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......

Jebus.

Here in Lakewood I've never seen a Brown Recluse spider and I've lived here for 65 years. We do have Black Widows though. I've been bitten 3 times by varous Orb-weaver spiders. Nasty little sore then itchy bites but nothing that didn't heal up in a few days.

Holy crap. You're lucky you didn't lose the thumb...or worse. How's the thumb now?

Methinks getting to a doc ASAP if'n your seeing advancing redness is always a good idea.

No worries High Noon. Mauser was just trying to stir it up.
I hope that all goes well and it turns out to be a little bit of nothing.

Have a good day.

Mick,

That's nasty. How is it doing now?

It laid eggs... u will have about 500 little friends in a day or two....

That hand about to fall off... I would have did something before it got anywhere near that bad ...soak the hand in vinegar...anything !

Thank God it was not my thumb. Those are pictures I came a crossed a number of year back and saved them. I don't know if he lost the thumb or not. The pictures are a reminder to watch were you stick your hands.

Why, to hear astute advice and illustrative anecdotes such as this gem, of course!

I don't want to give the impression that he shouldn't go to the qualified health care pro of his choosing.
The silver lining in the whole tragedy is that the man's soul was saved before leaving. Most who die of this, that or the other don't have that option the week they pass away.
Food for thought.....for all of us.

https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/lgbtq-pride-month-2022/

The ol lady got nailed by spider, not a BR last week.
Next to plate and screws in wrist.
She called doc next day and they took her right in.
Normally have to wait for schedule.....not w that plate !

She got nailed on neck last yr, think it rotted out what little brain she had left.

As much screwing around as Ive done in woods and barns etc..

amazed I havent had more issues w bugs and other infections.

On the BR topic, I have found higher concentrations of them here in the high desert - maybe just unreliable anecdotal observation - but have been watching for them for a long time. They seem to like to stay on cardboard, in the folds - dark side of box, etc.

I have an appointment this afternoon with my dermatologist. I will report back regarding her diagnosis.

My mechanic loaned me a small stun gun. I went to the fire station and they politely declined to tase me. Cannot track down a cop. Mom refused to tase me. She laughed when I told her: "I can't believe you won't tase your own son." My brother said it would be his pleasure to tase me, so I'm gonna' get nekkid in the yard for him to do so - in case I schitt myself - then he can hose me off. I'm setting up chairs and will have a cooler of beer for spectators. Several friends have expressed interest in attending the proceedings. Not sure how painful it will be. A short blast from a small taser shouldn't be too bad?

High Noon.

best of luck with it. Hope it ends up being rather uneventful in the end. Have seen some serious scars from them.

Always reminds me of a song though.

Lullaby
The Cure
On candy stripe legs the Spiderman comes
Softly through the shadow of the evenin' sun
Stealin' past the windows of the blissfully dead
Looking for the victim shivering in bed
Searchin' out fear in the gathering gloom
And suddenly a movement in the corner of the room
And there is nothing I can do when I realize with fright
That the Spiderman is having me for dinner tonight

Quietly he laughs and shaking his head
Creeps closer now, closer to the foot of the bed
And softer than shadow and quicker than flies
His arms are all around me and his tongue in my eyes
Be still be calm be quiet now my precious boy
Don't struggle like that or I will only love you more
For it's much too late to get away or turn on the light
The Spiderman is having you for dinner tonight

And I feel like I'm being eaten
By a thousand million shivering furry holes
And I know that in the morning
I will wake up in the shivering cold
And the Spiderman is always hungry

Written by: Bransby Williams Boris Peter, Thompson Paul Stephen, O'donnell Roger, Tolhurst Laurence Andrew, Gallup Simon Johnathon, Smith Robert James

Album: Disintegration (Deluxe Edition [Remastered])

Released: 1989
Lyrics provided by Musixmatch

My question regarding stun guns is should the stun gun be activated and then quickly be touched to the spider bite area, or should it be placed on or close to the skin and then be activated? I imagine the duration should be less than a second or as quick as possible, but that is just a guess. Any advice on this? I am going to ask the Doc about it today. Also, should I tighten up my stomach muscles (such as they are) prior to the shock or not?

