Venomous Spider Bites

[Ms Erica Phoenix]

Ever had one? Ever seen one? Want to?

(I have pictures if you do...)

So we all went up to the lake last week. Had a great time, yadda yadda. The next day, I noticed an insect bite on my arm starting to swell, redden and itch. Upon close examination, it proved to have two small white dots in the middle of it. By the time I went to the doctor, it was red and swollen almost to the elbow. (The bite is 2 inches below my axilla) He told me to come back in 3 days if it wasn't getting better...so cut forward three days. Now I am on a massive dose of antibiotics, and an icepack on the swelling I can't stand to have touched!!!

If you get a spider bite,and it's severe and swollen, don't mess around at a walk-in...go to emerg. They will have antitoxin to prevent the bite from becoming necrotic and infected...

And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go lay down again until this feeling of ick goes away...:faint:

 

[moparman]

Hello sweetie. Had a bite several years ago and was on drip antibiotics for 3 weeks twice a day for it. Very scary if you want to talk let me know and good luck. Maybe you need a dose of me to feel better

 

[Fin]

Hope that your feeling better

I actually know someone that was bit from a Brown Recluse spider "very scary" bite as this person didn't treat it right away see a doctor for treatment. His wound over a year later was still healing , almost looked like a fresh wound all of the time . I did some searching and he actually got off pretty easy considering the damage that this little spider can create if not treated right away . Have a look through these wound images from a Brown Recluse spider http://tinyurl.com/k6rog58

 

[hornygandalf]

I hope you recover quickly dear lady. Visualisation may help...
I didn't realise Canada had any venomous spiders. And having grown up in a place where there was only one venomous spider and no snakes, I'm kinda unaware of such possibilities.

 

[Ms Erica Phoenix]

Hello sweetie. Had a bite several years ago and was on drip antibiotics for 3 weeks twice a day for it. Very scary if you want to talk let me know and good luck. Maybe you need a dose of me to feel better

Thank you for the good wishes! The doctor who I saw today put me on a massive dose of Cephalexin for the next 10 days! EEK! Knowing now what I know, I wish that the first doctor I saw had started the antibiotics proactively last week. I will be sporting a nifty bandage for weeks methinks...

 

[Ms Erica Phoenix]

I hope you recover quickly dear lady. Visualisation may help...
I didn't realise Canada had any venomous spiders. And having grown up in a place where there was only one venomous spider and no snakes, I'm kinda unaware of such possibilities.

In the Lower Mainland, my understanding is that the most dangerous spider we have is called a Western Widow: it is a brownish spider that can be found in wooded areas. Most people come into contact with them accidentally, as I did. Their venom is rarely fatal to healthy adults, but yes, the bites are nasty looking when they start to necrotise. The antibiotics are going to knock it all out soon, I am pretty sure, but it is not going to be pretty while it heals.

 

[dominator]

Hope that your feeling better

I actually know someone that was bit from a Brown Recluse spider "very scary" bite as this person didn't treat it right away see a doctor for treatment. His wound over a year later was still healing , almost looked like a fresh wound all of the time . I did some searching and he actually got off pretty easy considering the damage that this little spider can create if not treated right away . Have a look through these wound images from a Brown Recluse spider http://tinyurl.com/k6rog58

I was bit by this in Mexico.I also let it go and ended up missing 3 months work and a few days in hospital.The bite was on my ankle and I brushed it off as a sand bug bite. Never become complacent!

 

[faka]

Couple years back I had a bite from my yard while cleaning up my neighbor's mess. At first I thought it was a mosquito bite, then it got very swelled up and the doctor had to pop it, the infected area looks like a pothole sunken in. Doc put me on antibiotics and mentioned it will have a nasty scar for sure.

You can try POLYSPORIN (minimizes scarring in the healing process) or BIO OIL (minimizes the appearance of already scared tissue).
No one mentioned any of the above to me AFTER my wound healed :/

Hope this will help you, get well soon

 

[screwtape1963]

In the Lower Mainland, my understanding is that the most dangerous spider we have is called a Western Widow: it is a brownish spider that can be found in wooded areas. Most people come into contact with them accidentally, as I did. Their venom is rarely fatal to healthy adults, but yes, the bites are nasty looking when they start to necrotise. The antibiotics are going to knock it all out soon, I am pretty sure, but it is not going to be pretty while it heals.

