“Do not bring a live snake to the emergency room” is advice you never expect to hear. Our healthcare hero, Dr Mike, medical toxicologist and emergency room physician breaks down how poisoning, overdoses, and antidotes work in the real world. 🔴 Dr Ben and Friends

Comedian and true crime enthusiast Paula Kosienski keeps the laughs coming as we move from antifreeze and snake bites to myths, drug testing, and how to avoid accidental medication mistakes. Dr. Mike, also an addiction medicine specialist, helps us understand some bizarre situations we hopefully never experience!

We get into how toxicology requires detective work: what clinicians can test quickly, what they can’t, and how patterns like metabolic acidosis and osmolar gaps guide treatment before confirmatory levels come back. Dr. Mike explains antifreeze poisoning in plain language, why acetaminophen is still one of the most common overdoses, and what “supportive care” means when there is no magic antidote. We also talk decontamination tools you’ve heard of but probably never understood, including activated charcoal and whole bowel irrigation. Sounds like fun, right?

Then we zoom out to real-world hazards: snake bites (no, you should not suck venom out, and please don’t bring a live snake to the ER), black widow realities, and social media challenges like Tide Pods and nutmeg that can do serious harm. We also cover drug testing and false positives, including how medications like Wellbutrin can confuse standard urine screens and why a careful med history matters.

If you like smart medical storytelling with clean comedy and actionable safety tips, hit subscribe, share this with a friend who loves true crime myths, and leave us a review so more people can find the show. What poison or overdose myth do you want us to tackle next?

THANKS TO OUR GUESTS:

Dr Mike: emergency room physician, medical toxicologist, addiction medicine specialist

YT/IG/TT: @toxdocx

Paula Kosienski: comedian

IG/TT/YT @paulacomedy

FB: Paula Kosienski

https://nateland.com/pages/paula-kosienski

Subscribe wherever you listen, share this with a friend and leave a review so more people can find honest conversations about healthcare and a little comedy along the way.

This episode was produced by Angie Debelak with post-production editing by Ben Hill Sound.

Thanks for listening to Dr Ben and Friends. Laughter is the best medicine...unless you're treating bowel or bladder incontinence. See you next time!

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DISCLAIMER: Dr Ben and Friends Podcast

Quick heads-up folks: Dr Ben and Friends is your weekly dose of laughs and stories. We celebrate healthcare heroes and pro comics.

This is infotainment-- think popcorn, not prescriptions or medical advice.

If you're feeling funky, see your medical professional. Your health? That's on you. We'll stick to the punchlines.