Guest guest Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 Spider Bites http://www.badspiderbites.com/brown-recluse-spider-bite/Brown Recluse Spider BiteThe brown recluse spider bite, like many other spider bites, is extremely hard to feel; if anything, the bite would feel like a pinprick if even noticed at all. The brown recluse is one of four poisonous spiders. In fact, only 60 out of 20,000 species of spiders are actually capable of biting at all.The brown recluse is not an aggressive spider and the only way on would bite is if they feel threatened. This is usually cased by the brown recluse feeling trapped, which can happen if they are caught in clothes, or pressed between skin and another surface.Spider Bite ReactionThe Initial Brown Recluse Spider BiteTwo Weeks Later!The physical reaction to a brown recluse spider bite depends on the amount of venom injected and also the way the victim’s body reacts to the venom. Some do not react at all to a brown recluse spider bite, while other’s can be severely injured. While some notice the bite right away due to immense pain, others do not notice the bite for several hours, which can be extremely dangerous.Some reactions due to brown recluse spider bites are a fever, the chills, itching, going into shock, vomiting, as well as restlessness. Initially a small white blister will appear where the brown recluse bit, the skin surrounding the newly form blister will also become swollen. Later as the area becomes infected it will get extremely red in color and the tissue also becomes rather hard.Brown Recluse BiteThe bite from a Brown Recluse Spider is usually dry, blue-gray or blue-white, with an irregular sinking patch with torn edges and extremely red. The deep and sore wound from the brown recluse usually takes a very long time to heal. Death usually will not occur, however the risk is higher in young children and the elderly.When there is a reaction to the brown recluse’s venom the bite actually forms into almost what is like a volcano lesion. The open wound can range anywhere from a few centimeters to a few inches in size. The open sour can take anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks to heal completely, and after that the entire recovery can take several months.Brown Recluse Spider Bite TreatmentVictims should seek medical attention immediately after being bit by any spider due to the fact that many are unaware if a spider is poisonous or not. It is extremely helpful to bring in the actual spider, if possible, so that the doctor can identify whether or not the bite is dangerous or not. Many doctors will give high doses of cortisone-type hormones to help defeat hemolysis and other systemic complications. Other treatment depending on the case sometimes is also administered.Written by Jim on August 5th, 2007 with 179 comments.Read more articles on Spider Bite Pictures. [+] Digg: Feature this article[+] Del.icio.us: Bookmark this article[+] Furl: Bookmark this articleRelated spider informationSpider BiteSpider Bite VideoInsect Bites - ID HelpSpider IdentificationBanana Spider179 Responses to “Brown Recluse Spider Bite” Pages: [1] 2 3 4 »Gerri #1. September 9th, 2006 at 8:39 am Awesome article on brown recluse spider bites! Very informative.CFL #2. September 19th, 2006 at 11:52 am A friend did not notice when she got the a spider bite on her leg but it started to itch at night 4 days ago. We live in Central FL. It is very painful and appears to be a reaction to a brown recluse spider bite- she is going to seek medical attention…email #3. September 19th, 2006 at 11:55 am Hello CFL, please keep us up to date on your friend! If it is a brown recluse spider bite, we would love to know what the doctor did for the bite, medications if any, time taken, etc.This will help others know what to expect when they are bitten by a brown recluse.Thanks!Theresa #4. October 4th, 2006 at 1:44 pm Hi, My name is Theresa and I am writing about a brown recluse spider bite.My Uncle was here in Virginia visiting .. On his way here he had realized he had a sore in a place i would rather not mention anyway. He walked around for 2 weeks thinking he had a boil of some type. When he returned to Texas he started feeling really sick with the chills, high fever, etc. (not knowing he had a brown recluse spider bite).He decided to go to the Hospital and they treated him with antibiotics to reduse the infection. Soon after, he had surgery and then a few days later he had to go through another surgery to remove infection.They informed him that if he did not come in when he did within 5 days he would not have been with us.So my opinion on Brown Recluse Spiders are and can be deadly if not seen by a doctor soon enough.I also wanted to let you know that this is an awsome web site. I learned more here than any could have told me.Thanks for having such a detailed websiteOct 2006Jim #5. November 29th, 2006 at 1:46 pm Joe who lives in Cordova (east side of Memphis) and owner of Joe’s Blawg was recently bitten by a brown recluse spider. On 10/13/06, Joe writes:Last week, sometime over fall break, I looked at my waist to see a small bump of some sort. Nothing unusual, just something that I always see. So of course my natural expectation is that it will go away soon, no problem….Well it wasn’t quite that simple. On Thursday, I had noticed this “bump” had grown rather extensively in size, and was now rather sore. On Friday I went to the free Student Health Clinic on the Univ. of Memphis campus, where my bump was looked at by a nurse and was diagnosed as “some sort of infection” and I was prescibed for some antibiotic medicine.Over the weekend was when this bump became most painful. It was nearly impossible to sleep at night, and I was forced to wear the loosest pairs of pants I own. On Monday, I went back to the clinic, as requested of me, and was asked to come back again Tuesday to see the doctor to “have it opened up and drained.”I returned this morning (Tuesday 10/24/06), right after my Business Finance exam, at which the doctor examined it and said that it was too dry to drain, and he diagnosed it as “probably a brown recluse bite.” He