Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire I got a spider bite

yesterday on my stomach. It's worse today. May have to go to the Dermatologist tomorrow.

It's center has gotten dark about 3 mm wide and it's red for about 3/4' around.

I don't think it's a brown recluse b/c I think it would be worse if it was.

What say you?

You're dead.

I had what I thought was one years ago on my forearm. Looked like a small spider bite until I woke up the next day and it was severely swollen, red and painful to barely graze against. Went to the Dr that immediately asked me if I shoot dope 😂. I say no and he tells me, oh, well you have a staff infection and we need to lance it and put you on antibiotics. Still no idea how I got it.

Kevin, we have been down that road. If the reaction has been that significant, go to the doc now. Even if not a Brown Recluse bite, the probability of infection is high. Most after effect damage from insect/arachnid bites is from resultant infection. If it does turn out to have been a BR that bit you, the development most likely will vary according to bite site proximity to deep tissue.

A BR hit me on the forehead at our NM place the day before we were to be at the Santa Fe Opera to see/hear Tosca - did not know the bite was by a BR and did not want to miss the show, so went. By the following AM the site was nasty and jaw was hurting bad on one side - off to urgent care. The lady doc there was sharp, diagnosed it and gave some small injections around the site - I think it was prednisone. Also gave an antibiotic by scrip. She flat out said I was lucky - no deep tissue near the site and the venom had traveled down one side of my head/jaw seeking a tissue bed. Fortunately, treatment was good and timely - dodged some potentially serious tissue damage - but pain was serious for a couple of days.

After we moved down here, my wife noticed a bite on her lower leg after some outdoor work. It had the classic BR look and soon went rather deep - three different docs diddled with it - could not get even one of them to cut out the stuff. Finally got to the right dermatologist in Tucson and she immediately did the surgical removal - it took quite a while to heal. Side issue was that, as common when too much time passes without proper removal, there were pre-cancerous cells in the mess and my lady had to take some chemo meds until those cells were absent.

My view - get to an aggressive doc.

You sure it's a spider bite? I once had cellulitis on my head that I was sure was a bite of some sort. Had a rash, swelling and a headache - the rash travelled fairly quickly across part of my face and got as far as my left eye, and looked like I'd been punched in the face. Cellulitis is caused by staph and was easy enough to treat with antibiotics in my case.

Your doc should be able to work it out quick enough.

Fucking hell man, what's wrong with you?

He doesn't know it, but I'm the best friend he's got.
Whether from an infection or heart disease some day, etc, we all have to answer this question properly. I'm not wanting HN to worry. This is possibly the only good news given by anyone on the forum before treatment for the mystery lesion. HN knows what he said about me without cause at times in the past, but I forgive him. I just prayed for his healing as I have for him and his daughter before.

A few years ago, a family asked me to visit a father who went for tests and got a hospital infection that quickly put him down. He thankfully got saved and the next day hospital staff overdosed him with something that put him in a coma and shut down his organs.
I have no idea whether you, HN or anyone else on this forum has any worries this week. One thing for sure is everyone will have to answer that question before their last day here.

Go to doc

Ichthammol ung fixes some people up by drawing the venom out.
I've seen some BR bites that didnt respond to strong steroid and AB ung.

A super saturated solution of iodine smeared on a gauze pad and place OVER a pad on the bite and wrapped with tape letting the gas draw the toxin out has helped clear some cases.

I'd remember this last TX in case a dr has trouble getting it healed.

Doc Rocket has used that treatment successfully on some bad cases that didnt respond to usual treatment.

Good luck.

I got bit by one. The area that got bit looked like a small volcano. Not sure what antibiotics I was on but they worked great. Mine was lanced , Go to the doc.

Almost sounds like a tick bite in a way.
Either way.
Go to the hospital.
Today if you already have not done so.
If you let it go to long and if it was a recluse.
It will keep causing the surrounding tissue in the pocket to keep dying and then it will not be pleasant have that debrided.

Like Rooterpig said and others also time is not to be wasted.

Have seen some pretty knarly recluse bites that joe let go to long on FTCKY over the years.

The pocket can be huge.
Yours is on the stomach, not good.
Alot different than on just a major muscle group.

And those pockets take a long time to heal and the tissue ate away cant be replaced.

Good luck man and get to treatment asap!!

Dude, go get it checked out.

Why do guys come to the Fire for medical advice 🤣🤦‍♂️

Can I have your guns?

Actually, Happy_Camper, I don't know what I said about you that would require your forgiveness. I purposely stay out of the fray and I most certainly have not piled on as others have. I remember we conversed about Communism once, and you may have offered prayers for my father and/or daughter, but other than that, I have no recollection.

*****

Paul: Thanks for relaying your BR experience. Today is the third day and the bite site is not any worse than yesterday, in fact, I think it might be a bit better. There is still redness around the bite site, but it doesn't itch or hurt. I would think that a BR bite would be much worse by now. I believe I received the bite while cleaning a bunch of crap my father had piled along the side of a building in the back - it was nasty - several ladders, lumber, overgrown trees, guttering etc. I haven't gotten to the lumber yet, but it stank, rat's nest, roaches, etc. I thought Brown Recluse preferred dry places and this was outdoors, so I guess it could have been any type of spider. I have been treating it with Neosporin, Cortisone, and Sea Breeze (alcohol-based astringent). I just put a call into the dermatologist and they are going to see if they can work me in today. I will report back.

Viking: Members ask for medical advice here on the 'fire b/c we all hate going to the doctor if we don't have absolutely have to. Additionally, many here have experience with many of the medical inquiries made here, so it helps in the assessment of the severity of the condition.

Jag: Thanks.

Renegade: Let's hope it's not a BR bite. Since it's slightly better today, I kind of doubt that it is. Hopefully, the dermatologist can work me into the schedule today.

Get yourself a stun gun and shock the bite a couple times. It works!

I have been bitten by a BR and it was not pleasant. Get to the Doc ASAP as blood poisoning is surely to set in.

Wife. Dr said recluse. Antibiotic, I think doxycycline, and steroids. Gave her a fit for a while. Spider died.

Yeah..this......