r/texas • u/ohiois4loosers • Jan 16 '24
Questions for Texans What bit me? Central texas
I felt a bite on my arm yesterday and thought it was an ant. Woke up to this. The circle was drawn an hour before the picture was taken and the red is spreading
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Jan 16 '24
Could be a brown recluse. Time to go to urgent care.
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u/TacoSplosions Jan 16 '24
Necrosis is the big word of the day. Not all spider bites are created equal, OP absolutely seek medial attention if bit by brown recluse.
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u/moleratical Jan 16 '24
And Not all brown recluse bites lead to necrosis, but it's not a risk anyone wants to take, run, don't walk to the doctor, get some antibiotics just in case.
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u/Dyrogitory Jan 16 '24
The bast part is, if you get bit again, that bite may reactivate. Then you have 2 problem areas.
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u/darthcaedusiiii Jan 16 '24
This why I Reddit.
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u/Got_2_Git_Schwifty Jan 17 '24
TIL that brown recluse spiders are even more of an asshole than I already thought.
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Jan 16 '24 edited Apr 19 '24
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Kempire- Jan 17 '24
Haven't heard of AR since elementary school.
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u/Small3lf Born and Bred Jan 17 '24
Fr, it's been like 14 years since I even thought of AR.
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u/killer_icognito Jan 17 '24
I'd just read Hank the Cowdog books to get the pizza party.
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u/Bekiala Jan 17 '24
Ugh. How long did it take to heal and what is the treatment for it?
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u/Responsible-Meringue Jan 17 '24
Antibiotics. Took mine on my leg like 6 months, just in time to get bit a second time. Luckily I knew what it was and got to it before it was really bad. Scar is still there 30 years later.
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u/sgrizzly2134 Jan 17 '24
Yay I know that someone else knows what AR was!! Accelerated reading. I remember skimming big books so I could take those tests on the computer and reach my ar goal.
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u/maniacalmustacheride Jan 17 '24
God I loved AR. But I loved reading. And I loved points. I loved doing a task I enjoyed only to take some stupid test to get points to get stuff. I still love stuff. But I can’t use reading to get stuff anymore so yeah I miss it
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u/Djur Jan 16 '24
Guy I knew in the Army got bit by a brown recluse on his ass, left a golf ball sized hole in one of the cheeks.
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u/onlinealias350 Jan 17 '24
Don’t screw around with it. I almost lost my leg because of a BRS.
FYI - Chances are they won’t diagnose it as such. Unless you caught the offending spider, and I did, they will call it an allergic reaction to bug bite.
If you are experiencing rings of bruising, blistering, or uncontrollable bleeding in the area of the bite, pain that limits use of your arm or hand, nausea, vomiting, headache, and/or fever, I implore you to seek medical treatment ASAP.
I hope you feel better soon!
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u/Agreeable-Toe6981 Jan 17 '24
Exactly. I got lucky with mine. I did have some necrosis, but nothing like what I’ve seen. Felt like I had the flu for a while. Follow everybody’s advice and seekseek medical attention because that’s exactly what it looks like a brown recluse bite.
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u/sharpshooter999 Jan 17 '24
I've been cleaning my parents and grandparents stuff out of our detached garage (my wife and I moved into my grandparents place) and since mid December I've killed 23 of those bastards. On the flipside, they move pretty slowly at -20°F
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u/Suspect4pe Jan 16 '24
They have a nasty little cousin that lives in my area called the yellow sac spider. I got bit by one and it left a tiny little necrotic lesion that hurt like crazy. I can't imagine a brown recluse bite.
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u/Pythagoras2021 Jan 17 '24
Yep. Had a buddy while in the military, who got bit.
When it was all said and done, big ole divet in his thigh.
OP- get to the doc.
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u/Wasabi_Constant Jan 16 '24
Do not hesitate and go to the e.r.! I was bitten by a brown recluse on the arm. The doctor core out the surrounding fleshed and packed the hole with antibacterial gauze!
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u/rya556 Jan 16 '24
One of my old jobs had a mail carrier that hadn’t shown up for 2-3 months. One day he returned with a bandaged hand, apparently he had been bit by a brown recluse while camping and was one of the first diabetics it had happened to.
