dangerous bite report. Latrodectus hesperus [black widow]

[DreadedNeith]

I just thought i would share a story about when i was bitten by a Latrodectus hesperus female [black widow] and maybe others can post their experiences with dangerous arachnid bites/stings.

I was 17 or 18 and living on my own (im 33 now). I had just gotten out of the shower and reached for a towel off of the towel rack. I then proceed to dry off my face when i felt a slight stinging and i knew i had been bit by something.
I shook the towel out and there on the floor was a female black widow (strange place for a widow) that i had accidentally smashed. I looked in the mirror and on the left side of my face near my temple was a small red mark.
I was quite worried at this point but decided not to go to the hospital. instead i decided to sit down and watch tv to get my anxiety level to go down (very stupid decision i know). After a few minutes i started to sweat (not sure if this was the venom or anxiety) and the bite mark was looking very red and irritated. As time went on i had a range of symptoms. My blood pressure was very high (i usually have low blood pressure 100-110/70-80) around 180-190/110. I was sweating very bad, i was extremely sick to my stomach and had some cramping but the nausea was worse than the cramping. I also had a headache, although it wasnt the worst headache id ever had. The worst symptoms were the achy bones and muscles and the nausea. The bite mark was also starting to bruis quite a lot and swell a little. The bite mark was very tender and it also burned pretty bad. Anyways i felt pretty horrible for about a week or 2 and then it went back to normal. The worst time period was from about 30 minutes after the bite up to about the 6 hour mark. Id describe that as peak discomfort and after that i was still very sick but it eventually went away and i havent noticed any lasting effects. Not even a scar.
if anyone else wants to share a bite or sting story, that would be interesting to read.

 

[MassExodus]

I've read a whole lot about Latrodectus venom and bites, and seen a few in the ER. You were fortunate. Some folks go through agony, with massive pain and cramping in the abdomen and back. I'm rather rash in my behavior sometimes, but I'd definitely go to the ER for a widow bite. Just in case.

 

[Arachnoclown]

It sucks you had to provoke that widow to bite you by rubbing your face on it....

 

[DreadedNeith]

I've read a whole lot about Latrodectus venom and bites, and seen a few in the ER. You were fortunate. Some folks go through agony, with massive pain and cramping in the abdomen and back. I'm rather rash in my behavior sometimes, but I'd definitely go to the ER for a widow bite. Just in case.

Yeah. i mean, dont get me wrong. I was in agony and the cramping did suck but i found the nausea to be worse. I probably should have gone to the hospital but i was young and dumb. Im 33 now and if it happened again i would definitely go to the er.

 

[DreadedNeith]

It sucks you had to provoke that widow to bite you by rubbing your face on it....

I know. It was an asshole thing for me to do. she was just minding her business when i decidedd i should pet her with my face. Till this day i check my towel when i get out of the shower.

 

[MassExodus]

I know. It was an asshole thing for me to do. she was just minding her business when i decidedd i should pet her with my face. Till this day i check my towel when i get out of the shower.

I do too, lol. Scorpions and wolf spiders sometimes end up in my bathroom, along with a few recluses. Wouldn't want to pet them with my face

 

[DreadedNeith]

I do too, lol. Scorpions and wolf spiders sometimes end up in my bathroom, along with a few recluses. Wouldn't want to pet them with my face

You are correct. Do not pet spiders with your face. They dont like it very much. Ive never taken a recluse bite but i have touched them on accident while splitting wood. Luckily i was wearing thick gloves. A bite from a recluse and i would definitely go to the hospital. Scorpions are no joke either, or so im told.

 

[MassExodus]

You are correct. Do not pet spiders with your face. They dont like it very much. Ive never taken a recluse bite but i have touched them on accident while splitting wood. Luckily i was wearing thick gloves. A bite from a recluse and i would definitely go to the hospital. Scorpions are no joke either, or so im told.

