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RE: Copperhead Bite
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by kentuckygirl on July 5, 2011
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I live in western Kentucky and have handled snakes since I was small.(usually nonpoisonous) My father taught me how to handle snakes, but carefully. I came across a small snake that I thought might be a copperhead. I needed to move it, so I trapped it's head and grabbed it with my left hand(which was the first mistake). He reached and bit me on the side of my middle finger. I knew immediately it was a copperhead, my finger had two puncture wounds and was throbbing. My husband rushed me to the hospital and I thought they would be giving me the antivenom. Not the case, as most of you probably know. Well, after observing me for a couple of hours, tetanus shot, and painkillers, they sent me home. I was bitten on Thursday, June 30, 2011. Today is Tuesday, July 5th. My finger swelled very bad, my hand swelled pretty bad. I could not bend my fingers. You could not see my knuckles. My wrist swelled slightly, but the odd thing was my arm is yellow and green all the way from my wrist to my underarm. I guess this is bruising from the bite. Anyway, the swelling in my wrist and hand have subsidded, but my finger is still so swelled and painfull. I am still putting ice on it and every time I put my hand down below my shoulder it pounds. I have never experienced anything so painfull. I also know from reading other stories, I am lucky. I do not have as much swelling as some. Any way, I found this site to be very interesting. One thing I did not understand at the hospital was, the dr. said if I had red streaks on my hand to come back, it could mean infection. Well, I don't know why they did not give me antibiotic. I did go back to the emergency room thinking I had some infection in my finger. They did give me an antibiotic. I know I have a long road ahead for healing. This web site has been informative for me. Thanks.
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Copperhead Bite
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by tebu4 on August 4, 2011
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Hi! I was bitten by a copperhead on July 9, 2011, a little over three weeks ago. I’ve seen three doctors now, and hands down, I’ve gotten more helpful information from this website than anywhere else. So…thanks for the website, and the testimonials!
I’m sharing my story below, in hopes that it will help others. Here goes:
On Saturday evening, July 9, I went rushing outside to yank my clothes off the line, because it was about to rain. I was in a hurry and never even considered looking at my feet. I live in a rural area, in the mountains of western North Carolina and my home is surrounded by pasture and woods. We’ve seen maybe five copperheads in 20 years of living here, but I never considered them a problem.
So, I’m yanking clothes off the line, and I felt a pain in my ankle, as though I had bumped into something really sharp. I looked down and saw the copperhead, coiled beside my foot, and two bleeding marks on my leg, just above my right ankle.
My husband was home, so I went running inside. We jumped in the car and headed into Asheville, 30 minutes away. I was in the ER within about 35 minutes of the bite. In the car, maybe 15 minutes after the bite, the burning and swelling began. The burning sensation began at the site of the bite and radiated out until my entire lower leg felt like it was on fire. With the swelling came a tremendous sensation of pressure.
Soon after I got to the hospital, I received morphine, vicodin and a tetanus shot. No antibiotics; no antivenom. I stayed at the ER for about three hours, during which time, my vitals were good. Around midnight, the doc sent me home, with very little information about how long my recovery would take.
By day two, my foot was extremely swollen, my leg was swollen up to mid-thigh, and I was dizzy and mildly nauseous. (I am unsure if the nausea was due to the venom, or the pain meds.) If I kept my leg elevated, the pain went away, but if I lowered it at all, the burning pain and pressure were intense. The entire right leg from the knee down was also extremely sensitive to touch. By day three, the area around the bite – maybe 2 inches in diameter - began turning purplish-black. Also, there were small bruises all over my lower leg, and the entire calf area on the back of my leg was bruised. In the days that followed, as I was slowly able to get around better on crutches, my foot developed a bruised look, as though the bruises had bled into it.
After about a week, the pain was a little better, but then my foot and leg from the ankle down turned bright red. Also, the fang holes started oozing clear whitish liquid. I went to the doctor and got antibiotics for an infection in my leg. I took the antibiotics for maybe five days without much change. My right leg looked like it belonged on a corpse; it was purplish red from the knee down and still swollen. I went to another doctor, who switched the antibiotics. She also ordered an ultrasound on my leg to check for blood clots. (There were none, thank God.) I think the second antibiotic did the trick because at that point, my leg started improving, slowly.
