[HN Gopher] Black mamba venom is 'better painkiller' than morphi...
       ___________________________________________________________________
        
       Black mamba venom is 'better painkiller' than morphine (2012)
        
       Author : ScottMann
       Score  : 86 points
       Date   : 2021-10-02 11:46 UTC (11 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.bbc.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.bbc.com)
        
       | stephencanon wrote:
       | Can't feel pain if you're dead.
        
       | [deleted]
        
       | mrestko wrote:
       | The title is not good--lots of meds are betting than
       | morphine...that's why we have all the other opioids:
       | hydromorphone, fentanyl, remifentinil, sufentinil, oxycododone,
       | etc.
       | 
       | If you look at the Nature abstract linked from the news article,
       | all they claim there is that the analgesic effects can be, "as
       | strong as morphine."
       | 
       | This also a protein which is inherently more expensive and
       | difficult to turn into a drug compared with a small molecule.
        
         | Symbiote wrote:
         | Also diamorphine (heroine), which has several advantages over
         | morphine and is used medically outside the USA.
        
           | samhw wrote:
           | Yup, it's used widely in end-of-life care here in the UK (I
           | remember my mum once saying to me, when we were discussing
           | euthanasia, that there's no doctor in the country who hasn't
           | 'accidentally' given a little too much diamorphine to someone
           | who was on the verge of death and in pain).
           | 
           | It's useful, but I imagine it's tainted in the US by the
           | association with street heroin - somewhat curiously, since
           | fentanyl apparently hasn't been tainted by its recreational
           | associations.
        
             | stordoff wrote:
             | I've no idea how often it is done with the intent to end
             | life, but doctors are legally allowed to give doses of
             | medication that may hasten death, providing their intention
             | is only to relieve pain and suffering -
             | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R_v_Adams_(1957)
             | 
             | It can be argued[1] that only doses that are virtually
             | certain to cause death lead to liability for the death, so
             | no doubt there is some overlap between doses given to
             | relieve pain and those that quicken death.
             | 
             | Diamorphine is also sometimes used for labour pain.[2]
             | 
             | [1] https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/HealthProfessionals/Clinical-
             | law-upda...
             | 
             | [2] https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/labour-and-birth/what-
             | happens/p...
        
         | rich_sasha wrote:
         | For a popular magazine that seems fine... analgesic as strong
         | as morphine + fewer side effects = better overall ... no?
        
           | trutannus wrote:
           | It's fine, morphine is used as a 'standard' for opiate and
           | other pain killer efficacy. So often that the term 'morphine
           | equivalency' exists in medical documents.
        
           | mrestko wrote:
           | It's hard to know what the side effects are since it hasn't
           | been tested in humans and is not in a form where it would be
           | a useful drug. We've had plently of promising drugs turn out
           | to have unexpected and sometimes devestating side effects
           | when tested in humans.
        
         | goldenkey wrote:
         | Those drugs aren't better, in my experience, as a chronic pain
         | patient. Morphine is way less addictive, longer lasting, with
         | fewer side effects. Not to mention, it's natural, one of the
         | main alkaloids from poppy. Now, I'm not a dolt who thinks
         | natural is better. However, most synthetics are strictly worse
         | from a therapeutic standpoint. This view is based on my
         | experience with them and from my discussions with other
         | patients. From what I understand, the synthetics are pushed on
         | patients for incentives. I had to pretty much demand morphine
         | instead of oxy. Thanks Sackler family!
         | 
         | Morphine XR (MSCont) is also pushed instead of normal morphine,
         | again, I think for similar reasons. Although on the surface, it
         | might seem like an XR would be helpful. Instead it just causes
         | more constipation and doesn't give a great absorption profile.
         | 
         | Morphine IR 30mgs taken throughout the day pretty much
         | vaniquished my pain. These days though, I use Kratom, Mitragyna
         | Speciosa. It's as effective as morphine with less side effects.
         | I also try to work out every day. Having strong muscles in the
         | painful areas seems to help with the pain, either due to
         | increased blood flow or perhaps for other reasons.
         | 
         | Nucynta (Tapentadol) was the most effective synthetic opioid I
         | ever used but without insurance it cost me $3000 a bottle.
         | Kratom is cheap as dirt even without insurance. $70-80 buys 1
         | kilo / 2.5 pounds of the ground up leaf. I have enough kratom
         | in my cabinets to last a covid apocalypse.
         | 
         | You can get lab tested Kratom that is cGMP certified these
         | days. I have nothing to gain by providing this information,
         | just happy I found a pain reliever that is sustainable and
         | doesn't require talking to a doctor playing a drug pusher every
         | month.
         | 
         | Lots of people have had bad experiences with kratom giving them
         | headaches/nausea. This is largely due to poor quality kratom
         | from head-shops and gas stations or from consuming excessive
         | doses. Never buy Kratom that isn't lab tested with GC/MS. And
         | don't take too much of any opioid unless you want motion
         | sickness.
        