Depends on the scorp, and more particularly your reaction. Our local buthids are potent(Centroides vittatus), but only medically significant if you're allergic. I myself have been stung by them several times. Pain at the site, burning as it works in, decreasing pain and burning and maybe numb lips as the venom subsides, it depends on the volume of venom delivered. Every sting was an accident, caused by me crushing them by mistake, not knowing they were there. When the occasional scorp comes in my house I run it onto my hand and put it outside. Buthids are one of the most dangerous scorpion families known. The sp, and your particular reaction to it, makes all the difference.
I saw a guy on this forum that had major swelling and pain at the site of a Hadogenes troglodite sting. That genus of scorps has a reputation for VERY weak venom...when introduced to a human being. Yet this man's hand was swollen and purpling. Scorpion venom has plenty of peptides, which induce allergic reactions in humans. Unlike every tarantula venom ever tested. Scorps should never be handled lightly. You just never know..for instance, there are several species of buthid that kill certain people, but others just suffer moderate to severe pain or discomfort from their sting. You may get a person who suffered mild pain, or a mild infection from a Latrodectus bite, or at the opposite end of the spectrum, a person may die, either from the toxic bite, or the antivenin(rare).
I keep my tarantulas in my room. IF, IF I decided to keep venomous true spiders, or highly dangerous sp of scorpion, they would be in a seperate, secure building nowhere near my house, or the people and pets I care about. They aren't to be taken lightly. Sorry for the rant, needed to be said. I pray I'll never know what havok a dangerous scorp or true spider can do to a human being. I've read some baaaad stories...

 

[Arachnoclown]

If you ever need one to cuddle with in the future I have a few...

 

[DreadedNeith]

Depends on the scorp, and more particularly your reaction. Our local buthids are potent(Centroides vittatus), but only medically significant if you're allergic. I myself have been stung by them several times. Pain at the site, burning as it works in, decreasing pain and burning and maybe numb lips as the venom subsides, it depends on the volume of venom delivered. Every sting was an accident, caused by me crushing them by mistake, not knowing they were there. When the occasional scorp comes in my house I run it onto my hand and put it outside. Buthids are one of the most dangerous scorpion families known. The sp, and your particular reaction to it, makes all the difference.
I saw a guy on this forum that had major swelling and pain at the site of a Hadogenes troglodite sting. That genus of scorps has a reputation for VERY weak venom...when introduced to a human being. Yet this man's hand was swollen and purpling. Scorpion venom has plenty of peptides, which induce allergic reactions in humans. Unlike every tarantula venom ever tested. Scorps should never be handled lightly. You just never know..for instance, there are several species of buthid that kill certain people, but others just suffer moderate to severe pain or discomfort from their sting. You may get a person who suffered mild pain, or a mild infection from a Latrodectus bite, or at the opposite end of the spectrum, a person may die, either from the toxic bite, or the antivenin(rare).
I keep my tarantulas in my room. IF, IF I decided to keep venomous true spiders, or highly dangerous sp of scorpion, they would be in a seperate, secure building nowhere near my house, or the people and pets I care about. They aren't to be taken lightly. Sorry for the rant, needed to be said. I pray I'll never know what havok a dangerous scorp or true spider can do to a human being. I've read some baaaad stories...

I never knew that about scorp venom. I have heard people say that either you cant have an allergic reaction to T venom or it is very unlikely. Ive never even thought about that with scorpions. I just figured tgere were scorps that were very venomous, not venomous, or mildly venomous. Its very interesting. As much as id like to keep some more venomous arachnids, i just dont trust myself. One mistake could be very bad and people arent perfect. That and i dont have a secure place to keep such dangerous species away from the family. I have wanted a 6 eyed sand spider for a while but the risk just isnt worth it to me. Thanks for the information.

 

[DreadedNeith]

As beautiful as that specimen is, my widow cuddling days are over.... Or so i hope...
oh and congrats on being a father of a bunch of deadly babies lol. Id be too creeped out to have that many widows running around. Is that a wild caught that was pregnant or did you breed her Purposely? Are you selling the babies or keeping them?

 

[Casey K.]

Not sure how true this is but I've heard that if you are bitten by a widow and require antivenin that you can only receive it once in your lifetime and that if you get bitten again by another widow and go to the ER that you're just SOL....is this true? If so, why?

