Possible Spider Bite? L. reclusa?

[becca81]

Sometime on Saturday night I was bitten by something on the back of my neck. I didn't see what it was, but after two days, the bite itself is looking very similar to a confirmed "brown recluse" bite that I had almost 10 years ago.

The area around the bite is swollen and now brownish/blue. My entire neck hurts to even turn/move. I live in the southeast US (North GA to be exact). Does anyone else know of any spider and/or insect native to this area that could cause such a bite?

 

[Venom]

That does sound very much like a recluse bite. Georgia is definitely a place you could expect to find L.reclusa. If it was a recluse, it probably got you while sleeping, or if you wrapped a towel around your neck after a shower, as these spiders often get wrapped up in clothing, sheets and the like. ALWAYS shake these out after they have been sitting, especially if they have been laying out overnight. If I were you, I would have your bite looked at by a doctor immediately. Necks are a bad place to have necrosis... It could just be a bruise or something other than a loxo bite, but if it is, you certainly don't want it to progress.

 

[ilovebugs]

well, it deffinately something to consider. Living in a neighboring state and being in an infested house. (earlier this year) it could be.

did you feel the bite? or did you just wake up with it?
search around the area, maybe its still around.

I wish I could say perhaps a wolf spider or something, but the effects for those don't usually last longer than a few hours.(I've been bitten by a wolf spider twice)

play it safe, see a doctor if you think it's serious.

keep us updated.

 

[becca81]

as these spiders often get wrapped up in clothing, sheets and the like. ALWAYS shake these out after they have been sitting, especially if they have been laying out overnight.

I just changed our bed linens the day before I got bitten and the new sheets and such that I used had been sitting in our trunk for a month or two.

My neck wasn't as stiff this afternoon so I didn't go to the doctor, but I've kept a bandage over the bite all day and it's been draining fluid and still swollen. The darkness hasn't spread in diameter, so I'm hoping that it won't get any worse.

 

[PhormictopusMan]

Wow, I'm sorry to hear about the bite. Not sure about Georgia, but pretty common throughout the US is the Gnaphosid "Yellow Sac Spider," which is responsible for many suspected Recluse bites. It can produce a similar though less severe necrotic effect caused by bacteria on its fangs. The bites are painful and turn to sores but they usually disappear in a couple of days I believe. In California a lot of authorities are starting to reconsider diagnosed Recluse bites as actually coming from this particular spider. The amount of diagnoses (misdiagnoses) far surpasses any sort of statistical validation, when considering the low distribution of Loxosceles in this state. Im not sure if this is your spider but its something to look into.

I hope you feel better soon,

--Chris

 

[Ewok]

hmmm. I think i would still see a doctor,having a bite on the back of the neck seems like a bad place as the venom could travel up into the lower part of your brain and cause infection or something

 

[ilovebugs]

Hey Becca,

I was just curious to know how you are doing. is the bite going away? I hope so.


take care.

 

[Sheri]

Did you have any pics of the bite taken? Love to see them.

 

[cacoseraph]

Sometime on Saturday night I was bitten by something on the back of my neck. I didn't see what it was, but after two days, the bite itself is looking very similar to a confirmed "brown recluse" bite that I had almost 10 years ago.

The area around the bite is swollen and now brownish/blue. My entire neck hurts to even turn/move. I live in the southeast US (North GA to be exact). Does anyone else know of any spider and/or insect native to this area that could cause such a bite?

how do you know you were bitten by something? most often tissue eaters are bacteria or fungus or something else... not a spider bite.

heck, i read somewhere it is more likely to be poop under your nails giving you an infection, rather than recluse damage =P

this definitely sounds like ones to ask the doctors about

forget them if they positively confirm it as a recluse bite just by looking at it though

 

[becca81]

how do you know you were bitten by something? most often tissue eaters are bacteria or fungus or something else... not a spider bite.

heck, i read somewhere it is more likely to be poop under your nails giving you an infection, rather than recluse damage =P

this definitely sounds like ones to ask the doctors about

forget them if they positively confirm it as a recluse bite just by looking at it though

Good point.

Since I didnt' see what happened, I can't say 100% that something bit me. However, I do know that when I went to sleep on Saturday night there was nothing on my neck and when I woke up on Sunday morning there was a big, swollen area that looked like a bug bite of some type.

My first bite was a confirmed L. reclusa bite - the spider was captured that bit me and sent somewhere for postive ID.

The "bite" is looking better, although still swollen a little sore. I do have one picture, which I'll eventually get on the computer and post.

 

[Jaygnar]

That sucks. Hope your neck gets better soon. I've seen two recluse bites in person and one was not such a big deal. It did'nt get much worse than a quarter-sized volcano looking sore on the guy's thigh. That guy was 27 and in good shape. The other was on an 11 year old girl and envolved a skin graft. She's okay now. Good luck on your recovery. You're in my prayers, like it or not.

 

[becca81]

Just an update - the area is looking much better and seems to be clearing up.

I only took one photo of the bite - this was after it started looking a little bit better (about 2 days after the bite, I think).

 

[PhormictopusMan]

Ouch! Well I'm glad things are getting better.

--Chris

 

[JPD]

Hey Becca.
By any chance, had you been hiking or camping prior to the bite? Just exploring the possibility of a tick bite.
Hope you are feeling better!

 

[becca81]

Hey Becca.
By any chance, had you been hiking or camping prior to the bite? Just exploring the possibility of a tick bite.
Hope you are feeling better!

Nope - neither one.

Since it has looked better, I guess I can assume that it probably wasn't L. reclusa, but I'll probably also never know exactly what it was.

The photo was taken after it had "drained" for an entire day and kept with some OTC stuff on it.

 

[Jmadson13]

wow, that's definitely a harsh bite. I'm happy to hear that it's receding though.

 

[Jaygnar]

Glad to hear you're doing better Becca.

 

[syndicate]

yeah that looks pretty narly.good to hear its healin up tho!

 

[becca81]

Just an update - it's been about 2.5 weeks since I was bitten and the area, while still noticeable, looks better. The diameter of the brownish-area seems to be slightly larger, but that's all.

 

[stubby8th]

Becca -
Looks like a recluse bite to me.
Listen, pack the area in epsom salts. Family friends of ours have a young son who was bitten . . . a week later, looked just like your bite. They treated with epsom salts, which drew a lot of the venom out and stopped the progression of the 'bulls-eye'.