Today was a normal day. Church was great, met up with friends. Then came home to just move a few a few trees around and take it easy today. It was very hot 90 degrees. I wasn't planning on weeding plants but there were a few that just pissed me off. So, as I pulled out my last tree, I just started grabbing and pulling weeds. Those tough ones, I dug in deep with a knife and out popped the weeds. Well, I was about done, had my hands on top of my Black Ischia tree all of a sudden, I felt the most excruciating sharp sticks and pains just above my wrist. The pain was like 20 bee stings all at the same spot! It felt Iike fire was burning all the way down to my bone!

I jumped up, grabbed my left hand, through off my glove and squeezed my wrist as I yelled! I ran over to my shop sink and squirted a lot of hand sanitizer on my wrist and followed with cold water. STILL, the pain was out of this world! It's like my wrist was on fire from the inside! I ran in the kitchen. Jackie asked what happened and I said something got me GOOD!!!! She asked what was it and I said, I didn't see it....it happened without me seeing it!

She said, it was probably a snake! She asked if I wanted to go to the ER. I said no and I wrapped a cold pack on my wound. But the pain just would not leave. Then after about 20 minutes, the pain started to die off a little. I went back out to my Black Ischia and looked around and saw nothing. I tried putting on a thicker glove but it hurt. Looking at my hand, I still did not see anything! I decided to call it a day and go in.

Now, hours later, I see the 2 dark puncher wounds on my hand. It was a snake bite. And now the pain is back. I don't know what kind of snake it was. I didn't see it. So, if my night gets worse and I have to go to the ER, I won't be able to tell them what kind it was! Hoping for a good night sleep......

Jackie needs to take you to er now!

Dennis, I agree with Wayne, I think you should go to the ER even though you don't know what kind of Snake bit you!

We had a small copper head in our cucumber/tomato patch.
Reminds us all to be careful.
I hope you get better quick. If swelling starts, I would go to ER.
Wish you the best.
Doug

edit
copper head bites are very painful

Dennis,

A bite from any of the venomous snakes in your area should not be taken lightly.  Though you can't ID it, if it was a constrictor you would not have the pain you are describing. I highly recommend you seek professional help before irreversible damage is done.

I have never been envenomated thankfully, yet I used to be a federally licensed venomous snakes keeper and you don’t want to risk permanent long term issues.

 These are you like suspects, though it could be an escaped or turned loose exotic.

1. Copperhead (found throughout NC)
2. Canebrake Rattlesnake (found throughout NC)
3. Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (found in southeastern NC)
4. Pigmy Rattlesnake (found in southeastern NC)
5. Cottonmouth or Water Moccasin (found in wetland areas in the eastern half of NC)
6. Coral Snake (the rarest, found in the south and southeastern areas of NC)

It would be useful if you could Identify the snake, but what is more important is time. Please reconsider and go to the ER now. There are a lot of nasty things the puncture can introduce into your bloodstream and the whole body, not to mention the venom. The ER has the necessary tools to monitor your health, analyze blood for anti-venom if any venom are present,and treat the condition as necessary. The more you wait, the less time the doctors will have to see what's going on and treat it if it's something that act on your systems.

Then again, it could be harmless, but why risk it?

Could be from a cobra I would go.

[QUOTE=snaglpus]Today was a normal day. Church was great, met up with friends. Then came home to just move a few a few trees around and take it easy today. It was very hot 90 degrees. I wasn't planning on weeding plants but there were a few that just pissed me off. So, as I pulled out my last tree, I just started grabbing and pulling weeds. Those tough ones, I dug in deep with a knife and out popped the weeds. Well, I was about done, had my hands on top of my Black Ischia tree all of a sudden, I felt the most excruciating sharp sticks and pains just above my wrist. The pain was like 20 bee stings all at the same spot! It felt Iike fire was burning all the way down to my bone! I jumped up, grabbed my left hand, through off my glove and squeezed my wrist as I yelled! I ran over to my shop sink and squirted a lot of hand sanitizer on my wrist and followed with cold water. STILL, the pain was out of this world! It's like my wrist was on fire from the inside! I ran in the kitchen. Jackie asked what happened and I said something got me GOOD!!!! She asked what was it and I said, I didn't see it....it happened without me seeing it! She said, it was probably a snake! She asked if I wanted to go to the ER. I said no and I wrapped a cold pack on my wound. But the pain just would not leave. Then after about 20 minutes, the pain started to die off a little. I went back out to my Black Ischia and looked around and saw nothing. I tried putting on a thicker glove but it hurt. Looking at my hand, I still did not see anything! I decided to call it a day and go in. Now, hours later, I see the 2 dark puncher wounds on my hand. It was a snake bite. And now the pain is back. I don't know what kind of snake it was. I didn't see it. So, if my night gets worse and I have to go to the ER, I won't be able to tell them what kind it was! Hoping for a good night sleep......[/QUOTE]~yes dennis  don't take a chance go seek medical help,are there poisonous snakes around there ? because isn't 2 punctures a poisonous bite ??~a fang ??~

Please go to the ER and get treatment. Sometimes it gets much worse hours later. Scott

Better safe then SORRY!!!!!!