gave me a new prescription (a much stronger one), and asked me to stop taking my current one. I was also asked to return Thursday for further evaluation.So here I lie this Tuesday evening, my brown recluse bite not being quite so painful anymore, but more itchy, as the skin is more-or-less dry and tender at this point, as it will stay for about the next month or so.To follow Joe’s progress, visit Joe’s BlawgCynthia #6. December 6th, 2006 at 11:25 am I was bit by a spider, not for sure what kind. It happened on a Sunday with a small sting. Monday, no problems. Tuesday, it looked like a infected hair. Wednesday, it was the size of a nickle with redness and some necrotic tissue. By Sunday I couldn’t hardly walk because of the pain. By then it was black and the size of a half a dollar coin. I had to go to the ER and get an antibiotic and pain medicine. I waited a whole week before I really done anything about the bite. On Tuesday I had surgery and had five layers of tissue removed with the size of 2×2 whole on my hip. It has now been four weeks and its still not healed and I still have pain almost constantly. I do well to sit or walk without hurting. So if you know anyone that ever gets bit please tell them to not wait for any kind of treatment.Bad Spider Bites #7. December 6th, 2006 at 11:59 am Hi Cynthia,Thanks for the information! It sounds like a brown recluse spider bite and I have posted your comment for others to see.Excellent advice not matter what kind of spider bite you may have! Do not wait, seek medical attention ASAP; even if you think it’s silly to go in for such a small bite, you should still go. Better to find out it’s a brown recluse early rather than later and end up losing a body part!Thank you for the post!maria #8. December 12th, 2006 at 2:45 pm I recently noticed a pimple that wasn’t going away. It was quite small. I squeezed it and thought it was then going to heal. It did not go away, it seemed to develop more liquid inside. Squeezed it again and then a few days later, again. Reading these articles and looking at the pics, I realize it is a spider bite. It stayed small. I go tanning and I think uva/uvb rays helped it stay managable. It is still there and healing well. I feel NO liquid there anymore. Being persistent and keeping the liquid out by squeezing and tanning might have helped it to stay managable, thus in part stopping damage to the tissue surrounding the bite.Spider Man #9. December 12th, 2006 at 2:59 pm Thanks for taking the time to share your story Maria, it is appreciated!I just want to let the visitors know that it is unknown if this was a brown recluse spider bite or any spider for that matter, and that what worked for Maria may not work for you.You should always seek professional medical attention when you think you have been bitten by a spider, just to be safe!Maddi #10. March 31st, 2007 at 11:21 pm Hello, my name is Maddi and I was biten by a Brown recluse spider. I was biten one night while I was sleeping. I live in Lebec California. A region that is not know for having this type of spider. I noticed a small, painfull, red bump on the back of my thigh. At first my family thought that it looked like a boil or an ingrown hair, but I knew that it was a spider bite. I noticed in on a Thursday and by Monday it was black, purple and red. It was about the size of a large marble and very painful. By this time my leg was hurting all the way down to my knee. I went to the Dr the next day and she did a culture and put me on an antibiotic. It was still getting worse and by the fallowing Friday it was the size of a nickle, and looked really deep. I went back to the Dr and they gave me another antibiotic to take along with the first and I also got a shot to jump start the healing. If I had not gone into the Dr when I had she told me that I would have been put on an IV and had to have it cut out and stiched back up. It is now healing and is still painful. Thankfully my Dr knew what kind of bite it was even though these spiders are not supposed to be in California. No matter what kind of bite you think you have get it checked out, this is nothing to mess with and should be taken care of as soon as possible.Kat #11. April 2nd, 2007 at 7:24 pm As a child i was bitten by a brown recluse, and as soon as my mother noticed the sweeling maybe 24 to 48 hours later, i went to the doctor. Now at that time, which was not so long ago, the doctor did not even know what to call it, until cultures came back. I was lucky enough to catch it soon, i had a large hardish mass of green infection come out about the size of a marble and about 1 and half inches deep on my left hand. The scar is still very prominent today. However, i did not take any oral antibiotics, i was only prescribed to use polysporin or the equivalent, and to wash out with peroxide.What brought me to thsi website is, I was recently, what i beleive, bitten by another spider. Though this wound is far different. I honestly never felt the bite. DOnt know when it occurred. All i know is a few nights ago, i became violently ill. YOu know the kind where you have no control over your bodily functions whatsoever. MASSIVE and I MEAN MASSIVE stomach cramps. And for almost 48 hours an unbreakble fever. I lost 12 pounds in 3 days. The wound itself consists of 2 bites very close to each other on my right breast. The larger of the wounds seemed to have opened up faster, though the smaller seems to have drianed more substance. The area around the wound and almost my whole breast became bright red, and severly painful.I do not have medical insurance, and have had very terrible experiences with hospitals here in florida on several occasions. I am also a believer in holistic medicine as oppsed to pharmaceuticals because of my past experiences. And to top it off i seem to have allergic reactions to most antibiotics, as well as benadryl. Because of all this, I did not seek direct medical attention from a hospital, but instead called a holistic healer friend. I thought I would pass on the info she gave to me as an alternative to hospital medications, for those who may be in similar situations as