So... on Sunday afternoon I was stung by a bee. As this wasn't the first time in my life, I didn't really think it was a big issue.

To make a long story short - I had to see a doctor on Monday because of how badly my hand was swollen and the amount of pain I was in.

Apparently I'm now allergic to bee stings :huh:

My question is: do you think my newly found allergy will have an impact on the way I will react to a bite from a tarantula?

And why?

I once read an in depth article about the composition of tarantula venom and it if I remember correctly, you cannot have an allergic reaction to their venom. Something to do with peptides or along those lines.....

Very interesting... any chance that you still have the article or know where to get it?

Here's an interesting link concerning just that....
www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=140100

Unfortunately Arachnoboards is blocked at work for me

Anyone willing to send me a copy-and-paste version?

rebbtl@eskom.co.za

I'll do the basics:

'There are different types of reactions a person can have to foreign substances, one of which is an allergic reaction. There are also different types of allergic reactions, one of which ia an anaphylactic allergic reaction. This has something to do with the contaminant bonding with histamine, not sure of the specific action. Anaphylactic reactions are the type that typically causes death from swelling and blockage of airways. People who are deathly allergic to bees suffer this type of reaction.

The prevailing opinion is that the peptide chains in tarantula venom are physically too small to bind with the histamine and therefore cannot cause a dangerous anaphylactic reaction. Again, this is the prevailing opinion, it's not a proven fact. There are other sorts of sensitivities that a person can have to venom that could still be dangerous. There's also the possibility of secondary infection, tetanus (they carry dirt around with those fangs) and general high levels of sensitivity to certain venoms. Just because one (supposedly) cannot have a violent anaphylactic allergic reaction to a bite doesn't necessarily mean that bite is harmless.

For example, the only recorded death from a centipede bite was from a young girl who was bitten in the neck. She apparently died from suffocation when her neck swelled dramatically and blocked her airway. The venom was responsible for her death but did not directly kill her. I believe it's not outside the realm of possibility that something like this could happen if say, a P murinus or S calceatum or whatever bit a child on the face or neck.

Not comforting words, I know but those are my thoughts from the "better safe than sorry" side of the fence.
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-Ethan'