           | yung_steezy wrote:
           | I've read that that stuff is bad for your liver. Worth
           | keeping an eye out for signs of jaundice.
           | 
           | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitragyna_speciosa#Liver_toxic.
           | ..
        
             | goldenkey wrote:
             | Thank you. Most of that, like plant protein powders, is due
             | to heavy metals in the soil the plant is grown in, or
             | adulterants. I've been using Kratom for over 5 years with
             | no elevated liver enzymes. It's actually made me healthier
             | since it, like other dark green leafy vegetables, has many
             | micronutrients and minerals.
             | 
             | NEVER buy kratom from a gas station or head-shop. That's
             | likely where most of incidents stem from.
        
               | samhw wrote:
               | To anyone reading this: please ignore what this person is
               | saying. Addicts will rationalise everything, and blame
               | every negative side-effect on 'adulterants' or 'low-
               | quality supply' or other varieties of 'stuff I would
               | _never do_ myself, compared to my perfect and healthful
               | regimen '. Kratom is not good for you.
        
               | goldenkey wrote:
               | It's a pain relieving plant. You got problems mate. Go to
               | the nearest pain clinic and start your protest there.
               | Make sure you slap the opioids out of every patient's
               | hands who are suffering from chronic pain. Call them an
               | addict for kicks, even when they have a perfectly normal
               | life.
        
           | gremloni wrote:
           | Kratom is such a terrible overall experience. I did it
           | recreationally a few times and it's always headaches and
           | nausea the next day in some kind of hangover that lasts
           | multiple days.
        
             | goldenkey wrote:
             | Lots of people have had bad experiences with kratom giving
             | them headaches/nausea. This is largely due to poor quality
             | kratom from head-shops and gas stations or from consuming
             | excessive doses. Never buy Kratom that isn't lab tested
             | with GC/MS. And don't take too much of any opioid unless
             | you want motion sickness.
             | 
             | There are lots of strains as well. You may have had a
             | racier green strain. Red Mae Daeng would be closer to a
             | conventional opioid.
             | 
             | Don't listen to /u/samhw. He clearly has no understanding
             | of what it is to use something therapeutically versus in a
             | maladaptive way. I on the other hand have a pre-med degree.
             | 
             | With any drug comes a bit of risk of addiction or
             | dependency. Even antidepressants. Having a healthy attitude
             | and lifestyle and avoiding the stronger things like
             | oxycodone, heroin, methamphetamine, etc is wise.
             | 
             | /u/samhw please avoid discussing topics you know nothing
             | about while labeling those who do as 'addicts.'
        
             | samhw wrote:
             | I haven't heard of kratom being used by non-addicts, so I'm
             | not surprised you wouldn't like it - it's like a non-smoker
             | using nicotine patches. It's mainly used by people detoxing
             | from stronger opioids.
             | 
             | I did it when I was coming off heroin (locked myself in my
             | parents' country house for a fortnight or so, took ibogaine
             | and kratom for withdrawals, came out fatigued but basically
             | well). Even then, I found it extremely acrid and
             | unappetising, and not even the resulting 'high' was
             | particularly pleasant. I wouldn't ever take it if I weren't
             | experiencing brutal heroin withdrawals.
        