mine, or those who just do not want to visit the hospital for what may be a poisonous spider bite.I will list the true homeopathic as well as the over the counter equivalents for those who do not trust, want to try , or do not have readily available the natural medicine.For topical the natural cream is called Comfrey salve. It is important to use a comfrey salve with plaintain root in it, some brands carry differnt mixes. The plaintain root is imperitive for healing of tissue. For oral to use along with the topical is charcol tablets. YOu can find these either natural or pharmaceutical OTC. Commonly found at GNC( i say this because it is a widespread store that more people may recognize).In place of the comfrey salve if it is not available, it was reccommended that i used a topical antibiotic that is a neomycin sulfate base.After 24 hours of this treatment, the redness on my breast has gone down to about maybe an inch around the larger wound area, and about a half inch around the smaller wound. The pain has not comletely gone, but it more so just a little soreness occasionally. I am still following this regimen. But My friend has used this as a proven treatment against brown recluse bites.I do not beleiev my bite was a brown recluse, but rather a black widow after research. And though the black widow bite generally does not cause as much tissue to degenerate, they both can exhibit the same symptoms other than the wound.The best thing about the herbal treatmenst here is they can be used for any severe insect bite or other creepy crawlies(other than the ones that require antivenom). As well as cuts and scrapes. And your body will not become accustomes to these, and not work the next time you try like some of the hospital antibiotics do.Please do not take this as me trying to steer people away from seeking a doctor. You and I well know there are people out there like me, who do not go to the doctor unless it is a die or emergeny. This information is for them, as a simple trip to the store that has been proven to help in even severe cases of spider bites.Oh and food for thought to help get rid of scars straight cocoa butter, not the mixed stuff, but the genuine stuff, works better than anything else on the market. GOD blesshappy girl #12. April 10th, 2007 at 11:16 am wow!!!!! this is an awesome article! the picture of the spider bite is amazingly nasty!!! i would not like to be bitten by a brown recluse spider if that is what it will look like!amber #13. April 13th, 2007 at 4:34 pm I had a pimple or what looked like a bite come up on my kneck.It hurts. I went to the doctor and they said it was infected bite.Couldn’t pin point the type of bite. I’m worried it’s a spider bite.Put me on antibotics. I felt achy all day where the spot is on my neck.Does anyone have any advice?Joy Kinsey #14. April 14th, 2007 at 9:48 am This past Tuesday, my Dad got a winter jacket out of his closet which he had not worn in over a month (I live in NE Georgia, and we’d had a severe cold spell after a nice while of sping weather). He felt stings / bites right away in the left arm, and took the jacket off immediately, turning it wrongside out, and brushed the inside of the sleeve off. He had a bite or sting on the upper arm, one in the crook of his arm, and one on the forearm. He did not see anything at all - no scorpions which are very common in our area, no flying insects and no spiders. My Dad is 80 years old, and in generally good health. No history of severe allergy to anything in particular. He had a doctor’s appointment scheduled the next day, and asked the nurse about the sites, which were red and somewhat swollen and itchy by then. She gave him some antihistamine ointment to use, which did relieve the itching. By Thursday, he had some itching and redness between his fingers on the left arm, and this morning (Sat, 04-14), he has an irregular red patch in his right palm, and some redness and slight swelling in the right arm (he was originally bitten on the left arm). He thinks he may have been bitten when he was brushing off the inside of the jacket sleeve with his right hand and is just now feeling the effects. We are a loss as to what to do, since he didn’t see anything in his sleeve, and hasn’t seen anything menacing in his house lately. It’s also hard to tell what the skin looks exactly like at these bite sites, since like most elderly folks, he has thin skin, and a lot of reddish discoloration already on his arms and hands. He hasn’t had any nausea or other symptoms mentioned in website articles. He does have some anemia problems, for which he takes a bi-monthly Procrit shot. He is also on some new blood treatment, Revlid (I think), which is a cancer related drug still under some testing.Can anyone give me some insight into these bites. I’ve been as explicit as I can. We do live in a very wooded area, and I’ve been in my house for 30 years. My Dad’s house is “just across the holler” from my house. Have seen everything from copperheads to wasps to black widow spiders to scorpions. The nearest quick care type facility is 40 miles away, and he doesn’t want to go just to be given another tube of ointment. Has anyone out there had this same experience. Any information would be appreciated.Ashley #15. April 23rd, 2007 at 1:37 pm I got bit by something on my inner thigh and now I am starting to think it’s a Brown Recluse bite. It is so swollen I can barely walk and has gone from the size of a quarter to the size of a plum in just a few days. I am six months pregnant so I am really worried about my baby and what effects if any this may have on her. I think I’m going to go call my Dr….John #16. April 26th, 2007 at 5:45 pm I was experiencing some pain on inside of left leg close to ankle. I thought nothing of it. As the days past I started to see bleeding and leaking green pus.So I treated with alcohol and peroxide for a few days well it wasnt getting any better. By this time the hole was approx. the size of a half dollar. So I decided to got to the E.R. and found out that I was bit by a brown recluse. I was treated for the bite and sent home with a prescription for antibiotics. I