Tell us where your bite is (arm, leg, nose, whatever)
Right wrist
Why I think it's a spider bite
Found the dead spider.
What happened
Moments after taking out the garbage, my right wrist began to itch and sting and noticed a small blistering red spot just above my latex glove. Later I found a dead black widow on the kitchen counter.
That night I was somewhat nauseous, feverish and had moderate chest pains, by day two the blister was painful, growing, and weeping. On day three I went to the Doctor.
The Doctor, preferring to believe it was a staph infection rather than a bite, treated me with antibiotics and a tetanus shot.
The bite worsened over the next several days, swelling to the size of a golf ball, occasionally draining dark pus and blood from a hard necrotic core.
At two weeks things started to improve and heal.
At two months a barely noticeable scar remained.
Advice
- Over the last two years since the first bite, I have been bitten nine times (I do a lot of gardening). Each bite has seemed to be less severe than the previous. Sometimes I have gone to the doctor and received antibiotics, sometimes not. The antibiotics don't seem to make a difference in healing. Healing time seems to be the same, 2-3 weeks, regardless of the size of the bite.
- Regardless of my history, I strongly advise going to the doctor if there are any chest pains, fever, or spreading pain. I am concerned that in time I may be sensitized to the venom and may be at risk of an allergic reaction.