               | goldenkey wrote:
               | You took ibogaine, a drug known to be cardiotoxic. You
               | are a former heroin addict that is projecting your
               | inability to use medicine responsibly onto other folks
               | with medical conditions.
               | 
               | You talk about a high despite me never mentioning getting
               | high, only the pain relieving effects. I could care less
               | about a high. I use Kratom medicinally to help me live a
               | better life.
               | 
               | I am sorry you took pain relieving agents and misused
               | them. I'm sorry you thought street drugs like heroin were
               | suitable quality and safe. I'm sorry for the pain you
               | endured when withdrawing from these drugs. Now, I'm sorry
               | you are projecting all of this on responsible users of
               | much safer therapeutic agents.
        
       | h2odragon wrote:
       | I would much rather tend a field of poppies than a mamba snake
       | ranch. Poppies hardly _ever_ run away from thunderstorms.
        
         | jack_riminton wrote:
         | Any experts on here know whether it'd be possible to create a
         | synthetic version? It would've expected that issue to be
         | mentioned in the article tbh
        
           | h2odragon wrote:
           | I could spray paint a garter snake for ya, would that do?
           | 
           | (sorry)
           | 
           | Venoms are often a bitch because they're not stable, I think.
           | manufactured at point of use for a good reason.
        
             | jack_riminton wrote:
             | That's interesting thanks, I suppose that's why we've not
             | heard anything about this discovery since
        
         | GravitasFailure wrote:
         | On one side, this is an incredible medical advancement and
         | opens the door to a lot of other developments, but on the other
         | side if my doctor said I was getting injected with snake
         | venom...
        
           | krisoft wrote:
           | Your doctor wouldn't say that. Your doctor would prescribe
           | you polylepiscin or some other vaguelly medical and
           | scientifical sounding name. You wouldn't know that the
           | compound originally was found in black mamba venom unless you
           | like geeking out on medicine history. (And if you like
           | geeking out on that you would already know that nearly all
           | drugs comes from weird things.)
        
             | rich_sasha wrote:
             | Yes exactly. Bacteria in probiotic yoghurt come in from the
             | guts... no one says "fancy like eating your own shit"?
        
               | laumars wrote:
               | In fairness, the U.K. adverts for probiotic yoghurts have
               | said it contains natural bacteria found in the gut.
        
               | GravitasFailure wrote:
               | Thank you for reminding me that fecal transplants are a
               | thing and have shown real world benefits. The one time a
               | suppository is preferable to oral administration.
        
             | elliekelly wrote:
             | Like Botox. The doctor doesn't mention they're injecting
             | you with botulism (or maybe the toxin that causes
             | botulism?) but they are.
        
             | GravitasFailure wrote:
             | I do enjoy geeking out over medical things in general and
             | would trust that an approved pain killer would not be
             | straight up venom and will happily take it, especially if
             | it lives up to the hype. I'm still going to give any doctor
             | that prescribes it to me just a little bit of grief,
             | though.
        
               | robbiep wrote:
               | Wait till you find what we use salmon sperm for
        
               | jes wrote:
               | I'll see your salmon sperm and raise you one penis
               | facial[1], as recommended by Sandra Bullock and Cate
               | Blanchett.
               | 
               | Few people seem to care that the source of the active
               | ingredient in the penis facial is obtained through the
               | egregious action of cutting healthy, valuable tissue off
               | of male Korean infants who have no diagnosis of defect or
               | disease.
               | 
               | [1] https://nypost.com/2018/03/15/the-penis-facial-is-
               | the-latest...
        
           | Turing_Machine wrote:
           | The very common ACE inhibitor medications for high blood
           | pressure (lisinopril and the others that end in -pril) are
           | synthetic analogs of a compound found in the South American
           | pit viper Bothrops jararaca. Scientists noted that being
           | bitten by one of these snakes produces a rapid and profound
           | drop in blood pressure. In the wild, of course, this causes
           | the snake's natural prey animals to pass out so they can be
           | eaten.
           | 
           | So it's not like snake venom-related drugs are unprecedented.
        