If anyone knows Dennis personally, please call him and Jackie. He's offline now and won't see what we've written. Please talk Jackie into takin him to the ER. He's taking the bite too lightly.

If it turns out at a later time that we are worried over a molehill, fine. But my concern is that there are remnant venom, which is affecting the nerves and the flesh, based on his description. The results could be very painful and long lasting if not taken care of in time.

Hopefully he is getting medical help.
Tissue damage can get bad the longer you wait.

Doug

I hope that this snake is not poisonous and you heal fast. 
Checking into the ER would be wise.

At least you would hear a rattlesnake 99% of the time. I didn't realize snakebites were so serious until my son was bitten by a rattler while hiking. Due to tissue damage,they had amputate the first two joints of his middle finger. So go to the ER now just to make sure.

At least you would hear a rattlesnake 99% of the time. I didn't realize snakebites were so serious until my son was bitten by a rattler while hiking. Due to tissue damage,they had amputate the first two joints of his middle finger. So go to the ER now just to make sure.

Pain is there to let us know when something is really wrong.  I hope you get in to the ER.  May the morning find you recovering.

Good morning all!  I survived the night!   No, I did not seek medical attention.  Some swelling is still there but the pain is gone.  All I have now is this crazy itching.  Now I can see the bite marks on my hand whereas yesterday, I could not.

I pray that you change your mind and seek help fast.
Poisonous snake bites are nasty and dangerous and, if it burns like you say, it is not a good sign.
Please don't take it lightly.
Wish you get help and get better fast.

[QUOTE=Porfirio]I pray that you change your mind and seek help fast.
Poisonous snake bites are nasty and dangerous and, if it burns like you say, it is not a good sign.
Please don't take it lightly.
Wish you get help and get better fast.[/QUOTE]

Agreed Dennis. Things might still be going on if you don't have any pain, it doesn't hurt to go to the ER and have them check you out. Could be serious or nothing, not worth the risk dude. Good luck!

Glad you're O.K., God is good!

I'm glad you are okay. That itching/ swelling is your body releasing histamine due to the damage and/ or foreign matter introduced to your body. Please at least see your Primary and get it looked at.

[QUOTE=Figinfever]I'm glad you are okay. That itching/ swelling is your body releasing histamine due to the damage and/ or foreign matter introduced to your body. Please at least see your Primary and get it looked at.[/QUOTE]~yes i agree we need you to be here for your knowlege~go please ~

Voice from a stranger here, from rattlesnake country. See a doctor immediately. Even if not a rattler, the mouths of many different varieties if snakes are filled with very nasty bacteria. I tripped and fell at a pool party years ago, thought I had simply scraped my knee. Ten days later, it was touch and go whether I would lose my leg--a TINY bit of oleander got tucked into my skin and was slowly poisoning. It wasn't even obvious to the eye. Better safe than sorry

Also, for any venom, run it under HOT water, not cold.  As hot as you can stand, for as long as you can stand.  It will neutralize some of the enzymes.  It was a lesson learned the hard way back when I had lionfish in my aquarium.

Update. I went to work and my hand started swelling and itching bad. Went to the doctor and found out I'm having an allergic reaction to the venom. Doctor gave me a shot, antibiotics, Advil , Benadryl and some spray to cool down the wound because it is really hot. So I have to take meds for 10 days and report back to Doctor daily. Thanks for all your concerns.

Glad to hear the update, buddy!

Please take these venom reactions seriously! If you don't want to go to the ER, at least go to an Emergency Medical Clinic. They're everywhere now, affordable, open weekends/odd hours and might just save your life.
I was attacked by a swarm of bees. My husband was reading from the Merk Manuel: Swelling and pain from multiple stings - check. Difficulty breathing -check. Patient dies.... Uh oh! We got to the ER in time but insect and reptile venom can be serious and is not something to wait around with and see what happens next.

Dennis, I hope this snake bite isn't serious!

Glad to hear Dennis.
Swelling usually involves tissue damage, but Im glad you went to see the doc.
Copper head bites rank the highest number each year in SC from what I have been told.
No chance it was a cobra, rattle snake would have put you on your back in minutes, coral snakes
can be found down here but are rare and do not have fangs. Best guess is copper head, many people can survive the bite, its mostly treatred with pain meds. How far apart are the holes?
It can give you a idea of the snakes size.


i just got stung twice by yellow jackets last week, any bees around where you were working?

