It sounds absurd to inject someone with deadly venom to help them with a medical condition, but this is just what doctors are doing for numerous conditions. Most people don’t hear about the use of extremely potent venoms in their medicinal drugs because if they don’t understand how the drugs work, they will see the name of a venom and refuse to take the drug.

Taken in carefully measured doses, animal venoms can be used to great benefit medicinally. For example, the popular treatment Botox is simply the brand name for the drug’s true identity: botulinum toxin, one of the most powerful neurotoxins currently in use. Botox uses the drug’s neurotoxic properties of inducing temporary muscle weakness on a very small scale to smooth out facial wrinkles and halt nonstop muscular spasms of the eyes and throat. Botox also helps inhibit sweating, and is approved for treating excessive underarm sweating.

In India, Indian cobra venom has long been used to relieve the symptoms of arthritis. Venom from several dfferent kinds of scorpion is being researched for potential use in treating brain cancer and pancreatitis. Snake venom is commonly milked from snakes to use for creating antivenom to their bites, which is why if you get bitten by a snake you should catch it and bring it along to the hospital if possible.

Tarantula venom is currently awaiting FDA approval for clinical trials to help treat muscular dystrophy. The venom used in this case isn’t even strong enough to be harmful to humans — but it can still help us. DOn’t balk if you see venom listed as a drug ingredient — it’s used safely.