       | eth0up wrote:
       | I really hope this goes somewhere. I've been left on the curbside
       | with a caduceus up my backside because of self-righteousness,
       | paranoia and hysterics. If an analgesic can be created without
       | committing the atrocity of inadvertently imparting a synthetic
       | sense of wellbeing too, much suffering would end. Just don't
       | poison it with acetaminophen! Maybe I'll abandon my unfruitful
       | hunt for opium lettuce and raise snakes instead.
        
         | eth0up wrote:
         | To those who through inhibition of self expression see all
         | subjects as an arrow facing north or south, I pose a question
         | for you to silently grate your arrows edge upon:
         | 
         | Is it for the greater good that pain be palliated with the
         | chronic use of ibuprofen and perforated ulcers, or
         | acetaminophen and failing livers, or any nsaid and heart
         | disease?
         | 
         | Is insomnia now in fashion?
         | 
         | Is lethargy and unproductivity encouraged?
         | 
         | Or is it all a simple lack of empathy, characteristic of
         | pampered narcissists who've acclimated to comfort since birth?
         | 
         | Or maybe an illustrious form of asceticism, an exhibition of
         | impervious strength and endurance?
        
           | NikolaNovak wrote:
           | Fwiw - I enjoyed your posts The way I enjoy poetry : lovely,
           | but largely incomprehensible.
           | 
           | I don't know if you're getting down voted due to people
           | disagreeing or merely not understanding what your point and
           | data is. It is possible if you contributed more clearly you'd
           | find a more receptive audience.
           | 
           | I find frequently when there is topic near to people's heart
           | aNd they spend a lot of time thinking about, they start at a
           | hundred with a very strong and flowery language. My
           | suggestion would be to understand others don't have same
           | context and start at 1 and build your way up, whether
           | logically or emotionally. You Gotta ask yourself are you
           | writing for your own sake and enjoy your metaphors and
           | alusions and poetry without regard for others (even finding
           | gratification and martyrdom in not being understood), or are
           | you actually trying to educate, persuade, build
           | understanding. If the latter, focus on that goal most clearly
           | and directly.
           | 
           | (I could be wrong - merely my 2 cents).
        
             | eth0up wrote:
             | > merely my 2 cents
             | 
             | Two 1943 wheat pennies, I'd say. Thanks.
        
               | [deleted]
        
         | nonameiguess wrote:
         | I understand exactly what you're saying and it's a shame you're
         | currently being downvoted. People up in arms against opioids
         | and in favor of all the restrictions that keep people suffering
         | have clearly never experienced chronic pain. I don't want to
         | downplay addiction risk, but everyone I have ever seen get
         | addicted had it happen with severe mitigating circumstances
         | like job loss, general financial insecurity, family history of
         | addiction, things that made them susceptible. It was never
         | _just_ the pain and the painkillers. I took oxycodone for three
         | years and never got addicted. It helped get me through the
         | absolute worst years of my life until enough surgeries and
         | physical therapy finally got me basically functional again. I
         | guess I 'm just lucky my doctors and insurers never gave into
         | the pressure not to prescribe them, but I don't even know now
         | what it would be like given the present state of legislation.
         | My wife suffers from this tremendously on the other side, adult
         | ADHD treated successfully and easily with Adderall, but it
         | can't be filled out of state, can't be filled in advance. Makes
         | it awfully difficult to work a job that requires 25% travel.
        
           | eth0up wrote:
           | I wrote a lengthy, now deleted reply. I'm glad you recovered
           | unscathed and I appreciate the balanced insight and story.
        