didnt realize how serious a spider bite can be till now. So I have been on medication for about 2 weeks now and it is getting better but I still have alot of pain in the area. I do not recommend anybody to forget about it and say it will get better cuz a spider bite doesnt get better by itself it takes the proper medication and lots of time. Thank youKirk in Oregon #17. May 2nd, 2007 at 8:11 am I was bitten by what I assume was a brown recluse about three weeks ago at first I noticed a small red blister on the arch of my foot and I saw my Doc he thought it was hydrosis? and said it would go away and to keep putting peroxide on it. After several days the bite enlarged got quite painful and I noticed black spots of tissue in the middle. The blister peeled back from the inside out and it kept oozing (pretty gross) for days, I got fevers, chills numbness in my hands and occasional headaches, about a week and a half into it my wife came home and said we were going back to the doc after she said she could smell my infection! We went back and he said it was the worst foot he had seen in a long time if ever and this time he said it’s a brown recluse spider bite that has turned into a bad staph infection if you waited another day you would have one into the hospital.It is now starting to heal but the foot is still painful, so are my joints and I have no energy and occasional numbness and tingling in my extremeties any idea how long the effects of the brown recluse spider bit will last?Barb #18. May 2nd, 2007 at 2:24 pm Here are two more brown recluse spider bites both on the legs. These are pretty sick, but it serves as examples of what a little spider can do. These people did not seek treatment as soon as they should have, but did manage to save their legs.This one is a brown recluse bite on the leg - this person’s leg will never be normal again. This is after only nine days!And this one is another on the leg and was treated early!I hope this will convince people that seeking medical attention is a must! Consider that these bites were only a few days out and ask yourself if waiting to see if this happens is worth it. Also keep in mind that the skin rots, so even when the doctor cleans it out, it may still rot. The faster you get medical attention, the better!Heather #19. May 9th, 2007 at 11:59 am Well I tell you something the spider bite pictures are cool looking but I feel bad for the ones that have to go through with pain!! But that is what happens when you don’t go stright to the doctor and a spider bites you. So that’s there fault!brittany murphy #20. May 16th, 2007 at 11:29 am this is very gross but this makes me notice that these spiders and their bites are truly real. so just everyone be careful and takes these pictures as no JOKE!Karen Dyer #21. May 16th, 2007 at 6:08 pm I have just come back from Bodrum, Turkey after my honeymoon. after my 2nd night there I sat on a balcony to have a nightcap and felt a sharp sting on my right foot 2nd to my big toe, I thought I’d been bitten by a mossy and thought nothing of it but I did put repelents on before going out I must have missed that toe! Anyway the next morning my toe had balooned into a massive purple blister and it was really painful. I went to see the hotel Dr and he said I need to go to hospital straight away.I DID and I was put on a drip for 6 hours and had loads of injections (pain killers & antibiotics) It has been 11 days now since the sting and my toe is still weeping & sore, its a nightmare getting to see a dr were I live (receptionist think they are above every one including dr’s) so I think it must have been a brown recluse spider or maybe its just a simple mossy bite!I’ll keep you posted.Kind Regards KarenSuzanne #22. May 17th, 2007 at 2:35 pm Hi, I had a boyfriend who’s name we won’t mention who was bit on the forearm by a Brown Recluse Spider who’s arm looked much like the leg above. The hosipital had to perform 2 surgeries removing dead tissue from his arm and infection that continued to kill the tissue. By the time they were able to remove everything, I could see the tendons in his arm - it was disgusting - he had an open wound on his forearm about six inches long and about four inches wide. He had to walk around with this contraption that had a hose attached to it sucking the infection from the open wound for two weeks. This spider really messed him up. Be careful and always try to kill the spider and take it with you when you go to the doctor so they can give you the right treatment first - my x didn’t have the spider and the first doctor he went to, put some antibiotic cream and bandaid and told him to call in two days if it gets worse, he ended up in the hosipital the next day.Laurie #23. May 21st, 2007 at 11:55 pm My Husband noticed a bump that looked like an ingrown hair last Wednesday just above his belt line on his waist. By Thursday morning the area was very red, inflamed with a red core about 3″x4″. He went to the doc who said it was an infected hair folicle (foliculitis) and prescribed an oral antibiotic (Ketek). By Friday night the area had grown to about 4″x7″ and the core had turned bery hard and black/purple. We phoned the ER and were told to apply warm compresses for 20 min on, 20 off. The next morning, the area had doubled in size again (I had drawn a circle around it the night before). We went to the clinic and saw a different doc who said it was not foliculitis but a Brown Recluse Bite. He was given 2 grams of Rocephin (sp?) in the rear and told that if he should develop a fever or the bite should open up and start draining, he would need to return to the ER, no matter what time. About 6 hours later, the bite had opened about the size of a dime and began oozing pus and blood. We returned to the ER and he has been on IV antibiotics (Zosin) every 8 hours, returning to the ER 3 x per day for 2 hours each time. Last night, he had it debreifed (sp?). They say that the worst is yet to come, it is now open about the size of a quarter and still very, very painful. His blood pressure has risen to 180/151 and he feels tired and joints hurting. Please do not apply heat compresses to