The danger of anti-venom

[dannybgoode]

Looking through the whole herping threads reminded me of a story about my dad.

Whilst we do not have many snakes England and they're quite a rare find my dad did manage to get bitten by an adder when he was a teenager. Thought it was a grass snake. Whilst the bite was very painful it was the anti-venom that very nearly killed him.

He was allergic to one of the ingredients they use in almost all anti-venoms (the horse serum? I may have got that competely wrong but it rings a bell) and he ended up in intensive care in hospital because of it and was genuinely close to death. The doctors said if he ever had it again it would almost certainly kill him.

Not so much of a problem when he lived in England but when he moved to Australia! He had to where a medical bracelet advising no anti-venom. Basically of he got bit by any of the venomous creatures out there be would have had to ride his chances. Whilst some of the snakes, spiders, fish etc could have probably killed be the anti-venom definitely would.

He was very, very careful!

Has anyone else heard of this allergy?