           | [deleted]
        
       | GordonS wrote:
       | There is a lot of research aiming to produce strong, non-opioid
       | pain killers from venom peptides, from spiders, centipedes, sea
       | anemones and other creatures.
       | 
       | These peptides have an action on sodium channels, specifically
       | Nav1.7, so the article doesn't seem particularly surprising
       | (although the article was from 2012, so it might have been back
       | then).
       | 
       | We already have several drugs that work on sodium channels, but
       | they are non-selective, and there are several sub-types of sodium
       | channel with different uses - such as regulating heart beat. The
       | challenge, is to produce a drug that selectively blocks sodium
       | channel Nav1.7 - the idea being that this will reduce pain while
       | not affecting your heart etc.
       | 
       | I suffer from chronic neuropathic pain, so I've been somewhat
       | following this research for a while.
        
       | shreyshnaccount wrote:
       | and so is a bullet, instant pain relief /s
        
       | Someone wrote:
       | FTA: They admit to being completely baffled about why the mamba
       | would produce it.
       | 
       | I would guess it keeps their target calm. A panicking prey is
       | more likely to injure the snake than one that dies before it
       | realizes it got seriously bitten.
        
         | JumpCrisscross wrote:
         | > _being completely baffled about why the mamba would produce
         | it_
         | 
         | Is it delivered in a dose sufficient to cause unconsciousness,
         | or even just euphoric lethargy in its prey? If so, that sounds
         | both effective and weirdly sweet, given nature's usual
         | barbarism.
        
           | DamnYuppie wrote:
           | I am continually frustrated by and fail to understand how
           | people can actually believe nature is barbaric. Nature is
           | nature, it is kill or be killed, that is actually the natural
           | order of things.
           | 
           | Outside of that is an anomaly reserved for those at the
           | absolute apex of power. This power was accumulated by being
           | incredibly adaptable and observant. Both of these qualities
           | made our ancestors very very good at killing things.
        
             | JumpCrisscross wrote:
             | > _frustrated by and fail to understand how people can
             | actually believe nature is barbaric. Nature is nature, it
             | is kill or be killed, that is actually the natural order of
             | things._
             | 
             | Barbaric literally means primitive and unsophisticated.
             | (Sophistication referring to knowledge and culture.) When
             | we say something is barbaric, we mean it is in its natural,
             | unrefined, untouched-by-civilisation state.
             | 
             | That might make the statement "nature is barbaric" seem
             | tautologic. But your reaction exposes its meaning. The
             | natural state of things, the barbaric state, is on we
             | strive to escape. It is painful and suffering. Sometimes
             | cruel. Enough to have motivated our species to seek to
             | _not_ be subject to it. To be free of the  "natural order
             | of things" by developing our knowledge, culture and
             | civilization.
             | 
             | As you mention, this often involved killing. But killing
             | need not be painful and cruel.
        
               | samhw wrote:
               | > Barbaric literally means primitive and unsophisticated
               | 
               | This makes for the foundation of a nice story, but no,
               | that's not what 'barbaric' means. It's not what you'll
               | find in any dictionary, and it's not what the root of the
               | word is. Barbaros, in Greek, referred to non-Greeks, with
               | an early connotation of foreignness. It picked up a
               | connotation of cruelty and savageness as early as the
               | Romans. Any dictionary since then will give a primary
               | meaning of cruelty and savagery, not just 'primitive and
               | unsophisticated'.
               | 
               | (Finally, my eight years of Ancient Greek at school comes
               | in slightly handy!)
        
               | JumpCrisscross wrote:
               | > _Any dictionary since then will give a primary meaning
               | of cruelty and savagery, not just 'primitive and
               | unsophisticated'_
               | 
               | And how would those dictionaries define savagery?
               | Webster's first entries are "not domesticated or under
               | human control" and "lacking the restraints normal to
               | civilized human beings" [1]. The penultimate comment
               | works with savage and cruel substituted for primitive and
               | unsophisticated.
               | 
               | (Though didn't know the etymology. An honest thank you
               | for that.)
               | 
               | [1] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/savage
        
               | samhw wrote:
               | > And how would those dictionaries define savagery?
               | 
               | I mean, a good nothing-up-my-sleeve definition is the
               | Google one:
               | https://www.google.com/search?q=define+savagery
               | https://www.google.com/search?q=define+savage
               | 
               | Respectfully, I think you're hunting down odd-one-out
               | definitions that support your theory - not necessarily
               | consciously. All of these words connote cruelty. The
               | overwhelming majority of dictionary definitions bear that
               | out.
        
