I Got Bit Twice By A Brown Recluse?

Take the antibiotics, the bites can prove lethal!! (though infrequently)

NOTE THE WORDS BELOW, LAST PARAGRAPH

"An effective commercial antivenin is not available."

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Bite Symptoms

The physical reaction to a brown recluse spider bite depends on the amount of venom injected and an individual's sensitivity to it. Some people are unaffected by a bite, whereas others experience immediate or delayed effects as the venom kills the tissues (necrosis) at the site of the bite. Many brown recluse bites cause just a little red mark that heals without event. The vast majority of brown recluse bites heal without severe scarring (http://spiders.ucr.edu/avoidbites.html).

Initially, the bite may feel like a pinprick or go unnoticed. Some may not be aware of the bite for 2 to 8 hours. Others feel a stinging sensation followed by intense pain. Infrequently, some victims experience general systemic reactions that may include restlessness, generalized itching, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, or shock. A small white blister usually initially rises at the bite site surrounded by a swollen area. The affected area enlarges and becomes red, and the tissue is hard to the touch for some time. The lesion from a brown recluse spider bite is a dry, blue-gray or blue-white, irregular sinking patch with ragged edges and surrounding redness--termed the "red, white, and blue sign." The lesion usually is 1½ inches by 2¾ inches or smaller. Characteristics of a bite are further discussed at http://www.amednews.com/free/hlsa0805.

The bite of the brown recluse spider can result in a painful, deep wound that takes a long time to heal. Fatalities are extremely rare, but bites are most dangerous to young children, the elderly, and those in poor physical condition. When there is a severe reaction to the bite, the site can erupt into a "volcano lesion" (a hole in the flesh due to damaged, gangrenous tissue). The open wound may range from the size of an adult's thumbnail to the span of a hand. The dead tissue gradually sloughs away, exposing underlying tissues. The sunken, ulcerating sore may heal slowly up to 6 to 8 weeks. Full recovery may take several months and scarring may remain.

It is difficult for a physician to accurately diagnose a "brown recluse bite" based simply on wound characteristics. It is absolutely necessary to have the spider for a positive identification. Necrotic wounds can result from a variety of agents such as bacteria (Staphylococcus, "flesh-eating" Streptococcus, etc.), viruses, fungi, and arthropods (non-recluse spiders, centipedes, mites, ticks, wasps, bedbugs, kissing bugs, biting flies, etc.). Necrotic conditions also can be caused by vascular and lymphatic disorders, drug reactions, underlying diseases states, and a variety of other agents. An annotated list of conditions that could be mistaken for a brown recluse spider bite is available at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2002/08/05/hlsa08... Misdiagnosis of lesions as brown recluse bites can delay appropriate care.

First Aid

If bitten, remain calm, and immediately seek medical attention (contact your physician, hospital and/or poison control center). Apply an ice pack directly to the bite area to relieve swelling and pain. Collect the spider (even a mangled specimen has diagnostic value), if possible, for positive identification by a spider expert. A plastic bag, small jar, or pill vial is useful and no preservative is necessary, but rubbing alcohol helps to preserve the spider.

An effective commercial antivenin is not available. The surgical removal of tissue was once standard procedure, but now this is thought to slow down wound healing. Some physicians administer high doses of cortisone-type hormones to combat hemolysis and other systemic complications. Treatment with oral dapsone (an antibiotic used mainly for leprosy) has been suggested to reduce the degree of tissue damage. However, an effective therapy has not yet been found in controlled studies.

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http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2061.html

Take your full course of antibiotics and keep an eye on the bites. Please stop with the ointments as they can hold bacteria in the bite and make it worse. Just keep it clean with soap and water. If indeed, it was a brown recluse that bit you, the area may become necrotic (black) and the doctor may have to excise some tissue. If you see a dark spot forming, go to the doc right away. Brown recluse bites are nasty and the poison can travel around in your system. I'd say go back to the doc if anything changes and stay on the antibiotics...AND make a second appointment to know you're clear! godloveya.

Definitely go back to the doctor's if the bites are getting worst. My friend was bitten by a brown recluse on the leg. He didn't realize what had bitten him until his leg began to swell, approx. 4-5 days after the bite. He ended up in the hospital for 1 1/2 months with blood poisoning and gangrene, his leg was horribly disfigured. He has had to under go many operations to remove the dead tissue and muscle caused by the infection of the bite and skin graphs to help make it look more normal. He still has to ware a fabric leg brace to and is on crutches. It's been 2 years since he was bitten. Bites from the brown recluse are definitely to be taken seriously. If your bite is swollen and there is puss I would go right away the longer you wait the harder it is to stop the venom from damaging the surrounding tissue..Make sure your doctor knows what he's doing. Good luck I hope all goes well. Paula

It's just going to eat away your flesh and leave a disgusting scar and could possibly poison your blood. You probably weren't bitten by one, probably just a wolf spider. If you were bitten by a brown recluse, you would already be showing signs and be feeling sick. Anyone can survive that bite unless your 85 yrs +.

i was bitten by a brown recluse a few years ago, and the antibiotics worked for me, but my bite was bad enough that the doctor considered calling an ambulance. i think that antibiotics should probably do the trick, but you never know, and certainly if it doesnt get better go get someone else to look at it, good luck

You need to go to another doctor. Anti-biotics aren't going to help you much. The venom of the Brown Recluse if particulary bad because it causes necrosis, which means it is killing the cells in the area of the bite. If not treated properly it will continue to get worse.

Dr. Tom agulera MD

Hello I am a doctor ,

5 out of ten times people think they have been bitten but they

really have been bitten by a different kind of spider if you really

think you have been bitten by the recluse I reccommend anti-venom with anti-bodies to kill the venom it is very effective but

can promote allergic reactions

corticosteroids can be used for symptoms. do not go back to that doctor. look in a medical dictionary. a true bite from this spider will take the shape of a bullseye. a bleb forms that has blood inside, increases in size, ruptures, and then leaves a black scar. see another md.

Yikes, they can get very serious, so if it looks worse, I would definitely get medical attention as soon as possible. You may need a different antibiotic or IV antibiotics.

Did the dr. confirm it was from the brown recluse? if so, you MUST take the antibiotics. I heard those spiders can be deadly.

Here's some info..........