Just glad your ok.

Doug

[QUOTE=snaglpus]Update. I went to work and my hand started swelling and itching bad. Went to the doctor and found out I'm having an allergic reaction to the venom. Doctor gave me a shot, antibiotics, Advil , Benadryl and some spray to cool down the wound because it is really hot. So I have to take meds for 10 days and report back to Doctor daily. Thanks for all your concerns.[/QUOTE]

Good to hear. That's a good doctor, covering all the bases with what he has given you. It may seem overboard but an event that causes the amount of histamine release you described was alarming to me. Thank goodness the reaction was much less severe than I expected.

That Benadryl is an antihistamine that can make some people feel drowsy. If you are one of those people, the doctor can prescribe a second generation, also over the counter, which shouldn't make you feel drowsy.

If you get bit again, please go immediately to the ER, as it likely would be a worse reaction. Again, I am glad you are doing ok and under medical supervision.

Take care of yourself.

Hey Dennis, so glad things was not as dangerous as first thought! For sure, it was not a deadly Snake or you would be in the Hospital!   Wonder what it was?

[QUOTE=snaglpus]Update. I went to work and my hand started swelling and itching bad. Went to the doctor and found out I'm having an allergic reaction to the venom. Doctor gave me a shot, antibiotics, Advil , Benadryl and some spray to cool down the wound because it is really hot. So I have to take meds for 10 days and report back to Doctor daily. Thanks for all your concerns.[/QUOTE]

Good to hear. That's a good doctor, covering all the bases with what he has given you. It may seem overboard but an event that causes the amount of histamine release you described was alarming to me. Thank goodness the reaction was much less severe than I expected.

That Benadryl is an antihistamine that can make some people feel drowsy. If you are one of those people, the doctor can prescribe a second generation, also over the counter, which shouldn't make you feel drowsy.

If you get bit again, please go immediately to the ER, as it likely would be a worse reaction. Again, I am glad you are doing ok and under medical supervision.

Take care of yourself.

The bite marks are one inch apart.  That snake hit me so hard and fast!  Today I have to go back outside and finish the job.  Rest assured, I will be wearing thicker gloves and this time using my long thick hand claw before sticking my hands down in those pots.

Had it been a wet strike from a pit viper, this would have been lots, lots worse.  Thankfully most strikes are dry strikes.  You could have lost your arm if not your life by waiting.  Even if you don't know what the snake is go!  They can usually give a good guess by how the wound and flesh look around the bight because rattle snake bights turn blue and if you are in a dry upland area, it's probably not a cotton mouth which leaves copperhead as the likely culprit.  God bless.

Marcus

Dennis, I had a horrible sick feeling in my stomach reading your initial post. 

So glad you went to the doctor  and feeling better. 

That is a good size snake.
Might want to bring the shovel along too.

Be careful.

Doug

Glad you finally saw a doctor and that you are feeling a bit better today.  Be careful out there!  If the punctures an inch apart, it must have been a pretty good sized one you tangled with!

Dennis, you have had a difficult year so far!  Are you ever tempted to take up some safe indoor hobby like stamp collecting? :)

Hi Snaglpus,
Glad that you're ok.
Be careful moving those pots. Snakes can climb so watch everywhere and wear glasses too ( you know the ones we're all supposed to wear when cutting stones ... and gardening too ).
Well, bottom line, you know you have a new critter around, so be extra careful from now on . Could be a she defending her eggs and nest ...
For the bite, keep it well monitored. We gardeners need all our strength to work things out.
I'm glad, we don't have snakes here. I hate those things.

Dennis, glad you went to the doctor and got checked out. My mom got bit by a copperhead and luckily received no venom but still had a nice doctor's visit and a prescription for antibiotics.  Best of luck fig buddy.

I am so glad that you are ok.  But next time, don't wait to figure out if you are OK.  God bless.

Marcus

You go offline a couple days and miss all kinds of exciting stuff. Glad it was no worse than it was. I have a cousin also in the city who saw a snake in her yard. She said she squirted it with the water hose and it slithered away. Just something to think about.

Dennis,  You're in my prayers.

Non-poisonous snakes don't have fangs and neither do coral snakes.  If you can see two defined fang punctures, you need to not fool around and get right to the ER.  What's your life worth?  What would we do without you?

Snakes can strike at least a third of their body length, so you'd need gloves that go up to your shoulders, Man!  Quit giving all of us heart attacks.

noss

Update----headed back to the doctor. The swelling has increased up to my forearm and back of my hand.