this kind of a bite, they said that is the worst thing we could have done. Seek treatment early and go back if you need another opinion. I am still looking for any more info on how to help him speed the healing as everything I read says 4 weeks to months and could have reoccuring problems annually.Karen Dyer #24. May 25th, 2007 at 6:15 am Hi, It’s been 19 days since i got bit by a brown recluse spider (BRS) and i went to see my Dr, she had to go on the net to read up about BRS as my toe is not much better…. It has now formed a horrible purple black scab and is still oozing brown pus (Yuk!) and the scab is very hard to the touch. I have taken photo’s regular of my toe and will soon put for your veiwing! Watch this space…. Karenrosa nunez #25. May 25th, 2007 at 9:25 am every body getting treatment for any spider bite is very important, i did not tell my mom right when I noticed some weird bite on ly leg until 3 weeks later and I went to the doctors and they could not even tell what it was so They put me on antibiotics and I am hoping that I will not have rotted tissue.Karina #26. May 25th, 2007 at 6:40 pm Three four days ago i think i got bite by a brown recluse well this is how i think it happened me, my mom, and aunt were cleaning i sat on the floor to get some pole out of the ground and i thought that i sat on a weed but know i think it was a spider well anyways i got this pimple like looking thing and i told my mom to pop it cause it hurt she did then the next day it was hurting even more so i told her to look at it she said it had a lot of green pus and when she took it our it became a whole so today she took me to the doctors he said he thinks its mercer or brown recluse personally i think its a brown recluse what do you think?please leave a comment i would love to hear from you.Lynn #27. May 25th, 2007 at 11:38 pm I live in Tucson AZ. Two years ago in Oct. I noticed a red raised blister the size of a quarter on the inside of my left knee. On the outside of my knee there was another blister the size of a nickel. I don’t know if a brown recluse can bite twice but what I had looks just like the pictures. I didn’t feel anything bite me but noticed a small sorta center (puncture) on each one. I told my husband “I think something bit me”.We recently moved from NY and leary of snakes, scorpions etc. He said…”oh stop it, your’e not gonna die, let it go”. Within 2 weeks both sides of my knee were disgusting. the inside bite was oval in shape about 5″ long. the outside bite was rounder about 3″. They were purple black hard but ozzing.Two weeks later he said “Oh my God”…”lets go to the dr.”, “something is wrong”. So insulted by his “let it go” comment, I refused to go. Saying “I’m not gonna die, this to will pass”. Fortunately it did, I was stupid along with my hubby. It took 7 months to heal and was painful. My stubborness and arrogance left me with two noticeable discolored crater like scars on my knee. Seven months they took to heal. I have permanent scars and lived with pain. I was 50 years old then and very lucky.If there is a question in your mind, maybe a bug bite?, this is not right, something is wrong, what is this?, go to the Doctor!!! Younger, or older and not in good health I could have died.Don’t give yourself a permanent ugly reminder…please!!!Ben #28. June 2nd, 2007 at 1:52 am I live in Cleveland, Ohio, and suffice to say these guys are pretty rare this far north in Ohio. However, I was moving some fire wood on a Wednesday morning, by Wednesday evening I had deep red, circular welt with a small black hole in the center. By Thursday morning the welt was the size of a cd, and now looked like black ink was mixing with the blood red.The welt was hard to the touch and very tender. The small black hole was still there, a little bigger, but was now surrounded by an inch and a half bluish-black blister. At this time was when I decided to go to the hospital. Thursday evening in the ER I was diagnosed as a brown recluse victim, and was given a 2g a day dose of anti-biotics.Here I am 8 days later, and the swollen redness is down to the size of an egg, the blister of dead flesh is gone, and i have a divot in my shin that i can fit the whole top of my thumb into, knuckle and up. Overall it is still very painful, and still requires a lot of care.These wounds do not go away “on their own” nor are they something that clears up quickly. On my follow-up exam I was given a topical cream to speed up the healing to about 6 weeks… Now remind you the blister of dead flesh is gone, this is just the crater that needs to heal.For those wondering I had jeans on, and probably caught a very small dose of venom, this sort of thing makes me think twice about not treading lightly when it comes to seeking medical attention!Sherri #29. June 7th, 2007 at 12:28 am Where I live we see the brown recluse constantly during warm weather. I put out spider traps and there are always some on the traps. This scares me. I would like to know a sure way of getting rid of them for good! I read that once they invade a territory it is impossible to get rid of them, I feel like moving especially after reading the comments of people getting biten, glad to know what to look for. Thanks for this website.Kathy #30. June 15th, 2007 at 9:16 pm I live in King George,Virginia. A large brown recluse spider was on my kitchen counter. I killed it before it could bite me. I was wondering if I have found one. What are are the odds that I have more under my house?Annie #31. June 15th, 2007 at 10:46 pm My 13-year old daughter was bit by something 5 days ago while sleeping. At first we thought it was a mouse, but her symptoms aren’t consistent with that, so the doctor thinks it was a spider. Brown Recluse are rare but not unknown in this area (Massachusetts). He also thinks it could be a yellow sac spider, but it’s more severe than typical for that spider. Probably not a black widow, because the time frame is inconsistent with a black widow bite.The bite on her thigh didn’t hurt much at first, it developed a red patch about the size of a quarter. We put some neosporin on it. The following afternoon, she complained