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Spider bites?

asymons412

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Mar 25, 2011
Messages
247
I typically don't post much in hangout, but maybe I can benefit from everyone else's experience! :???:

I think I have a spider bite! It's about 24 hours old. Originally I thought it was a mosquito bite, and, well... I must have really scratched it in the middle of the night, because this morning I woke to find an irritated, quarter-sized raised red splotch. There's no central "bump" (it's all pretty uniform), the swelling was responsive to hydrocortisone cream, the size hasn't increased over the past 8 hours-- it just looks the same. I've been keeping it clean with alcohol pads and triple antibiotic. There isn't a continuous itching or burning sensation that I'm aware of; it itches like a mosquito bite, for the most part.

My main concern is that I live in Arizona, where everything and it's relative is poisonous. :-o Does this sound like a typical bug/spider bite, or should I worry that a venemous (eg. brown/recluse) spider somehow got to me? Has anyone ever dealt with this stuff before? I'm clueless and don't want to find out later that I missed obvious signs to seek medical attention. :knockout:

Thanks for reading my weird request! :lol:
 

asymons412

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Mar 25, 2011
Messages
247
Oh, I just realized... perhaps I should move this to Family/Home/Health. Well, I'll leave that up to you guys. 8)
 

movie zombie

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 20, 2005
Messages
11,879
i'm guessing spider bite....i've had a few. if you're concerned, go to a dr. however, it sounds to me like you've got it under control. i also use tea tree oil and/or camphor that comes in a little green bottle....which i also use for bee stings.
 

tyty333

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Dec 17, 2008
Messages
27,198
I would see a doc...I remember watching something on TV (medical show) about someone who thought they had a
spider bite but it ended up being something more serious. I believe on the show they said that a lot of people
thought they had a spider bite at first but really had this other thing that was more serious. I'm so sorry I dont remember
what the more serious thing was and I dont want to scare you but if it does seem like its getting worse, please
get to a doc.

edit - here are some images of spider bites.
http://firstaid.about.com/od/bitesstings/ig/Spider-Bite-Pictures/
 

packrat

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 12, 2008
Messages
10,614
I'd get it checked just to make sure. I had a spider bite last year..I thought it was an ingrown hair or something, showed up suddenly and was big..after putting stuff on it for a week or better I started picking at it b/c it seemed like it was drying out and there was a HOLE inside. Scared the daylights out of me so I showed Dr. at work and she said it was a spider bite that got infected. It took months for it to completely heal and the skin is whiter there now, like a scar kind of. Definitely check it just to be safe!
 

asymons412

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Mar 25, 2011
Messages
247
:errrr: :errrr: :errrr:

Packrat, that is terrifying! Did it just appear to be a regular inflamed patch of skin on the surface? You had no indication?! :-o This is why I need to get out of AZ!
 

TristanC

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jun 6, 2011
Messages
995
It doesnt sound at all like a brown recluse bite. Thank goodness. That would pretty much wreck your month/year.

It sounds like it is stabilized but I would get it looked at by a doctor just to be on the safe side
 

maplefemme

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
May 12, 2011
Messages
874
If it hasn't improved today I'd go see a doctor just to be sure, if it is a recluse bite they'll prescribe antibiotics and get you to take antihistamines (which you could take now) and they'll observe your reaction because the bites vary in damage that they cause and in the first few days it's a wait-and-see period paired with the antibiotics.
I was bit on my leg by a spider last year at work, it had gone up the leg of my scrubs. I reactively killed it which was silly because then I couldn't tell what species it was.
I was treated the same as a recluse bite. It burned almost immediately and only got worse, then blistered, then I had a hole. Now it's just a small scar.
If it's not causing you any discomfort and it's not getting any worse I'd say you'll be just fine, antihistamines will help with most insect bites, it won't hurt for you to take them.
 

packrat

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 12, 2008
Messages
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asymons412|1313203210|2989818 said:
:errrr: :errrr: :errrr:

Packrat, that is terrifying! Did it just appear to be a regular inflamed patch of skin on the surface? You had no indication?! :-o This is why I need to get out of AZ!