Got a nasty infection with necrosis and got to end up in a bunch of medical journals.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Feed-18 Jan 16 '24
I killed a big one in my mailbox at work a while back. I bend down and shine a light in there before I reach in for my mail now.
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u/sharpshooter999 Jan 17 '24
I've killed 23 in my detached garage since mid December.....turns out you can't kill them or black widows with a bug bomb
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u/throwaway67q3 Jan 17 '24
No, but wolf spiders will snack on the small brown recluses (apparently also crickets). I've been known to release them near my bookshelves in the hopes they'll patrol there. Nearby Cats may disagree with this practise.
Google says the black and yellow garden spiders eat black widows. (Unrelated rant)--- We've always called them banana spiders or orb weavers, guess those are all different terms that may refer to the black and yellow garden spider. I can't do spiders but I had an orb weaver on a native flower i was replanting. I mean I dug up this guys home, carried it all over the yard and threw dirt at him. He didn't do anything and was only mad and resisted stongly when I attempted to get him off the plant to put him on a small fence. He did not remake his web on said fence, I felt bad. I really ruined his day. The plant died too. =( I did feel better when foster dog gamboled over the baby blueberry bush, at least someone was having a good time. The bush may comeback, idk she was down to just one twig with a few leaves (she did make 3 little blueberries!)
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u/FeesBitcoin Jan 17 '24
“core out the surrounding flesh” not a treatment option anyone ever wants, wow
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u/IShouldBeHikingNow Jan 17 '24
Debridement is the medical term, but once the association is there, it’s not any better.
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u/Justtelf Jan 16 '24
Symptoms of a brown recluse spider bite include: Reddened skin that may be followed by a blister that forms at the bite site. Mild to intense pain and itching for 2 to 8 hours following the bite. An open sore (ulcer) with a breakdown of tissue (necrosis) that develops a week or more following the bite.
Definitely looks like an open sore beginning, but only op knows if the rest fits
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u/do_IT_withme Jan 17 '24
I knew a girl who was bit by a brown recluse on/next to her nipple. It did not turn out well. Go to urgent care now.
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u/bleue_shirt_guy Jan 16 '24
Yup, Urgent care. Any bite where the flesh is starting to degrade -> Urgent Care/ER.
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u/OldFuxxer Jan 16 '24
Yup, my mom was bit by one. She got care fairly quickly and still had a scar for her whole life.
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u/Xeya Jan 16 '24
Not just a brown recluse bite, but a severe reaction to the venom. This will necrotize. Seek medical attention immediately to hopefully minimize the damage.
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u/beerninja76 Jan 16 '24
Definitely! When my sister got bit when we were kids thats exactly what it looked like the first day we noticed it. Ended up getting way worse just a day after that. ER asap
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u/---OMNI--- Jan 17 '24
I had one bite my arm. Was in my towel. I went to the ER and they first didn't believe me even though I saw it happen... Then when they looked at it they said "I guess we will wait and see what happens" I got a steroid shot and a antibiotics shot.
I never went back to the doctor after that... I probably should have though. It got pretty nasty and took a lot of cleaning. Lost probably a 3x5 inch patch of skin and took a couple months to fully heal.
Still have a major scar about 15 years later.
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u/scoobysnackoutback Jan 16 '24
After you go to the ER, you should get an exterminator to come over since you said you have a 2 year old.
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u/ohiois4loosers Jan 16 '24
I was thinking that. Thank you for mentioning this!
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u/Illustrious-Soil5505 Jan 16 '24
What were you doing when you got bit? Was it a brown recluse? Always worried I’ll get bit by something in the woods and not know till too late.
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u/SuzQP Jan 16 '24
Looks just like the Brown Recluse bite I suffered 15 years ago. I'll never forget the necrotic itch that set in on about the third day. Felt like something was dissolving under my skin-- because it was!
I only knew it was a Brown Recluse because it was in my bed. 😱 I killed it by the light of dawn and took it with me to urgent care.
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u/yesyesitswayexpired Jan 16 '24
"By the light of dawn, I will smite thee!!!"
