My daughter was bitten by a brown recluse about 3 years ago. It looked like a small ant bite at first, with a little white head. She popped it and it became blue, purple and black. We went to a doctor who gave her antibiotics and sent her home. The next day the bite started oozing black stuff before our eyes. We went to see a surgeon who admitted her right away. She had a core removed about 1 inch in diameter and 2 inches deep on the front of leg, right under her knee. She was in the hospital for 7 days on IV antibiotics. Definately nothing to play around with. Published: October 07 ::

My son was bitten on knuckle on his right index finger on Tuesday. There was lots of swelling. By the 2nd day he went to a GP; was given a antibiotic shot and amoxicillin tablets. By the fourth day it was turning purple on knuckle and cellulitus up to his wrist. He went to ER and was given 2 more antibiotics and anti-inflamatory pain med. 5th day swelling down except on his knuckle - still purple too...May try to get him in to see Infectious Disease Dr. Published: October 07 ::

I was bitten by a brown recluse spider in 1973 on my left outside ankle. Five hours later, it began to itch, and later a blister formed. The next day, my ankle and foot turned black, red, green, and blue. The next day, I could not put weight on it, so I went to the doctor. He sent me home to elevate my foot. I got a fever, chills, and threw up. Two days later, I went back to the doctor. He immediately sent me to a surgeon who sent me straight to the hospital. I was there for eight days with my foot elevated and kept wet with a solution. On the eighth day, I was allowed to go home. When I first let my leg hang down from the bed, it hurt much worse than a labor pain. I had a quarter-size hole at my ankle and another down next to my toes. The venom made a trail from the ankle to near the toes. I regularly went to the doctor to examine the holes. I was on crutches for three months. It slowly healed. I had two ulcers at the same spot the spider bit me in 2004 and 2007. Finally in 2007, I had to have my foot reconstructed, and I believe the problems were attributed to the 1973 bite. I am now 78 years old and retired. Published: August 27 ::

I went to the ER to be told I had a boil on my right leg under my knee. The bottom part of my leg is numb, swollen, and the knee is swollen and sore and there is a little open area with some necrosis in the middle. I have tried soaks, antibiotics, epson salts, you name it and tried to keep off it. I was bitten almost 3 weeks ago by something while rehabilitating an old vegetable garden and my leg has gone downhill since. No one knows what it is. There is very little to no puss and there are several openings starting to appear on my affected leg. Just be careful of digging in dirt in SC, you never know what you might get! Published: October 07 ::

I was bitten by a Floridian yellow-spotted fishing spider. Because I was unaware of the venom's strength, I called the 24-hour poison control resource out of New Jersey. The young man identified the animal with me quickly and assured me I would just be mildly sick unless I had a history of allergies. I do. The venom caused pain, tingling, numbness and swelling, as well as vasoconstriction of the immediate area where it bit me. I received a normal epinephrine injection from the local emergency room after two hours of convincing them I was an MS in zoology, and not a long-haired moron. Published: August 28 ::

I was bitten by a recluse spider five years ago. I had high fever, severe body aches, severe headache and chills and a foot that swelled up and was purple. When tested four months later, I was positive for Lyme disease as well. I have been treated three times for a 5-month period with two antibiotics and then four months later the sweats began. I am now looking for an infectious disease specialist. Published: July 14 ::

I was bitten by either a black widow or a brown recluse, and I thought it was a boil, so I tried to self-medicate. I finally ended up in the ER, almost at a dying state. I’ve have boils in the part, so I thought it was a recurrence of the same condition. If I hadn’t driven myself to the ER, I would have died. Published: October 21 ::

A nutritionist at Johons Hopkins Hosp. -Maryland early 1900's, Adelle Davis in her books 1950's, says Vit C in natures antihistamine. True, because with the 2nd Brown Reclus bite I took 30,000 mgs immediately and one more day. Then reduced it to 20,000 for 2 weeks. I had no reaction at all, like the first bite gave me which was severe. With the lst I bandaged vit E oil on it which healed in 2 weeks with no surgery needed. Published: October 07 ::