I know-freaked the crap out of me. It was on my boob! It started out like a red bump, about the size of a pencil eraser, and I thought it was an ingrown hair..you know how they're kind of like an under the skin zit? So I'd been putting acne medication on it to dry it out until it got to the point I could get the hair out. But it didn't dry out the way a regular zit does..it got crusty, and I was able to get stuff out of it but it still wouldn't heal. I decided to leave it alone for a couple days and then I noticed it was really crusty/flaky so I picked at it, thinking there was a "core" inside but I couldn't get it out..then I realized I was looking at the boob fat under my skin and when I picked all the crust away there was a hole under it. That scared me. I thought for sure I had some sort of skin cancer or it was a sign of breast cancer. I've never had a spider bite before that and I've no clue what kind of spider would do that. They freak me OUT. We have poisonous spiders here but not like in AZ.
 

centralsquare

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 18, 2009
Messages
2,216
packrat|1313248076|2990005 said:
asymons412|1313203210|2989818 said:
:errrr: :errrr: :errrr:

Packrat, that is terrifying! Did it just appear to be a regular inflamed patch of skin on the surface? You had no indication?! :-o This is why I need to get out of AZ!

I know-freaked the crap out of me. It was on my boob! It started out like a red bump, about the size of a pencil eraser, and I thought it was an ingrown hair..you know how they're kind of like an under the skin zit? So I'd been putting acne medication on it to dry it out until it got to the point I could get the hair out. But it didn't dry out the way a regular zit does..it got crusty, and I was able to get stuff out of it but it still wouldn't heal. I decided to leave it alone for a couple days and then I noticed it was really crusty/flaky so I picked at it, thinking there was a "core" inside but I couldn't get it out..then I realized I was looking at the boob fat under my skin and when I picked all the crust away there was a hole under it. That scared me. I thought for sure I had some sort of skin cancer or it was a sign of breast cancer. I've never had a spider bite before that and I've no clue what kind of spider would do that. They freak me OUT. We have poisonous spiders here but not like in AZ.

How did you get a spider bite on your boob?!
 

packrat

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 12, 2008
Messages
10,614
centralsquare|1313248659|2990008 said:
packrat|1313248076|2990005 said:
asymons412|1313203210|2989818 said:
:errrr: :errrr: :errrr:

Packrat, that is terrifying! Did it just appear to be a regular inflamed patch of skin on the surface? You had no indication?! :-o This is why I need to get out of AZ!

I know-freaked the crap out of me. It was on my boob! It started out like a red bump, about the size of a pencil eraser, and I thought it was an ingrown hair..you know how they're kind of like an under the skin zit? So I'd been putting acne medication on it to dry it out until it got to the point I could get the hair out. But it didn't dry out the way a regular zit does..it got crusty, and I was able to get stuff out of it but it still wouldn't heal. I decided to leave it alone for a couple days and then I noticed it was really crusty/flaky so I picked at it, thinking there was a "core" inside but I couldn't get it out..then I realized I was looking at the boob fat under my skin and when I picked all the crust away there was a hole under it. That scared me. I thought for sure I had some sort of skin cancer or it was a sign of breast cancer. I've never had a spider bite before that and I've no clue what kind of spider would do that. They freak me OUT. We have poisonous spiders here but not like in AZ.

How did you get a spider bite on your boob?!

Shit if I know! I asked Dr. about that too and she said it was probably when I was sleeping..and that freaked me out more. Probably rolled over on it or something? Ugh. Gives me the heebie jeebies just thinking about it!
 

centralsquare

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 18, 2009
Messages
2,216
packrat|1313249154|2990012 said:
centralsquare|1313248659|2990008 said:
packrat|1313248076|2990005 said:
asymons412|1313203210|2989818 said:
:errrr: :errrr: :errrr:

Packrat, that is terrifying! Did it just appear to be a regular inflamed patch of skin on the surface? You had no indication?! :-o This is why I need to get out of AZ!