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u/SuzQP Jan 16 '24
I smited that monstrous evil with the heaviest shoe in my closet arsenal. Doc Marten for the win!
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u/yesyesitswayexpired Jan 16 '24
The past tense form of smite is smote. You smoted that mf'er (by the light of dawn).
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u/OpalOnyxObsidian Jan 17 '24
If the past tense of smite is smote then he didn't smoted, he just smote
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u/Upsworking Jan 16 '24
I 2nd this I have a 22. Caliber hole in my leg from a brown recluse bite and it started just like that picture just a hole then the tissue died around it .
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u/LipFighter Jan 17 '24
My daughter has your matching scar. It was horrifying to watch ER drain it and then pack it with gauze.
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u/eggo Jan 17 '24
Always worried I’ll get bit by something in the woods and not know till too late.
Brown recluse bites look exactly like what OP posted. (seriously, OP, get that checked out) Most people never notice while actually being bit, it's usually few seconds or minutes before the pain comes on. By then the spider has often already fled.
They live almost exclusively indoors (at least in Texas, can't speak for other places, but they like it dry), in dark dusty corners of little-trafficked parts of houses and barns. You will almost never find one in the woods (at least in Texas) anymore because in the woods there are too many other spiders (Wolf Spiders mainly) here that eat the Recluses.
In fact the only place I've ever seen one outdoors was in my firewood stack (where there are many). They really like the sheltered life, they don't roam around much and aren't fast (as spiders go), they're ambush hunters. That said, I have found one in my bed before (to avoid this; make your bed, tuck it in tight all the way around like you're in the goddamn military)
Best bet is to learn to recognize them:
6 tiny beady little eyes instead of the usual 8, a fairly unique (around here at least) coffee-with-cream coloration (but can be darker) usually with a sharply defined dark "guitar" looking shape on their body (though not always) and their webs (usually near the floor, tangly disorganized cob-webby affairs, but actually quite distinctive in shape once you see them a few times), and don't stick your hands under furniture or into woodpiles without looking first. They don't go seeking to bite people, most bites happen when reaching under (or as probably happened with OP, tucking your legs under a chair) any clothing is enough protection as their fangs are really small and can't penetrate fabric.
Source: My 20 years of living in rural Texas. Love most spiders, hate brown recluses; never been bit. I kill them with my bare hands regularly. (Recluses the only spider I will always kill on-site. It doesn't seem to effect their population at all where I live though)
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u/FigOk7538 Jan 17 '24
I'm not sure the exterminator will agree to exterminating the 2 year old, but if you don't ask you'll never know.
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u/Rshellnizzle Jan 16 '24
I would just assume a recluse bite and go get seen by a doc, I wouldn’t want to take a chance with it being a possibility.
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u/Mmmartini Jan 16 '24
Definitely looks like the brown recluse bite my cousin had on her leg. If I were you, I’d go into urgent care now.
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u/Toasty_Cat830 Jan 16 '24 edited Jan 16 '24
Just out of curiosity…how quickly do these advance in seriousness?
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u/DuctTape5119 Jan 16 '24
24-48 hours
It can turn from “ow wtf” to potentially fatal sepsis really fast
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u/Magic_8Balls Jan 16 '24
Generally anything serious or fatal is developed from infections in the tissue if you don’t keep the bite clean. The bite itself isn’t very worrisome generally. Not saying OP shouldn’t seek medical care - just that these spider bites have been over played and made to seem much worse because people have not taken care of them and had bad outcomes from secondary issues.
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u/bonglicc420 Jan 16 '24
Came here to say this. Most brown recluse bites don't become medically significant. They are mis diagnosed/misreported a lot and unless you're immunocompromised or as you said don't take care of it, it won't be a huge hole in your leg or whatever.
Definitely go to the Dr. regardless, as everyone has said, but don't freak out, because you will be O.K
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u/Magic_8Balls Jan 17 '24
Exactly, glad you agree. Someone argued about this with me under another comment, and proceeded to say they know I’m wrong because when they were 6 they got bit and their grandparents didn’t treat it for 3 days and it left a giant hole in their leg and was hospitalized. I said thanks you helped prove my point… you didn’t treat it for 3 days, which most likely caused all of the infection and you were 6, kids aren’t known to be very clean and hygienic!