I was able to put a little weight on my foot after about two weeks. It’s now been three and a half weeks, and I’m doing well as long as I leave my foot elevated most of the time. If I walk too much, or leave my foot down, it begins to swell and hurt. Luckily, I have an office job, so I am able to keep my foot up for most of the day. When I get home in the evening, I lie on the couch and elevate my foot up high, to get rid of extra swelling from the day. From what I can tell from the stories above, patience is required!
I was out at the clothesline yesterday, and found myself getting scared. I’ve always been a walker and a hiker and I hope this experience doesn’t keep me out of the woods. I figure that I need to get back out as soon as possible to keep this experience from curbing my enjoyment of nature.
Thanks again for the website! I’ve come back several times to reassure myself that my recovery – slow as it has been – is normal.
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RE: Copperhead Bite
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by kmkirkland on August 5, 2011
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You guys are awesome!!! I really appreciate all the helpful advise and info. It really calms my nerves to know others have been in the same boat. It baffles me that snake bits are so common but apparently no one in the medical field knows anything about them (at least from my experience). Maybe some real experts can help me out. Who knows better than people who have been there, done it, and got the fang marks to prove it. :)
The 411 on my situation:
I am 25, 5'1", 100 lbs., petite, very healthy, have lived on the Alabama and Florida border all my life, and consider myself an expert on avoiding snakes(being a farm girl who loves the woods and natural Fl. springs).
On July 4th, 2011 I was outside getting ready to light some fireworks with my mom at 9 p.m. I was in the drive way with security lights, 2 german shepards, and in flip flops. I was walking when I stepped on something too soft to be a stick and knew IMMEDIATLY it was a snake. I jumped in reaction and when I moved off of it, I felt head brush my heel and a wasp like sting to my right ankle (just at the inner concave soft spot). Instantly, I felt the intense burn and knew it was more than just a plain bite. I never got a great look at the culprit and it was dark but the snake was grey/black and brown tones at least 2.5-3 foot with a thin neck and huge head (I saw and felt that).
We have killed several Timbers, Cottonmouths and Copperheads within yards of the house so it could be any of them (we don't kill all snakes just venomous ones that wonder too close to the house). Pain was imminent and I could feel the venom spreading up my leg like fire as we drove to the ER. Not knowing any better I put a rubber hair band around my calf in the vehicle and by the time I got to the ER they had to cut it off. By this time my leg had swollen to an enormous size (my thigh was originally 22 cm and was up to 45-50cms)the fang marks blead profusely and were a little over an inch in width. The Dr's said it was a dry bite, watched me for a few hours, and sent me home with antibiotics and an outrageous bill. By the time we got home I couldn't feel my face, was having troubles breathing, and passed out in the vehicle for at least 15-20 min. Blisters covered the ankle/foot, swelling continued to my pelvis, along with discoloration, severe neurological and physical pain. Also my leg bruised up to my crotch and seemed to stay cold all the time and took longer to adjust to enviromental temps. (I won't even go into the nausea, vomitting, fevers, etc).
Its now been a month and the swelling in my foot is still quite profuse and gets worse with any temp changes, useage, etc., making any warm showers or going outside impossible, temps above 78 are unbearable and cause almost immediate reactions (good luck with that in Fla huh, today the heat index was 115). Also my foot and ankle are still a light purple, there's still no movement of the ankle joint but toes are starting to work again, I can't really feel past my knee except for the tingling/pain and my knee catrlidge feel unstable like its filled with jello. I have phantom sensations, phantom pains, tingling throughout the leg, I sweat all the time, and when I wake up my hands and feet swell so bad any digit movement is difficult. If I get hot or do too much activity I get trembling shakes really bad, my vision blurs and if I don't sit down and chill I black out. I'm anemic and have had occasional spells before, and this is similar, but I don't feel it coming on and it's much much more severe. The pain was never so intense that I couldn't handle it, I have a VERY high tolerance of pain, so its something else causing the spells. I also have had severe pain and cramping in my lower right ovary/kidney/side which first I attributed to female issues but it has continued for too long to be that. I cannot hold the leg vertically for any length of time.