               | vore wrote:
               | I don't think arguing about the semantics of "barbarism"
               | really takes away from the original overarching argument:
               | nature is primitive and cruel but humans in general at
               | least try to alleviate that kind of cruelty seen in non-
               | human nature.
        
               | JumpCrisscross wrote:
               | > _a good nothing-up-my-sleeve definition is the Google
               | one_
               | 
               | Now try "barbaric". Definition two: "primitive;
               | unsophisticated" [1]. (Sorry, could not help it.)
               | 
               | > _these words connote cruelty_
               | 
               | Never argued it didn't. My original comment uses the same
               | word.
               | 
               | [1] https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=define%20barbar
               | ic#crs=...
        
             | dragonwriter wrote:
             | > I am continually frustrated by and fail to understand how
             | people can actually believe nature is barbaric.
             | 
             | Because it is.
             | 
             | > Nature is nature, it is kill or be killed, that is
             | actually the natural order of things.
             | 
             | That's also what people describe as "barbarism", generally.
             | So, you seem to agree that nature is substantively
             | barbaric, but be confused that people describe it that way.
        
               | ptr2voidStar wrote:
               | Very aptly put.
        
         | _hilro wrote:
         | I would guess it's just a genetic glitch and not some conscious
         | decision or purposeful design.
        
           | daveguy wrote:
           | It doesn't have to be a conscious decision or purposeful
           | design to be "there for a reason". Evolution tends toward
           | solutions because the population that happens to be closer to
           | a solution are more likely to survive. Nothing the op said
           | was incompatible with evolution.
        
             | alisonkisk wrote:
             | Evolution doesn't have "reasons" (pre hoc is random
             | mutation) but it has "justifications" (post hoc is natural
             | selection).
        
             | samhw wrote:
             | In addition to that, it's certainly not a 'glitch'. A
             | genetic glitch would be a (possibly short-lived) mutation
             | which is still in the 'beta' phase, so to speak, or else a
             | harmful side effect of an otherwise beneficial mutation
             | (e.g. albinism). This is a paradigmatic example of an
             | ordinary useful mutation which persisted because it
             | increased fitness.
        
         | YeGoblynQueenne wrote:
         | >> FTA: They admit to being completely baffled about why the
         | mamba would produce it.
         | 
         | It's because they are scientists. Scientists are always
         | "baffled", in the news.
        
           | wwweston wrote:
           | "the mind that is not baffled is not employed
           | 
           | the impeded stream is the one that sings"
           | 
           | -- Wendell Berry
        
             | nyokodo wrote:
             | That's a simple and lovely poem that speaks to me deeply.
             | Thanks for teaching me it exists.
        
               | cheese_van wrote:
               | A snake, you see, Has no legs to flee. When frightened He
               | does not dither, He slithers.
               | 
               | (high school poet me, neither lovely nor deep, but I
               | can't help myself)
        
               | wwweston wrote:
               | Berry's a good well for deep-speaking thought.
               | 
               | The essay from which it comes is pretty great too -- I
               | don't think it's online in whole form but there are
               | pieces discussed here:
               | 
               | https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/11/18/wendell-berry-
               | poetr...
        
           | 0xB31B1B wrote:
           | Very frustrating. In practice the scientists are expressing
           | uncertainty "we do no know/need to investigate further" not
           | confusion or bewilderment
        
           | raverbashing wrote:
           | Yeah for real this is a major issue in news and science
           | communication.
           | 
           | There's "we don't know" (and we have no idea why), there's
           | "we don't know" (just because we didn't prove it yet, but our
           | money is on that) or (we think it's because so and so but
           | haven't looked into it) and in-betweens.
        
       | [deleted]
        
       | Avicebron wrote:
       | shii...strap a tube to my arm and hit me with that mamba juice.
       | be flying for hours...
       | 
       | or more likely arrested for animal abuse, but hey, imagine being
       | the cool druggie who can get high and defend his territory with a
       | snake. this under-bridge be mine.
        
