Brown Recluse Spider

[Renee Attili]

Has anyone ever been bitten by a Brown recluse/violin spider?
What I thought was an ant bite has progressed into what my SO thinks is a Brown Recluse bite.
Did you have to go to the doctor? Did they cut it out? How long did it take to clear up?
Just wondering what I may be in for.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Miss Renee,,,

I was bitten by an itsy bitsy spider one time,,,not a Brown Recluse...but a spider none the less....It turned into a nasty wound! No trip to the Doctor, but it was 2 or 3 weeks healing...Guard against infection!!!!

 

[Fisher's Mom]

I've never been bitten but I'm pretty sure you need to go to the doc!!! Not to be a scare monger, but there is a new resistant form of strep that is often mistaken for a spider bite initially. I rarely go to the doc but if you're worried it might be a brown recluse bite, I'd say get going.

 

[jennyema]

I was pretty sure I was bitten by a brown recluse spider 2 summers ago and went to the emergency room and they found a tick in my arm.


I'd definitely go to the doctor. You might need antibiotics.

 

[Buck]

Don't mess with this. I have been bitten by a brown recluse. The doc treated me with an antibiotic injection. You don't want to run the risk of infection.

My spider bite upset my kidney function which resulted in the cancellation of a scheduled surgery and a round of doctor visits that extended over several months. I underwent ultrasounds, biopsies, and much poking and prodding.

I'm not trying to scare you here, just trying to emphasize that this is not to be trifled with.

All's well now and if I ever see that spider I'm gonna bite HIM!

Go see your doc.

 

[simplicity]

Please google Brown Recluse Spider bites. Also not to be a scare monger, but they can be dangerous.

 

[Renee Attili]

Thanks guys. I do have a Dr.'s appointment tomorrow. I just worried that there will be the word's "We'll have to cut that out." uttered. But from the sounds of it, I will just need to take some antibiotics. That I can live with.
Hey Buck, how long did it take for yours to go away?

 

[LT72884]

My horse was bit by one of those spiders. it took a few weeks for it to heal but we had to take it to the vet a couple of times. its whole face swelled up. This horse was a big horse to.

 

[Barbara L]

I know 4 people who have been bitten by brown recluse spiders (one on her wedding night). If you think that is what it could be, go to the doctor immediately. They generally will form a bullseye, but don't just go by that. The poison injected by the brown recluse begins to kill the muscle around the bite. The longer you wait, the larger the area it affects. One man I know was bitten on his rear end. After surgery, his wife said you could have put your fist in the hole that was left. So go now. It very likely isn't a brown recluse (let's hope not), but if it is it needs to be treated right away.

Barbara

 

[bowlingshirt]

Please google Brown Recluse Spider bites.

Be sure to use the imaging function of google so you can see some results. If you don't go to a doctor after seeing some pics, then you ain't right.

 

[Renee Attili]

Well I did google, and yeah mine looks alot like most of them. Dang It!!!
I don't seem to have any of the other symptoms though. But I will heed all of your advice and be at my doctors promptly at 9:00am!
Thanks all!!

 

[Buck]

Thanks guys. I do have a Dr.'s appointment tomorrow. I just worried that there will be the word's "We'll have to cut that out." uttered. But from the sounds of it, I will just need to take some antibiotics. That I can live with.
Hey Buck, how long did it take for yours to go away?

The bite itself was just a red spot about an inch or so in diameter. It faded away in a week or so. The kidney function thing lasted considerably longer, incurred major medical expense, and finally ended up healing itself. The kidney specialist I'd been seeing was at a loss to explain what had happened but he wasn't so flummoxed that he forgot to bill me.

I don't think you have to worry about anybody cutting on you.

 

[keltin]

Those can be very nasty bites. Not all people will experience necrotic tissue damage, but it is a distinct possibility. As with any poison, your individual physiology will determine how severe your reaction is. It can be as simple as swelling with a hardening or blistering of the skin or as severe as deep necrotic lesions and even nervous central disorders.

They don’t cut away the tissue any more since it hasn’t been proven to help healing, but they do give antibiotics to help avoid infection. If the wound hasn’t become necrotic within 4 days, it typically does not. A friend of mine got bit, and she suffered necrosis of the skin that led to a small ulcer about the size of a nickel (but I’ve heard of far worse....it depends on how your system reacts to the poison). There isn’t much to be done about the necrosis, but antibiotics help to avoid infection.

But, you have an appointment with the Doctor, so that’s a good start!

 

[Fisher's Mom]

I'm real sorry Renee. On the bright side, it could be a regular spider bite that is particularly nasty. Anyway, that's what I'm hoping for you. Be sure and let us know.

 

[Renee Attili]

You all Rock!!!! Thanks for your words of concern and experience. I feel a little less nervous about it now.

 

[Barbara L]

I think the guy I knew with the "butt bite" was trying to tough it out and waited too long. This was about 5 years ago. My friend who was bitten on her wedding night a few months ago went pretty quickly and just needed antibiotics. So as the others have said, you shouldn't need anything too drastic since you are getting it taken care of quickly.

Barbara

 

[keltin]

I just bumped into a web site done by an MD that has come up with a way to stop and reverse the Brown Recluse spider bite (according to his 10+ years of doing this). He uses a nitroglycerin patch. I’ve read on a few other sites that they used this technique as well, and it works. If it is a BR bite, ask your Doctor about this!

Here's the Doctor's Site.

And here is the Google search on using the patch. Thre are several cases reported that the patch works.

 

[middie]

Don's aunt was bitten by a brown recluse when she lived in Florida.
Her arm was so bad she had to have skin grafts done.
Let's just hope yours wasn't a brown recluse Renee.

 

[Renee Attili]

I just bumped into a web site done by an MD that has come up with a way to stop and reverse the Brown Recluse spider bite (according to his 10+ years of doing this). He uses a nitroglycerin patch. I’ve read on a few other sites that they used this technique as well, and it works. If it is a BR bite, ask your Doctor about this!

Here's the Doctor's Site.

And here is the Google search on using the patch. Thre are several cases reported that the patch works.

Thanks Keltin! I will ask her about it.

 

[jpmcgrew]

Yes,go to the doctor to make sure.I once got a spider bite that was so bad I could have sworn it was a Brown Recluse it turned out to just a really really bad spider bite.I had no idea they can get this bad.