I started limping around again last week and am able to do menial tasks but the symptoms are driving me crazy. I asked my Dr about it and he thought I was making a big deal out of nothing. My boss is threatening me to get back to work or find something else to do so I tried to drive yesterday and almost passed out behing the wheel. I was just lucky I was going really slow and pulled over quickly. I don't have any other medical conditions that I can blame all this suffering on so I am assuming that it was the "dry bite".
Everyone I've talked to says that even if it was a venomous bite I should be pretty well over it by now and there's no evidence of residual effects with snake bites. This is the first time I've heard of others experiencing similar "supposedly non-exsistant" residiual issues. I was hoping someone could help, maybe give a rough estimate of how long this crap is gonna last, any ideas on what type of snake it could have been, any suggestions for pain/symptom releif? I'm pretty well on my own so driving to Montgomery or Pensacola isn't an option and I've used all the local medical sources available.
I'd really really appreciate any advice or help you guys might have to offer. Thanks so much to the people that are putting out all the hard work on the site and all the folks sharing their stories, that alone was a blessing and consolation in itself.
Truly love and appreciate y'all,
Krys
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RE: Copperhead Bite
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by sandi4u2 on August 5, 2011
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to KMKIRKLAND
So sorry to hear about your snake bite. I posted when I was bitten in August of 2009. As I re-read some of the post I am surprised to read how many did not receive antivenom. The doctors in the emergency would not prescribe the antivenom it was completely left up to Posion Control. I was in the er at 9:00pm and it was 1:30am before I received any. My daughter was told the swelling had to pass the first joint which in the case of the big toe the first joint was the ankle. By the time I was given the antivenom the swelling of my foot was 3 times normal size and it had gotten to right under my knee. The copperhead affect the muscular tissues, a friend was bitten my a cotton mouth and her symptoms were more neurological and she still has problems. Never have understood why they waited so long to give the antivenom, they gave me medication for nausea and pain but waited for the GO from poison control. Hope all is well with you.
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Copperhead Bite
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by lk231 on September 17, 2011
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I am so happy to have come by this website. The hospital that I went to didn't really have answers for me and it is reassuring to read your stories. My story is long. But, I wanted to give all the details because I hope that it helps someone who may have questions about what to expect from a Copperhead bite, especially one to the heel. I also feel that my story is a little unique because I am a nursing mother. There isn't much information on how long to wait before nursing again when the victim receives antivenin.
On Friday, September 9, 2011 at about 7:30pm, I walked out to the field behind my house to get my horse and put him in the barn. It was dark and I was wearing flip flops. I called for my horse and he came trotting up to me. Then, oddly stopped about 8 feet away. I think he either saw or sensed the snake at my feet. At that moment, I felt a sharp pain on the inside of my left heel. It felt like two sharp things pierced my skin with the second being deeper. Whatever it was hung on there for a few seconds. I screamed, spooked my horse, kicked my flip flop off, and hobbled away from where I was bitten.
I knew I hadn't stepped on anything and originally thought a wasp stung me. But, I quickly realized the pain was more than any wasp sting. I hobbled up the hill back to my barn to take a look at my heel. Sure enough there were two fang marks clearly visible on the inside of my left heel. At this point, my heel was throbbing.
Within 45 minutes, I was in the ER. I was asked to describe the snake that bit me. However, I had not seen the terrible thing. At this point, my entire foot was swollen and red. I refused pain medication because I am still nursing my infant son. The ER doctor said that the snake was most likely a Copperhead since that is the only venomous snake in Southern Maryland. She said that these snakes usually give a "dry bite" and that Poison Control wanted her to keep me there for 8 hours for observation. She said to let her know of any new symptoms which may indicate a venomous bite that would require antivenin. I was given an EKG and hooked up to an IV.