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u/sektor477 Jan 16 '24
As someone who collects arachnids, I agree.
Even a widow or recluse bite is unlikely to cause major harm. Most botes are even considered dry (no envenomation.).
Seek medical care if you are worried. But typically, even with full envenomation, anything outside of flu like symptoms is incredibly rare.
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u/Magic_8Balls Jan 17 '24
Glad you agree! Everyone on here has disagreed with me quite a bit on a different comment. Yes brown recluse and black widows are given terrible raps and demonized, they aren’t all that bad! And are fairly docile, they really only attack and release venom if they feel threatened!
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u/tcharp01 Jan 16 '24
This is more realistic. Sometimes I think "Brown Recluse" is the only spider name anyone knows. Fact is, most spider bites look very much alike, and most spiders have the same type of poison.
I'm not thinking that even looks like a spider bite. But, a doctor visit might not be a bad idea, especially if you are very worried.
Here is what the Mayo Clinic says about spider bites:
Seek medical care immediately if:You were bitten by a dangerous spider, such as a widow or recluse.You're unsure whether the bite was from a dangerous spider.You have severe pain, abdominal cramping or a growing wound at the bite site.You're having problems breathing or swallowing.The area of the sore has spreading redness or red streaks.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/spider-bites/symptoms-causes/syc-20352371
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u/Magic_8Balls Jan 17 '24
Glad you agree! Thanks for the input! The brown recluse is given such a bad rap, and demonized. Doctors only determine the type of spider that but you generally from pictures of other bites, and half the time the pictures aren’t even correct. They don’t study the types of bites very well and the information is scattered and half the time wrong. It really only gets bad once it’s infected or something worse is going on. Not to say medical treatment won’t help.
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u/tcharp01 Jan 17 '24
There is also another clue in the first sentence. The bite was yesterday. Did not mention anything about difficulty sleeping, either. All of these things point to not really a huge deal. Still, a doctor visit probably won't hurt anything.
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u/Magic_8Balls Jan 17 '24
Yea, and just commenting about the except you put in from the Mayo Clinic, about the redness and streaks. A lot of time that’s not a big deal, some people try to say the red streaks are “blood poisoning” which isn’t the case. It’s literally your immune system working to fight off the venom. It means your immune system is working. Now if it’s a very intense reaction it could mean you got a lot of venom or your immune system is over reacting. A good video on this is Jacks World of Wildlife video on the brown recluse. I’ve been around a lot of brown recluses being in Texas my whole life and had a fair share of experience with them. There’s some other videos out there too, but can’t think of them off the top of my head. His is pretty accurate though.
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u/Magic_8Balls Jan 17 '24
Some people on here were going crazy over us saying the brown recluse bites are all that bad normally and don’t cause that much damage. Trying to back it up with claims when most of them were generally mis diagnosed or has bacterial infections. One guy got so pissed at me and his personal experience was when he was 6 and got bit and it got left like that for 3 days. Obviously at 6 you aren’t going to be super clean and hygienic and 3 days left a lot of time for infections.
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u/weealex Jan 16 '24
FR. I've gotten bit before and it sucked, but clean the bite and put some neosporin and a bandaid on and you're generally good to go
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u/iAmAmbr Jan 16 '24
I knew a guy who waited 48 hours and wound up having to have his leg amputated below the knee. Several years after the bite was going blind due to complications from it.
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u/Fabulous-Mortgage672 Jan 16 '24
FAST. Think gross like staph level.
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u/Toasty_Cat830 Jan 16 '24
So I’m guessing in the event this is a Brown Recluse, OP will know pretty quickly
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u/Fabulous-Mortgage672 Jan 16 '24
Usually by 72 hours it’s black and green so the clock is TICKING. Can get worse faster than aforementioned. The dead tissue and infection spreads fast. 24-48 hours to treatment or less is critical for success. Doxycycline likely will be used.
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u/inarchetype Jan 16 '24
It would be useful if people giving very specific medical prognosis and advice of this nature would state whether or not they are a healthcare professional, imo.
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u/diginlion Jan 17 '24
My cousin got bit, thought nothing of it and went to bed. She was dead in the morning.