her leg hurt. By the following day, she was in a lot of pain, so I took her to the doctor, who sent her to the emergency room. They did X-rays, blood panel, blood culture, and an ultrasound of the bite area and everything was negative. They sent us home with Tylenol with Codeine. She hasn’t had a fever since the bite, and her white blood cell count is normal. The cultures and a lyme titer were normal.Two days later, it had spread to the hip and I took her back to the doctor. They did X-rays and ultrasound of the hip, still nothing. By now she can’t walk or use crutches, so the doctor recommends getting a wheelchair so she can go to school, but she’s in too much pain without the codeine and they won’t let her be in school on codeine. She cannot straighten her leg, nor completely bend her knee because of the pain, and cannot stand to be touched. The bite site hurts, but not more than the hip, knee, and foot. This kid is an athlete who is never sick, so I know she is really, really in pain. By the next evening, the pain has spread to the abdomen and shoulder, and is excruciating. We returned to the ER, where they called in a specialist who said it was a spider bite. He said systemic reactions like this, without necrosis, are rare but not unheard of, and that it would probably get worse before it gets better, as the peak is usually 5-10 days and we were only on day 5. They admitted her to the hospital so they could manage her pain and watch her symptoms until we know she’s getting better instead of worse.Next day (today) the pain has spread to the other leg and to the arms. She reacted badly to the morphine, so they put her on Oxycodon.A different doctor thinks it’s something called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, a chronic pain condition that may have been triggered by a bite, but it’s also not completely consistent with that diagnosis. So they are treating her for both RSD and watching for further venom reactions. I feel a little like the spider doc thinks it’s a spider bite, and the chronic pain doc thinks it’s a chronic pain syndrom, KWIM?Anyone heard of anything like this?P W Cagle #32. June 19th, 2007 at 8:20 am I have been biten by something. I have a white mark in the center of a half inch red circle, then a normal 1 inch of skin, followered by a black and blue bruise looking circle form around that. It itches and I have taken Benadryl. I have another bite about 5 inches away with the same red center, but no Blueish circle around it. I was picking Blackberries at dusk, and I know it isn’t chiggers. Looks worse that it feels.Christina #33. June 21st, 2007 at 5:27 pm I got bitten by a spider a couple of weeks now…on the top of my left hand. My skin is blackish with pink spots…I’m so scared it will not heal. Does anyone know how I can get my skin back to normal? Thank you.Tricia #34. June 28th, 2007 at 4:49 pm Almost two weeks ago, I woke up with a bite on my lower stomach and the back of my left thigh. I didn’t think much of it because I tend to get bug bites frequently (mostly mosquitoes). By that evening, the started to redden. The next day they were extremely swollen and sore. I had trouble sleeping at night. Had to wear loose clothes.I tried Benadryl, ointments, anything I could get my hands on and nothing worked. Finally, after 4 days, I sucked it up and went to the doctor. The bites looked just like the first picture on this page, but larger and they were hard. So, the doctor tried to get a good culture to send off so we could make sure we were treating it sufficiently.I recieved an antibiotic shot in office and was placed on 2 antibiotics. Two days after my doctor visit the bites finally opened and started oozing infection and blood. The one on the back of my leg seems to have healed faster than the one on my stomach. The skin is dry and peeling and hope I don’t have any further effects fronm this. We don’t know if it was a brown recluse, but it sounds exactly like what my bites did. The bite on my stomach still oozes and the swelling has almost completely gone down. The skin is peeling away and it itches. I hope it doesn’t take too long to heal as it is still a bit painful.I wish that I had gone to the doctor right away and avoided the bites getting as bad as they did. Thankfully, I didn’t have to have surgery to remove the infection.Great article. But, can anyone tell me what mercer is?Phil #35. July 3rd, 2007 at 5:24 pm July 3 ‘07In late June I was bitten on the side of my knee by a brown recluse spider. It was a Tuesday eve - in Minneapolis no less - so their range is spreading.I didn’t know what the bite was but on the second day ( Thursday afternoon) I began soaking it in a luke warm epsom salt bath. On the third day, Friday morn, the center of the wound had opened as the flesh was being eaten by the venom. I called my naturopath and arranged an appointment for Sat. morning. In the mean time, still unaware of what had bitten me, I soaked the bite for an hour and a half that day while the wound was open. I think that helped draw some of the venom out.My naturopath recognized it immediately and set about making an activated charcoal poultice wrapped in gauze moistened by saline solution. He sprayed colloidal silver on the wound and applied the poultice to draw venom out. I continued that regimen for 5 days and saw the wound improve.Naturopathy also known as Naturopathic medicine consists of doctors that are trained in a wide variety of complementary and alternative therapies, including:Herbal and Homeopathic MedicineClinical Nutrition and DietVitamins, Amino Acids, Minerals, Enzymes,and NutraceuticalsPhysical Medicine such as Massage, Body-work, Exercise Therapy, and HydrotherapyCounseling and Behavioral TherapiesHealth and Lifestyle CounselingIn addition, NDs may prescribe hormones. They may also order other prescription drugs in collaboration with a medical doctor.Madison #36. July 4th, 2007 at 12:16 am That’s crazy.The skin is actually gone. Amazing!Liz #37. July 4th, 2007 at 1:54 am I have a HUGE problem with brown recluse spiders in my home. (I find at least 10 dead a month and at least 5 live ones!!) Everything