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Thursday, Apr. 8, 2021

Is Benadryl a helpful first-aid treatment for venomous snakebites?

Sarah Thompson, Lead Stories
no

A social media post circulating since July 2019 tells an anecdotal story of a person, bitten by a rattlesnake, who purportedly was treated with Benadryl in the emergency room of an unnamed hospital.

But the anecdote about using Benadryl as part of first-aid care for a snakebite victim is not supported by evidence or current advice from toxicology experts.

The Snakebite Foundation, a nonprofit international group of doctors who provide training and establish clinics in areas where snakebites are a serious public health threat, says on its website that Benadryl is ineffective for treating a venomous bite for several reasons.

Dr. Spencer Greene, author of an article on snakebite management, spelled out one such reason: "Benadryl is an antihistamine. Histamine is not a major component of snake venom, so antagonizing the effects of histamine accomplishes nothing."

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