Crappy Hamster needs a 6" # 2 Phillip's screwdriver shoved in his fuuuucking ear and his brain fuuucking scrambled.
Nice quick up and down then side to side action.
Remove
Insert in the fuuuckwads other ear.
Repeat.

All Liberal Socialist Democrat scumballs like him need it also...

Yep......
👍👍👍

Try it both ways just to make sure.

Well, you're a ray of sunshine. Let's make it as painful as possible.

And you need to take video

A 2" then?
Let him bleed out..
Slow....🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Fuuucking pathological liars.
Cant fuuucking stand em.
Crappy Hamster is a fuuucking prime example of one.
Little spic azz welfare anchor baby is what he was.
Mexican fuuucking trash....

Only because I care. I want the best possible outcome so let’s be sure to cover all the bases.

Wife got bit last summer in Colo. On the stomach, while sleeping. Seems like a lot of stomach area bites, I wonder what the reason is? Hers got infected and turned into a little red mound with a deepening hole in the center. Antibiotic killed it but it took a couple weeks.

High Noon, Regarding your stun gun experiment….the way it’s done according to the things I’ve read while researching the efficacy of stun guns for neutralizing venom is attaching wire leads to each probe and placing one lead above and one lead below the bite so as to draw the current through the wound. From there the shocks were administered in a “wagon wheel” layout. Several (6 or 8) shocks are then administered in the circular pattern of a wagon wheel.

It was more than a simple single shock so you might wanna look into it more before subjecting yourself to sadistic torture.

I do wish you the best and I hope you’re dermatologist can fix you up.

We've sure got them here... Hope it works out well High Noon...

I'm surprised I haven't seen more of where people have been bitten...and amazed all the stuff I have to get done around here to maintain my wife's house, that I have not had to experience it...

we're praying for ya Kev...

sadistic torture?

little legtricity ain't never hurt nobody.

Rumor is that venom travels to the scrotal area.

Check out this website:
https://www.badspiderbites.com/spider-bite-treatment/

About 15 years ago I was bit by a brown recluse on my stomach and was referred to this website by a fellow Gun Club member maybe a week before the bite. Bite site was almost black and about 1/16th inch diameter. The surrounding area was turning red fairly quickly and actually was spreading along my veins up to my shoulder then down my arm. I felt "flu-ie", nauseous and fatigued. I did the Dexamethasone treatment as outlined on the website and it worked pretty quickly (for me, anyhow, YMMV).

As it turned out, he was/is the "Gerald" who gives his story in the website text and he had come to see me so I could take a current picture for his Gun Club badge and somehow we got to talking about spider bites. Also, our Club President at the time is married to a Vet and she agreed the small amount of Dex would do no harm to me and if it would work, good for me. Of course, my bite happened on a weekend . . .

High voltage always makes me summon The Lord and Jesus too

Most ‘spider bites’ are Folliculitis from someone not washing they ass with SOAP

Like spiders in Tenn are only biting fuggers that smell like sour milk and cat pee.

Hmmmmm

MickinColo
Thankfully mine was NOTHING like that!

was bitten, stabbed, harpooned on the bicep by something on 10/9/21.
Itched for the afternoon and then pain started and increased until I told my wife we were going to the ER.
Antibiotics, benedryl and who knows what else, and it finally settled down so I could be released.
Swelling and red clear to my hand for several days then just big ugly bruise at the wound site, perfectly round wound and sub q lump about 4" long and 3/8" thick.
Finally down to just a scab by 1/31/22.
A smaller sub q lump still forms and goes away as of today (6/22)

Oh and what AK said!

It's probably Shingles.

Son caught a BR in a glass jar last year, fugger is still alive, no water or food for nine months, Terminators they are...

Pics please.

I got one of these in the console cup holder for snake bites, wasp stings, spider bites and carjacking dimocraps. I heard it works well if you cram in in the perps neck or face and push the "Fry the Sucker" button.

Got stung by a Guinea wasp a few days ago at the lakehouse but I decided it didnt hurt enough to zap the back of my knee.