that I have read says that they are nocturnal unless they are hungry. Well…these suckers must never eat at my house!We have a contract with an exterminator that comes every three months and anytime in the between time that I see a spider, which is often. I was wondering what we could do to help get rid of these spiders. I have two young boys that I constantly warn not to touch one if they find it. Not even a dead one!! I would absolutely die if one of them got a bite! Any advice?Niki #38. July 6th, 2007 at 10:22 pm Ok, so two and a half days ago i woke up with a lot of foot pain in my left foot. i had felt fine the night before. i limped around all day, thinking that i was just sore from hiking around the two days before and that it would get better if i took it easy. it’s been really uncomfortable to walk around. after it didnt feel better yesterday or today, i was beginning to think i had a stress fracture or broken toe, because my big toe was noticeably swollen.I saw a doctor today, i unwrapped the foot, she poked around, and told me i had at least 8 spider bites running from my arch to the big toe. a small white blister has formed on the big toe. this and the actual red spots were not visible yesterday. she put me on an oral antibiotic, told me to pick up some benadryl and ibuprofen for the pain. apply ice/heat periodically, keep it elevated, stay off my feet as much as possible.She said she didnt think it was a brown recluse or black widow, but that the amount of bites was what made it so uncomfortable. the foot throbs/tingles, especially when i try to sleep. pretty much sucks, but at least there’s no necrosis. i will definitely be shaking out my sleeping bag every night from now on.sherry broce #39. July 9th, 2007 at 7:46 pm My son is 9 years old and we went camping for a week. He noticed a small blister on his hand with only a small amount of red around it. It is very hard to tell…… It would be great if I could see more pictures to compare!!!!! The blister is only about 12 hours old…..small……but he was sleeping in a tent surrounded by woods….he woke up and had a blister. I am gonna take him to the ER right now!!! I really wish I had more to go on though!! I hope that people put more pictures on here in the begining stages!!!!!!!John Dow #40. July 14th, 2007 at 5:09 pm I live in Maine. Brown recluse spiders are not native to this state; but I was biten five nights ago in my bed. I felt a tickle sensation on my left knee, and brushed it off in my half sleep with my right foot. I found the little bugger the next day under my bed, and squished it. I did an internet search of spider images; and it looked like the brown recluse to me. They can come in on tropical house plants; and yes I got a bunch of them. I sprayed poisons, vacumed, and threw out a bunch of plants. Within six hours I had a red blotch about an inch & a half across. Two days later it was twice as big, and the center had turned dark red, and was starting to form little blisters. I went to a local doctor who told me she thought it was no big deal, and to just treat it with Benadryl cream, and cortosone cream.Two more days, and now the center was purple, and the blisters are more pronounced, so I go to a different doctor who took it seriously. He immediately put me on antibiotic, and told me to try to keep my leg ellevated as much as possible to keep the blood from flowing to the infected area.One more day, now a week, and I have fever, can barely walk, and am going back in tomorrow, or the next day for further diagnosis. The redness is now five by five inches, with the center about three by three. I have a fever of 101, and am getting a bit freaked out, as I live alone. I have insurance, but will not get paid unless I work. My situation begins to look bad.If a doctor does not take your situation seriously, go to another doctor. I am afraid the blisters will break soon, and don’t know if that is good, or bad. Perhaps that would get some poison out?John Dow #41. July 14th, 2007 at 11:50 pm Six hours since my 1st posting,and the fever broke. The redness on the edges has spread out more,but it doesn’t feel as bad in the center. It feels a bit itchey now, and not quite as painful to the touch. Perhaps the antibiotic is starting to work? I am encouraged,and will try to send a picture from a phone. Its not a great picture ,and you can’t see the blisters in the middle very well, or the purple. It just kind of looks like a red blotch. This is now five and a half days since the bite; not a week as I incorrectly posted before.I wonder if I had not started with the antibiotic if it would have taken this seemingly better turn.You really should go to a doctor if you’ve been biten.Sonny Sanders #42. July 17th, 2007 at 6:18 pm I just got out of the shower and laid down on the bed and no sooner did I get bit by I think a brown recluse spider. However I don’t know for sure. It stung when I got bit and it left two bite marks about a quarter of an inch apart. This has just happened about ten minutes ago. It is now 5:20 pm. Bite spot is turning fairly red.Sonny Sanders #43. July 17th, 2007 at 10:23 pm I’m back. So far the redness has gone away. I called the VA after I wrote on here and they told me to take 25 miligrams of Benydril if I had any. I did and maybe that has been the fix for me. Maybe it wasn’t a bite from a spider. I was bit by a copperhead several years ago and the only thing that happened then was my arm swelled up like Popeye’s arm. It’s now 9:27 pm.Julia Redd #44. July 18th, 2007 at 6:22 pm Oh goodness John Dow I am sooo sorry..I am 36 and the only spider bite I have ever had was when I was 7 years old. I felt something when I was watching news and saw a spider but didn’t freak out because I was always told that blood will rush if you get excited. I got a rag, caught it and tossed it into the trash can.The spider bite started to itch but I figured it would be fine so I kept watching tv. The next day it looked HORRIBLE and the bite area was pink, purple and blue. I put hydrogen peroxcide on it and a lot of pus came out!I was so sad we went to the docter and he said it is serious enough to