Agkistrodon expert I know. To make a long story shorter, they told me to be ready for PAIN!! And let me tell you, they were not joking. Day 11, I still have a purple and swolen pinky, with swelling still progressing down my finger toward my knuckle. The puffiness has gone down a bit, and the pain has dropped to just really bad and not terrible. Needless to say, I have a newfound respect for the so called "mild venom" of the copperhead.
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Northern Copperhead Bite
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by JFC on May 21, 2011
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PLEASE! Learn your weeds~PLANTAIN is for snake bites & bug bites & bees & so many other bites & stings! Like dangerous spiders. Leo, if you had taken with you a tincture of plantain (not the banana thing) made with apple cider vinegar you could have saved a lot of the swelling. God in Christ created for us, his creation, plants for such a time as this. You can safely drink this tincture as well to further help with the bite. You can spray it on, dab it on or soak in it..the finger anyway for this situation.
Vinegar in the body balances the ph & stops the ill effects as you are on your way to the hospital or not! Works for chicken pox or other pox too.
here is a site to research this abundant plant in your yard unless you kill it with chemicals. juswingit.blogspot.com
In an emergency grab the fresh plant, chew (don't swallow yet~)apply spit & all on the bite or sting. Leave to work its wonders. It draws out which is what you need in a serious bite. It keeps down the swelling if you continue to apply..until the swelling stops, for days if necessary. the tincture works the same way..it draws out!
There are homeopathics specifically for this as well~ here is one Crotalus Horridus from abchomeopathy.com
*Snake poisons are supposed to be chemically Can. hydrates of Soda and other salts. Alcohol is the natural solvent of these salts and is an antidote. Has a profound trophic action. Old age nutritional troubles. Low septic states. General disorganization of the blood, Hemorrhages and jaundice. A crotalin injection decreases the rate of coagulation of the blood.* ~Its a diluted venom for like cures like. Which is the way homeopathics work. Only safer with this situation than what you would get in a hospital. It is actual treatment that you need not fear nor worry about allergic reaction. That doctor was very wise to not give you that venom...it can kill you & that's what you are trying to avoid. If you are to get bit again, it is even more deadly because the "antivenom" does that! Anyway..not the expert on snake bites, but I am on these herbs & they work..been there done that!
Be caustious with the comfrey as mentioned in the one post, it heals so quickly you can inadvertently close up infection & get gangrene. I use the herb, I grow & sell the herb & I have posted about comfrey at my blog on many of its uses juswingit.blogspot.com. As well as the Plantain.
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RE: Northern Copperhead Bite
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by Rigsby on May 30, 2013
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I was unlucky enough get on the wrong side of a northern copperhead I'm keeping over here in England. I had a burning sensation at site of bite immediately , I rang my friend who keeps rattlers and he drove me to hospital. Now the only venomous snake we have over here is the adder so when I told them I had been bitten by a copperhead nobody had the slightest idea what to do. The nearest antivenin was four hours away , the found this out after two hours on the Internet checking the snake out. One doctor finally came to me and said they are known for dry bites , are you sure it's not a dry bite ? My friend pointed out that had it been a dry bite my arm would not be swollen to the elbow and it wouldn't look like I had a boxing glove on. I was in hospital two days and never recieved any antivenin , it took three weeks before you could call my hand back to normal.
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RE: Northern Copperhead Bite
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by Nobody on May 20, 2014
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We live out in the remote smokies and have three small children. Tonight I beheaded a copperhead. The kids watched as I skinned it, gutted it and we fried it up with some sage, pepper and salt. The kids loved it. So while these little suckers can bite and put a hurt on you... you can return the favor - and it's quite tasty.
As with any animal you kill, use everything. My dogs got the guts, we all shared the meat and the skin is currently drying on a board to adorn a hat. The bones will go into a bin for future jewelry. The head, however, will return to the earth buried beneath the smokies.
We are infused with the energy of the copperhead. It lives through us.
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