After my last go round with a BR bite on my leg I would not have hesitated to use it on myself.

God bless and good fortune on your bite.

HN forgets Drs are almost universally against home remedies that threaten their income.

Here we have a perfect opportunity for huge intellectual advancement.

I went to the doc. She and I both agreed that it's probably not a BR bite - mainly b/c it's the 3rd day and it is not as bad as it would be if it was a BR bite and b/c it didn't blister. She said it was very likely a spider bite, but even if they did a biopsy, it wouldn't be definitive as to whether or not it was a BR that bit me.

She prescribed a strong Steroid cream and an antibiotic ointment. Also said I should take an antihistamine twice daily.

I asked her about the stun gun treatment and she was unfamiliar with it. So, I haven't decided if I will tase myself yet - meebe if it gets worse.

Like Ivermectin?

Great post. Thanks.

The comment section has one who used the Ichthammol ung. My brother used it successfully on his BR bite.

I think I will get some for puncture wounds including cactus spines and mesquite thorns that can get inflamed and painful. Sometimes it takes months for the tip of a mesquite thorn to work out.
It might work on bee, fire ant and wasp stings also.

I think I'll get a Sawyer vacuum kit also.

[align:right][/align]
Fo sho bro.

Shallow contusions that are trying to get infected are often relieved with hot water with epepsom salts soaks and its drawing power and antibiotic effect as I'm sure you are aware.

I was just jumping on the chance to you jumping on the chance to preach your bullshit at any opportunity, only I don't feel any guilt in doing it.

Thank you very little.

Wanna make a bet? 😁.

One evening we got a call to a “possible electrocution” way out in the sticks. My rig was first on scene so we made entry to assess the patient. There were 2 males about mid 60’s in age and they were both smaller guys that looked like blue collar workers that spent their free time holding down a barstool, eating whatever microwave food they or the tavern had on hand and not worrying about house keeping since their single wide was “well lived in”. It seems that Einstein #1 had put a frozen burrito in the microwave but after a minute he smelled electrical burning and rather than stop and unplug the microwave for repair he didn’t want to interrupt the gourmet meal from cooking so he jammed a butter knife into whatever spot Einstein #1 thought a butter knife should be jammed in order to stop the electric from frying. As expected Einstein #1 got zapped and couldn’t let go but he was able to speak in tongues. Einstein #2 was able to interpret the mutterings of Einstein #1 and grabbed hold of his buddy to break the hold the electricity had only to get shocked as well. Ultimately it blew out 2 or 3 fingertips on Einstein #1 and caused Einstein #2 to wet himself. We airlifted Einstein #1 since the current went in his right hand and crossed his chest (heart, etc) blowing out the fingertips on his left hand. Einstein’s fingertips didn’t bleed because they were instantly cauterized by the voltage. 😁

99% of "spider bites" are staff infections.

DUDE!

TMI.

we really need a sarcasm font or something, I was just jokin'

I think H N's nekkid on the lawn protocol might be just the ticket. He should be sure to warn the neighbors to bring the chillins in first though.

Sounds like good news.
👍

Are you speaking from experience in that your staff has been bitten or infected? Sounds painful - do tell.

Thanks Aces. I will look into that and now that you mention it, I seem to remember reading something similar in a post here on the fire when it was first discussed some time ago.

Doc said the meds she prescribed should take care of the problem and I should begin to see results in 2 or 3 days. If it gets worse, I will seriously consider the taser treatment. As of now I am feeling no discomfort other than occasional mild itching. I am aware the bite is there but it's currently only a mild nuisance. Thanks again.

Thanks, Otter. Great info. I appreciate the link as well.

Maybe its a tumor!

I hate it when my staff gets infected.

Not funny.

If somebody is getting infected by his/her staff, there's probably a sexual harassment lawsuit over the horizon! Remember- - - -herpes is forever, and possibly monkey pox!

The spider bite is looking better today after application of the medicine.

Probably a good idea to see the Dr anyway. Better safe than sorry.

Thanks to everyone for their recommendations & advice.