go to the hospital. So we got in the car and did just that; they had to do surgery and I couldn’t believe that such a little spider could do all this!Juliaconcerned #45. July 19th, 2007 at 2:15 pm My brother just spotted a spider in our basement that I think might be a recluse. I live in northeast ohio though and have heard they don’t exist here. Is it possible that the spider I saw is a brown recluse?Suzanne from Orlando #46. July 19th, 2007 at 3:08 pm My son was also just bitten in the yard in Orlando by a spider and our doctor gave us 2 antibiotics and a topical antibiotic, three total. I will keep you posted. I can post a photo, but it is not as bad as the ones online…looks like a huge pimple about 2-3″ diameter (red)Spiderbite #47. July 19th, 2007 at 9:19 pm Hello Suzanne,Please, send in the pictures of the spider bites, I am sure that everyone would love to see them! You can send them to helpThanks for sharing!Margaret #48. July 20th, 2007 at 8:37 pm So far this year I have been bitten twice (in Kansas). My oldest son just called from Tennessee to tell me that he received a brown recluse spider bite yesterday. He had gone to the ER and the Dr. put him on antibiotics and steroids!!! He called to ask what I had done for my bites. I went to my favorite health foods store and asked the very well informed owner if he had anything that might help. He immediately brought from his shelves 2 containers. One was Bentonite Powder (for drawing out the poison) and a bottle of tiny little pills about the size of nitro tablets (ask someone who has angina to show you theirs). The label says “Loxosceles Reclusa” (Brown Recluse Spider). His instructions were to make a paste of the Bentonite Powder to put on the bite area, and to take 3 or 4 the little pills by mouth, 3 or 4 times a day. He said it would take about 4 or 5 weeks. I was to continue taking the tablets another full week after the wound had healed. I don’t follow directions well the first time, so when it looked like it was healed, I stopped taking the pills. Just two days after stopping the medication, the wound was open, itching and moderately reddened again! I had to resume the treatment another month. I followed the directions to the letter the second time and it took about 5 weeks to heal completely!joshua #49. July 22nd, 2007 at 2:07 am I believe I was bitten by a brown recluese spider. It happend while hiking and I think it crawled into my sleeping bag then bit me when I slept in it in. Right now it is still a white blister, the doctor gave me some antibiodics so I hope that does the trick.I got into the doctor about 3 days after I first noticed the bite. it is still a blister after almost 5 days so i dont think its going to be that serious.Sophia #50. July 24th, 2007 at 1:48 am Hey my freinds Mom was bit by a Brown Recluse Spider, she put on her Underwear (Not knowing that the spider was in them)and got on a plane four ten hours straight! When she got of the plane she went to the bathroom and noticed a red spot on her ya know “Down There”……She went straight to the Hospital and had to stay there for 2 weeks…..Thank God shes okay!Pages: [1] 2 3 4 »Leave a Reply Name (required) Email (won't be published) Color of Kermit the Frog? (anti-spam)PLEASE: Send photos whenever possible; it helps others identify bites.Send photos to jim*** I'll fix up the photos, so do not worry about format ***NOTE: Not intended for medical advice. A response may not appear right away or at all. Please see our about page for details - thank you! 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Guest guest Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 About 18 months ago I got bit by a spider, had a series of antibiotics, I hadt them culture it and it had turned into MRSA, So I got the Hebclense and and 2 very strong RX anitbiotics and it finally went away. I never want to go through that again. One of the way the Doc said you could tell it was MRSA was that it likes to cause boils type sores in the groin and under the arms. Always go to the doctor soonafter this type of wound. They are very nasty and often can be deadly. DiannMsg sent via ispdone.com - http://ispdone.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 In 1980 we moved to Missouri and I learned of the Brown Recluse. Asked my Dr. about them and he told me to keep Lawreys Seasoning Salt, if bitten make a paste and apply. I had that bottle of seasoning salt for 20 years and never had to use it. I felt our house was " infested " with them, and I hated to go in the shed and get the empty canning jars. I think they love cardboard boxes. I have met people down here that have had plastic surgery from the bites, others didn't react as bad and just went to the health food store for treatment. Two I talked with were bitten outside in daylight sitting on their porch. I always tapped out shoes and boots, shook out any blankets or clothes laying on the floor. Never saw one fall out of a shoe or boot. Thank goodness. Killed everyone I saw, hunted it down if I had to. Once you learn what they look like you can spot them. It's the " pointy " legs that tip me off first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008  Sorry Diann - I never go to the Dr sooner or later - I get better, so I opt for other ways and other treatments Jane - hilld Friday, July 25, 2008 12:29 AM Re:Recluse spider bite web site About 18 months ago I got bit by a spider, had a series of antibiotics, I hadt them culture it and it had turned into MRSA, So I got the Hebclense and and 2 very strong RX anitbiotics and it finally went away. I never want to go through that again. One of the way the Doc said you could tell it was MRSA was that it likes to cause boils type sores in the groin and under the arms. Always go to the doctor soonafter this type of wound. They are very nasty and often can be deadly. Diann Msg sent via ispdone.com - http://ispdone.com/ Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com Version: 8.0.138 / Virus Database: 270.5.5/1571 - Release 7/24/2008 5:42 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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