         | fctorial wrote:
         | Must be why this man does this:
         | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucpGlWnq8EE
        
       | awelxtr wrote:
       | 9y have passed, no new developments about this?
        
         | mikepurvis wrote:
         | Indeed. A quick search reveals nothing more than the original
         | paper from 2012, cited just one time:
         | 
         | https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2012.11526
        
         | cultofmetatron wrote:
         | probably because mamba venom is crazy expensive.
        
         | mmazing wrote:
         | For as many times as the article stated they are "surprised"
         | and "completely baffled", maybe they still are.
        
       | xkcd-sucks wrote:
       | A similar venom-based analgesic that actually became a drug is
       | Ziconotide [0], a selective calcium channel blocker contained in
       | a certain type of cone snail venom (the actual drug has some
       | minor modifications for stability but the structure was already
       | perfect re: activity). Unfortunately as a peptide it's not orally
       | active and has to be administered directly into cerebrospinal
       | fluid.
       | 
       | I only know about it because the person who discovered it gave a
       | wonderful talk at my grad school. Apparently venomous sea snails
       | produce incredibly diverse mixtures of incredibly receptor-
       | selective peptides. They used a cheap phenotypic screen in which
       | snails were purchased from fishermen, venom fractionated by HPLC,
       | individual fractions injected into mice, behaviors were
       | characterized and interesting ones flagged for further study.
       | 
       | [0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziconotide
        
       | Nasrudith wrote:
       | I wouldn't be surprised if the venom was addictive too. I mean it
       | isn't like it had any selective pressure for preventing or
       | causing addiction. Although the latter may come as a side effect.
       | 
       | I can see a purpose for a multifaceted venom - both synergy of
       | "speedballing" the lethal dose and making it harder biochemically
       | for a creature to develop an immunity.
       | 
       | Like always with evolved systems purpose is an emergent thing by
       | what reproduces and survives the best. It is a tautology of
       | "things that spread and stay you have more of".
        
       | [deleted]
        
       | high_byte wrote:
       | >The researchers looked at venom from 50 species before they
       | found the black mamba's pain-killing proteins - called mambalgins
        
       | temp0826 wrote:
       | Snake bites can be abused too!
       | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20255373
       | 
       | No mention of Kambo (secretion from a tree frog) but it does
       | contain opiate analogues as well
        
       | dreamcompiler wrote:
       | Surprised they didn't say whether it causes constipation. That's
       | one of the most annoying side effects of morphine for most
       | people.
       | 
       | (Maybe the original Nature article addresses this but it's
       | paywalled.)
        
         | KMag wrote:
         | I passed a kidney stone a month and a half ago, and switched
         | from a codeine-based painkiller to ibuprofen because of the
         | constipation. (Also, for me, at least at the prescribed dose,
         | codeine-with-acetaminophen/paracetamol gave less pain relief
         | than 400 mg of ibuprofen. I'm also aware that morphine is
         | significantly stronger than codeine.) The increased abdominal
         | pressure from the constipation probably helped the stone pass a
         | bit faster, but it also certainly seemed to increase the pain.
         | 
         | On a side note, drink plenty of water. 42 is pretty young for
         | passing a kidney stone. Working from home this past year, my
         | wife would give me a hard time that some days I drank only 500
         | mL or so of water. (I drank plenty of coffee in the office, but
         | cutting down on coffee while working from home unfortunately
         | didn't translate into replacing coffee with water.) My
         | urologist says I should be drinking at least 30 mL of water per
         | kg body mass per day. Yes, most of our food is mostly water,
         | but at least for me, that didn't cut it. I've heard people
         | compare passing a kidney stone to childbirth, but I'm sure
         | that's a gross exaggeration. A really bad hangover is worse,
         | but a kidney stone is painful enough that I was pretty useless
         | for 5 days and could only sleep in a really hot bath, and then
         | only for about 1-2 hours per day. You don't want a kidney
         | stone.
        
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