Any Experts on Spider Bites ?

blunomore

blunomore

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My better half was bitten by a spider about 5 weeks ago in the Limpopo province. It happened during the night while he was asleep and he never saw the spider, so it is unfotunately not possible to ID the offender!

The only real symptoms was itching of the bite marks.

He went to the doctor about a week later because the bite marks (more than one) seemed to become larger instead of disappearing.

She asked him if he had experienced any fever or headaches after the incident (which he hasn't).

She then prescribed 2 different creams to apply to the bite marks and also prescribed anti-biotics which he had to take if he experienced the other symptoms (fever or headaches).

Those symptoms (fever and severe headaches) have now appeared, after about 5 weeks. I got him the anti-biotics today and if he has not improved by tomorrow, we'll go back to the GP.

Are these common side-effects for spider bites, or is this indicative of a particular spider ?

Thanks
 
copacetic said:
I've never heard of a bite that makes a person sick after 5 weeks. Can spider bites transmit parasites?
Click to expand...

It also seems to me to be a very long period. It may be unrelated - just a flu/influenza or something else - but since he was bitten, we are obviously keeping it in mind as a distinct possibility.
 
Trust the GP

Don't depend on Internet sources for ANY medical diagnosis - just stupid IMO.

A speedy recovery is wished upon your better half :)
 
blunomore said:
My better half was bitten by a spider about 5 weeks ago in the Limpopo province. It happened during the night while he was asleep and he never saw the spider, so it is unfotunately not possible to ID the offender!

The only real symptoms was itching of the bite marks.

He went to the doctor about a week later because the bite marks (more than one) seemed to become larger instead of disappearing.

She asked him if he had experienced any fever or headaches after the incident (which he hasn't).

She then prescribed 2 different creams to apply to the bite marks and also prescribed anti-biotics which he had to take if he experienced the other symptoms (fever or headaches).

Those symptoms (fever and severe headaches) have now appeared, after about 5 weeks. I got him the anti-biotics today and if he has not improved by tomorrow, we'll go back to the GP.

Are these common side-effects for spider bites, or is this indicative of a particular spider ?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Spider bites normally manifest themselves quicker than the time period mentioned.

Initial rash around bites, plus time period to fever and headaches, could be symptomatic of tick bite fever.
While some people develop the symptoms quite rapidly others can develop symptoms weeks later.
 
@OP

A brown recluse spider has cytotoxic and hemolytic as opposed to neurotoxins which have short-term effects on the CNS. So it could be hemolysis as a result of the bite, but only your GP can confirm that. From personal opinion, I don't think the symptoms are linked to the bite judging from the time delay. However, as blueghost said, internet advice = world of trouble, thus rendering this post useless.
 
Nanfeishen said:
Spider bites normally manifest themselves quicker than the time period mentioned.

Initial rash around bites, plus time period to fever and headaches, could be symptomatic of tick bite fever.
While some people develop the symptoms quite rapidly others can develop symptoms weeks later.
Click to expand...

We're seeing the GP later this afternoon, will ask her about tick bite fever. It is a distinct possibility.
 
Yea as Nanfeishen mentions there, maybe don't assume it was a spider....tick-fever [bosluis-koors] is more likely to only manifest this late....

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/ticks/page2_em.htm
The actual bite may cause symptoms only after the tick drops off. You may notice local redness, itching, burning, and rarely, localized intense pain (soft ticks). The results of the illnesses transmitted by ticks often begin days to weeks after the tick is gone. That's why doctors may not suspect a tick-related illness. The most important clue about any tick-related illness is to tell the physician about a tick bite. Also, tell your physician if you have been outdoors (camping, hiking, etc.) in tick-infested areas even if you do not remember a tick bite.
Click to expand...
 
Sorry not trying to scare you or anything but if thats a violin spider bite your wife is in serious danger it starts of as a irritation on the skin then forms something almost like a boil on the bitten area. GP's normally confuse them with tick bites which if not treated properly can kill you. I know this because my uncle 32 years of age strong as a ox did Karate and Taebo was bitten by 1 the doctor miss diagnosed it as a tick bite. 6 weeks later he got a blood clot in the lung charged to hospital that evening got a 10cm blood clot through the heart killed him all the doctor had to give him was so aspirin to dissolve the blood clots.
 
Last edited:
BrianStephan said:
Sorry not trying to scare you or anything but if thats a violin spider bite your wife is in serious danger it starts of as a irritation on the skin then forms something almost like a boil on the bitten area. GP's normally confuse them with tick bites which if not treated properly can kill you. I know this because my uncle 32 years of age strong as a ox did Karate and Taebo was bitten by 1 the doctor miss diagnosed it as a tick bite. 6 weeks later he got a blood clot in the lung charged to hospital that evening got a 10cm blood clot through the heart killed him all the doctor had to give him was so aspirin to dissolve the blood clots.
Click to expand...

sorry to hear about your loss - condolences.
 
Murdoc said:
Those pics are indeed real, that man left the bite untreated and it was well documented
What i dont get is that the brown recluse(violin spider) is indigenous to America and now apparently they are found in CT
O god save us all :cry:
Click to expand...

The guy himself is on record saying he is not sure it's a brown recluse bite as far as I know. Might is not the same as is.

If real though, that's some scary venom it's got.
 
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