By 11:00pm (roughly 4 hrs after I was bitten), my entire leg up to my stomach was throbbing in pain. It felt like a severe deep bruise. I felt cramping similar to menstrual cramps in my abdomen. I felt numbness and tingling in my heel. I was also feeling nauseous at this point. The pain was so severe that I was given morphine which didn't take away any of the pain anyway. In fact, it only caused me to feel even more terrible at first because the ER nurse pushed it in my IV way too fast. If you ever need morphine ask for the nurse to slowly push it in your IV!!!
At 12:30am, the ER doctor described my symptoms to Poison Control and it was decided that I would need an intial dose of 4 vials of CroFab. After I was given CroFab, they kept me in the ER for observation to see if I had any allergic reactions to the antivenin. They also checked the swelling to see if I would need another big dose or just maintenence doses over the next 18 hrs. The swelling did not continue after that initial dose, so I was sent to the ICU. I was given another dose of 2 vials at 4:00am.
My entire leg hurt so badly that I couldn't stand to move it or anything else for that matter since my lower abdomen throbbed as well. I could barely move enough to use the bathroom and needed my husband's help to use a stinkin' bed pan! I was very alarmed at the severity of the pain and loss of use in my leg. The nurses and doctors had no answers for me. My heel never got gigantic with swelling or black like most snakebites. So, the doctors kept saying "Oh that doesn't seem so bad". But, boy was the pain in my leg and lower abdomen bad! I almost felt like they didn't believe me which made me feel even worse and more depressed. Something worth mentioning was that my heart rate remained in the low 50's the entire time I was hooked up to a heart monitor. The doctors and nurses didn't seem alarmed and said it was due to the fact that I'm an active person. I don't know how true that is. I'm not sure if a low heart rate is a side effect of snake venom.
By Saturday afternoon, I was feeling a little relief from pain with morphine. I was given the last dose of antivenin at 12:00pm in the ICU. So, a total of 8 vials was given through the IV. I had to stay another night in the hospital to make sure that things were going in the right direction. They did lots of blood work the entire time I was at the hospital. I was finally released at 5:00pm on Sunday evening when my bloodwork came back fine. I had so many questions because I'm still nursing my son. There is no research on lactating women and snakebites. I was told that the half life of the antivenin is short. So, I should wait 24 hours before nursing my son. I pumped and dumped that milk while I was in the hospital and when I first got home. I waited 34 hours before nursing him. He had no adverse reactions.
I could not walk at all those first two days because I couldn't stand to put pressure on my foot or even have my leg in a vertical position...too much throbbing and pain. I could finally walk on Monday, but with limping. Oddly, my upper thigh and lower abdomen still hurt the most. On Thursday, I went back to work and taught mainly from a chair. On Friday, a week after my bite, I noticed brusing all over my inner thigh and on the inside of my foot. There were red streaks coming from the fang marks and the inside of the foot is purple and a little swollen. Today (Saturday), there really isn't any change. However, I can walk very nicely without limping. My foot and thigh still hurt and are bruised. If I stand too long, my foot and leg will throb.
I am not sure when I'll be completely healed. But, I hope soon. My husband and a friend went looking for that Copperhead in our back field. Since I was near the creek, they figured it would be there. However, they haven't been able to locate it. Please be careful where you put your feet!!
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Copperhead Bite
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by Joeman166 on July 9, 2012
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Their was just a recorded copperhead death in Missouri last week, a man was drunk, camping at the river for his 50 th birthday and was bit on the thumb by an approx. 3 foot copperhead and lived for around 7 hours and didn't receive anti venom and he died from multiple heart attacks caused by the bite,
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RE: Copperhead Bite
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by Hammer4 on September 3, 2017
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I was bitten by a large copperhead on the pinkie finger last month. The combination of the venom and the morphine stopped my heart beat for 14 seconds - luckily it restarted on its own. My respiration rate was falling off as well, once they put me on oxygen things returned to normal.
I ended up getting 8 vials of antivenorm after the swelling went above my elbow.
I spent 3 days in the hospital, the bite has healed well but the finger is still swollen, my grip is weaker and I have pain in my hand, wrist, and forearm.
Just be cautious of pain meds that can slow respiration and heartrate when being treated for these types of bites.
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