On a positive note, I did pick a few black unknown fig this morning.

Dennis, Glad you are mostly ok and should have a quick recovery. Getting bitten by anything is no fun. Please excuse me for using your thread to pontificate for a moment. This is a particularly bad year for snake encounters and we are seeing more snakes of all kinds than we usually do. Hospitals and EMTs are seeing many more bites than usual. Most of us expect to find snakes in the woods but not in our yards especially if we live in a suburban environment. If a couple of minutes of cautions helps someone else avoid the encounter you had, its worth it. The next victim may not be as fortunate as you were.

Rattlesnakes and Copperheads are both pit vipers. A common anti-venom is used to treat both.  While its helpful to know what bit you, its not essential to know whether it was a copperhead or a rattlesnake. We do not have cotton mouths or coral snakes in our area so I am not sure what anti-venoms are used for them. I do know that not all hospitals have anti-venom on hand and it makes sense to go earlier than late as the hospital is likely to have to get anti-venom from another hospital and that hospital may be at some distance. Rough guess in my area of Upstate SC based on the lists we get, less than 1 in 10 hospitals has anti-venom on hand. Bites from larger snakes are generally less venomous than bites from smaller snakes. Older snakes generally do not release all of their venom while young snakes often do resulting in a more serious bite. A substantial amount of damage in cases of snakebite are the result of bacterial infections which means that a bite from a non-venomous snake can be almost as destructive as that from a poisonous snake. We tend to think of snakes as being ground critters but they are just as often found nestled in branches or on the side of trees as they are on the ground. In areas where there is a lot of pig activity, young snakes in particular stay high (chest to head high) to stay out of reach of the pigs which are omnivores. It may be worthwhile to scan your fig branches before reaching around pots. I have never encountered a snake in my fig trees but I have found them in my blueberry bushes. My first encounter was catching a movement above my shoulder while I was weeding under a bush.  I looked to see what had moved and it was a 6'+ black snake. Not venomous but it did have an impact when I thought what might have happened had it been poisonous.

Many of you are well aware of everything I have posted here especially if you live in a more rural setting however a lot of times people who live in urban areas don't really see themselves as being at risk for a snake bite. To that end, the snake bite capital of SC when you look at the number of copperhead bites per capita by geographic area is Hilton Head Island. One last thing before I get off my spiel, snakes inter-breed and that includes venomous snakes. Don't count on classic colorations to help you identify a snake. If the snake has a wide head vs a bullet shaped head or is thick bodied in the case of larger snakes, give it wide berth. Most snakes are good guys so let them be. If you are lucky enough to have king or black snakes, rejoice! They eat young poisonous snakes for breakfast and you are less likely to encounter a bad guy wherever they are found.

Oh dennis   I am worried for you.  Please keep on top of this      when it comes to snake it is good to be a "Wuss" and run for help.   I know everyone here rooting for you and worried.     My husband used to bring me home black snakes when he was into running.   Carried a small scuba gear sack.   Blackies   great mousers and keep away other snakes.     when you go into yard around your plants take a broom handle and poke around.  If you have puppy or kitty   try to keep them out of the yard for a while.   It would be helpful if you told your next door neighbors to be on the look out also.   Check around rocky areas and porches.    snakes can be anywhere.   Even at your local Homie Depot in the garden section.   No Kidding.   When we see a rattler or coral around here we try to kill it and if gets away to fast, we put alert in our neighborhood newsletter or our online site.

Marianna:  The snake that my cousin squirted was on her chain link fence, which I thought was unusual, but I guess it's not.  There are a number of people here in the city that have told me they have snakes.  So far so good for my yard.

I found your post very informative. Thank you.

Well, I took everyone's advice this morning because my arm was swollen pretty bad.  I didn't want to go but the swelling had me worried. 

 I just got home from the ER.  The good news is I won't lose my arm!  The doctor said I'm having an allergic reaction to the snake bite venom.  So I'm on meds for a week and have to go back Thursday if the swelling has not decreased.  Since this swelling is so bad, I have to keep ice on it and take Benadryl to stop the itching.  But Benadryl makes me sleepy.  I have to work from home the rest of this week and return back in the office on Monday.  Now I need to go out and look for that  snake!

Glad to hear it's under control, Dennis.  Be careful and take pics.  ;)

[QUOTE=snaglpus]... I have to keep ice on it and take Benadryl to stop the itching.  But Benadryl makes me sleepy...[/QUOTE]

Claritin is an over the counter antihistamine that shouldn't make you sleepy. Talk with your doctor about substituting Benadryl with it. Then, you should feel more awake, a bit better and not get behind much, but take care.