 

[DreadedNeith]

Not sure how true this is but I've heard that if you are bitten by a widow and require antivenin that you can only receive it once in your lifetime and that if you get bitten again by another widow and go to the ER that you're just SOL....is this true? If so, why?

Ive heard thjs same thing. Not sure if its true or not but that was part of the reason i didnt go to the er when i was bit.

 

[MassExodus]

Not sure how true this is but I've heard that if you are bitten by a widow and require antivenin that you can only receive it once in your lifetime and that if you get bitten again by another widow and go to the ER that you're just SOL....is this true? If so, why?

Never heard that before..I do know that healthy adults are sometimes not even considered for antivenin treatment, that they use pain meds and muscle relaxers to treat them( depends on the doc, and the severety, I guess). I saw a little boy suffer pretty bad from a bite before they got the antivenin in him. He was doubled over and screaming at a few points during his visit. Apparently the cramps are no joke. Depending on your reaction, of course. I felt bad for him. His shoulder had a big dark bruise where the bite was..about the size of a golf ball. The antivenin sorted him out though. He still got airlifted to a pediatric hospital. The variance in peoples reaction to different venoms is kind of scary, if you think about it. Either a slight rash...orrrrr DIE!! Crazy.

 

[DreadedNeith]

Ive heard thjs same thing. Not sure if its true or not but that was part of the reason i didnt go to the er when i was bit.

Ok i did some searching and i think i figured out the answer to this.
antivenom is made by injecting small quantities of the venom into an animal the animals body will then produce antibodies. Doctors can give you the antivenom more then once but they don't like to because when you are given antivenom your body thinks it has been bitten twice (once by the spider, snake,..., and once by the antivenom) your body reacts by producing its own antibodies . Next time you are given antivenom your body is more likely to try and fight the antivenom causing an allergic reaction. Not sure how true this is or how much of a risk it is but it kinda makes sense.

 

[Dave Jay]

A friend of mine was bitten by a RedBack Spider unpacking chairs setting up for a gig. His son saw it fall out the back of his shirt so he knew what had bitten him. He went to the local hospital, got an antivenom shot and was back before we started playing, the whole thing took about 20mins. He said the bite hurt like hell but that was all the symptoms he had. The fact that he had antivenom within 10 mins of the bite made all the difference I think.

 

[MassExodus]

Its a shame really, I've always liked the look of widows. Especially the red ones. Look, this wolf spider thinks hes hiding

Biggest one I've seen out here, he's got a three inch legspan, maybe a little more. Off topic, sorry, just sharing the natural splendor.

 

[DreadedNeith]

A friend of mine was bitten by a RedBack Spider unpacking chairs setting up for a gig. His son saw it fall out the back of his shirt so he knew what had bitten him. He went to the local hospital, got an antivenom shot and was back before we started playing, the whole thing took about 20mins. He said the bite hurt like hell but that was all the symptoms he had. The fact that he had antivenom within 10 mins of the bite made all the difference I think.

Yeah i would imagine the antivenom helps quite a bit. My widow bite didnt actually hurt all that bad (the actual bite). What hurt me was the effects of the venom. Its interesting. Your friends bite hurt and mine didnt. I wonder why. Im not super amune to pain or anything. I have a hight tolerance to it but im by no meand involnerable to pain. The time i was stung by a honey bee hurt worse then the actual black widow bite. The venome on the other hand was horrible.

 

[DreadedNeith]

Its a shame really, I've always liked the look of widows. Especially the red ones. Look, this wolf spider thinks hes hiding
View attachment 31363
Biggest one I've seen out here, he's got a three inch legspan, maybe a little more. Off topic, sorry, just sharing the natural splendor.

Yeah they are very beautiful spiders. I also love the red ones. They remind me of the spider that spiderman was bitten by. That wolf spider is big. Where do you live? We used to get them when i lived up in Lake Tahoe Nevada (on the boarder of cali) but i think the biggest i ever saw was maybe 2 inch leg span.

 

[Whitelightning777]

This is probably not the way to rehouse black widows.

Of course, this isn't a black widow but....