I know-freaked the crap out of me. It was on my boob! It started out like a red bump, about the size of a pencil eraser, and I thought it was an ingrown hair..you know how they're kind of like an under the skin zit? So I'd been putting acne medication on it to dry it out until it got to the point I could get the hair out. But it didn't dry out the way a regular zit does..it got crusty, and I was able to get stuff out of it but it still wouldn't heal. I decided to leave it alone for a couple days and then I noticed it was really crusty/flaky so I picked at it, thinking there was a "core" inside but I couldn't get it out..then I realized I was looking at the boob fat under my skin and when I picked all the crust away there was a hole under it. That scared me. I thought for sure I had some sort of skin cancer or it was a sign of breast cancer. I've never had a spider bite before that and I've no clue what kind of spider would do that. They freak me OUT. We have poisonous spiders here but not like in AZ.

How did you get a spider bite on your boob?!

Shit if I know! I asked Dr. about that too and she said it was probably when I was sleeping..and that freaked me out more. Probably rolled over on it or something? Ugh. Gives me the heebie jeebies just thinking about it!

Oh, I don't even want to know! I'll never sleep now!!
 

galeteia

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
May 9, 2006
Messages
1,794
I had something similar happen, and spent a morning before work googling 'poisonous texas insect bites' and comparing them to what I had. If you haven't done that yet for your state, do it. It will give you peace of mind.

Packrat your story scares the bejesus out of me. :-o
 

marcy

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Feb 27, 2007
Messages
26,275
If it gets worse, hurts, swells or itches I would see a doctor. I had some spider bites that got infected and they got really hard, were red and grew to about the size of a grape. They had to shoot cortisone in then. They hurt and burned quite a bit.
 

Lady_Disdain

Ideal_Rock
Trade
Joined
Jul 25, 2008
Messages
3,988
This thread freaked me out. I am eyeing all spiders suspiciously now, even though there aren't many poisonous ones in my area.
 

Hudson_Hawk

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 2, 2006
Messages
10,541
I've had all sorts of insect bites and to be honest, that doesn't sound like a spider bite to me. I've reacted badly to mosquito, no-see-em and black fly bites before, and within 24 hours of getting bitten the bites swell and spread out a bit and don't look anything like what they should look like. They get warm to the touch and itch/hurt. After the histamines diminish and the swelling recedes they just look like regular bug bites. I would still have a doctor check it out since you've never reacted this way, I just wanted to let you know that it is possible for a regular bite to manifest differently on occasion. Also, if it was a venomous spider I think you'd know because they behave differently than your average run of the mill spider bite.
 

partgypsy

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Nov 7, 2004
Messages
6,622
What it also may be is a staph infection (MSRA). It's actually more likely that than a spider bite. The only way to tell is to have it tested. Most likely they will put you on antibiotics for it.

I have been hearing from other people that bites (from all types of biting insects) are bad this summer, both in the number of them and also people's reaction to them. Maybe it's the heat and humidity.

The one time I (think) got a spider bite it was definitely something different. first it looked like a mosquito bite but was a burning pain rather than itching. A hard lump developed under the skin which took a couple weeks to finally go away. Then there was a little divot in the skin where it used to be, which has since filled in.
 

asymons412

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Mar 25, 2011
Messages
247
Thanks for all of the helpful information! The swelling/redness is slowly dissipating and the bite hasn't been itchy or painful, so I'm thinking that you might have been right, Hudson. I had another bite a day or two afterwards which was most certainly a mosquito, and it actually behaved similarly... maybe the bites are just a little worse this season, who knows.
 

centralsquare

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 18, 2009
Messages
2,216
Could you be allergic to mosquitos? Every once in a while I have a mosquito bite that gets just huuuuuggge! Others are OK but every once in a while I get a big one. Anyway, someone said that I could be allergic and only certain bites result in the reaction. Not sure that it's true...just a thought.
 
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