Uhm, I hadn't heard of the Western Widow before. Is it related to the Black Widow? Because people I know in the Okanagan find them quite regularly when prepping their pools. They like to hang out in dark corners. The Black Widow, of course, is the classic venomous spider with the black body with the red hourglass on the underside, and it's venom does kill even healthy adults on occasion. And then, the Brown Recluse can be found in various nooks and crannies of wooded areas throughout Canada.

 

[badbadboy]

I've been bitten twice in the past two years. Once in the Okanagan and once in my backyard.

Important thing to do is mark the bite with a Sharpie on Day 1. 24 hours later if it's doubled in size get the antibiotics or go on the drip at ER.

Your MD should not have sent you away for 3 days. The fist 24 - 48 hours are critical to ER care. I went on the drip at ER and the Dr there told me beyond three days becomes a critical case for saving limbs and sometimes the flesh eating disease aspect.

Best to be a squeaky wheel sooner and not have any regrets later.

 

[Ms Erica Phoenix]

I've been bitten twice in the past two years. Once in the Okanagan and once in my backyard.

Important thing to do is mark the bite with a Sharpie on Day 1. 24 hours later if it's doubled in size get the antibiotics or go on the drip at ER.

Your MD should not have sent you away for 3 days. The fist 24 - 48 hours are critical to ER care. I went on the drip at ER and the Dr there told me beyond three days becomes a critical case for saving limbs and sometimes the flesh eating disease aspect.

Best to be a squeaky wheel sooner and not have any regrets later.

Yes. I know that now. Got the IV port at 3 am because the pain was so extreme when I lay down on it. Now I'm off to the hospital for IV therapy...

 

[Ms Erica Phoenix]

Uhm, I hadn't heard of the Western Widow before. Is it related to the Black Widow? Because people I know in the Okanagan find them quite regularly when prepping their pools. They like to hang out in dark corners. The Black Widow, of course, is the classic venomous spider with the black body with the red hourglass on the underside, and it's venom does kill even healthy adults on occasion. And then, the Brown Recluse can be found in various nooks and crannies of wooded areas throughout Canada.

There is a variant that looks remarkably like an unremarkable brown woodland spider. It can be found in the same types of environments that you might expect to find ticks.

 

[badbadboy]

Erica I hope all goes well.

These bites can be so serious no matter how small they appear at first.

Seeing mine go from my armpit to below my elbow in 24 hours made me jump in my car and go directly to ER. The pain, swelling and itchiness was insane.

 

[wilde]

Most of the time, the swelling is just a massive allergic reaction triggered by your immune system. In those cases, antibiotics will do nothing, that's why the doctor asked you to wait 3 days. A dose of prednisone will help to alleviate the swelling much quicker. But if the site of the bite has obvious signs of infection then head to the ER just to be safe.

 

[Julie Page]

Sorry to hear, babe. Take care of yourself!

 

[italian233]

Ouch Erica...Hope you get better soon!

 

[Ms Erica Phoenix]

Sorry to hear, babe. Take care of yourself!

Thanks! Pretty much have to...daily IV therapy! wheeee!

 

[Ms Erica Phoenix]

Uhm, I hadn't heard of the Western Widow before. Is it related to the Black Widow? Because people I know in the Okanagan find them quite regularly when prepping their pools. They like to hang out in dark corners. The Black Widow, of course, is the classic venomous spider with the black body with the red hourglass on the underside, and it's venom does kill even healthy adults on occasion. And then, the Brown Recluse can be found in various nooks and crannies of wooded areas throughout Canada.

To be honest, I didn't see the insect, only saw the bite with the two little fang marks in it. The internet research I did says there is a western variant of the black widow. All I know is that I am being treated now with oral antibiotics and daily IV therapy, and rest..

 

[kes458]

Sorry to hear about the bite babe. Ow ! I know how it can hurt. Long ago got a bite on the inside of my lower lip. Haven't drank coca cola since.

 

[MrBrown]

Haven't drank coca cola since.

please explain