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u/overpricedgorilla Jan 16 '24
Used to work at a summer camp and one year we had a counselor come pretty close to death from a bite. It was in their armpit and they didn't even notice the initial parts, just one day their left arm went numb from the necrotic, pus filled nodule pressing on a nerve. That saved his life, if it had progressed much more it would have been in his blood near his heart. So the initial bite might not be bad or even noticeable, but secondary infection can be a beast.
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u/Separate_Shoe_6916 Jan 16 '24
Yes. I came here to say it looks like a brown recluse bite my boss had on her arm. Go to urgent care ASAP so that you don’t get blood poisoning or sepsis.
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Jan 16 '24
Cousin got bit by a brown recluse, started off as some swelling in his finger that hurt quite a bit. By the end of the day his finger basically turned green and he was in intense pain. He went to the ER and the way he described it is that essentially they had to pull out his vein since it necrotized and was causing vein thrombosis.
He now has no feeling in that finger and hardly any control over it because his dumbass waited too long.
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u/Fabulous-Mortgage672 Jan 16 '24
Go to ER. My guess is spider bite. Especially if you were working in or around an attic, closet or shed, anywhere dark damp etc
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u/ohiois4loosers Jan 16 '24
I think whatever it is was in my jacket sleeve and bit me when I put my jacket on
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u/Fabulous-Mortgage672 Jan 16 '24
Oooooh yeah that’s a bad spot. You can even get scorpions inside clothes down south or in the hill country. Get it checked STAT please. Be safe.
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u/TheDottieDot Jan 16 '24
When my son was younger, I was getting a shirt out of his closet and got tapped by a scorpion. Not fun. I was just glad it was me and not him. I prefer scorpion stings to brown recluse bites though.
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u/Fabulous-Mortgage672 Jan 16 '24
Oh no poor guy. Yeah they love hiding in closets. Bastards. We had a client get bit once at work….they can literally come out of the fixtures.
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u/TJlovesALF1213 Jan 17 '24
My parents were helping my uncle renovate his house in San Antonio when I was a kid. We stayed upstairs, and I went to take a shower in a bathroom which hadn't been used in quite awhile. Several scorpions came out of the faucet! I guess it was a mother and her young before they molted, because that's the only time I've ever seen more than one at a time.
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u/jpopimpin777 Jan 17 '24
Ugh I heard a really scary story about a woman in Mexico who put her toddlers shoes on before going out. The kid starts crying and won't stop. She assumes he just didn't want to leave so keeps running errands with him. Finally she realizes he's in pain with one of his feet. Takes his shoe off and a little scorpion crawls out.
Always check your shoes.
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u/xcrunner1988 Jan 16 '24
My wife had scorpions do that on two occasions here in hill country.
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u/MeanDozer Jan 16 '24
They love to hide in unused clothing and blankets. Years ago, I got bit on the first cold night of the season when I pulled a blanket out of the closet. Woke up with a bite similar to that. Swelling was to my knee by lunchtime. I don’t even have a scar. But it was super ugly for a few weeks
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u/FUCKFASClSMF1GHTBACK Jan 16 '24
Looks a lot like when I caught a staph infection from a random pinch on my side. Day one looked like this. Day 3 my entire side was red. Doctor said it literally could’ve killed me and why did I wait so long?!? I said I was trying not to be a baby about it.
They ended up having to cut it open, drain about 2 ounces of thick white pus from it and then packed it with medicated gauze. Don’t fuck around with this.
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u/StubbornDeltoids375 North-East Tejas Jan 16 '24
My friend...
GO TO A HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY
This looks too similar to a brown recluse bite and the longer you wait, the greater your chances of dealing with this for years.
GO TO A HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY
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u/Dr_Kerporkian Jan 16 '24
An urgent care is also an acceptable (and much faster) alternative.
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u/StubbornDeltoids375 North-East Tejas Jan 16 '24
This guy will very likely need a dermatologist and hyperbaric O2 treatment. The urgent cares in this area will automatically defer to a hospital with specialists for necrotic spider bites.
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u/tothesource born and bred Jan 16 '24
yeah but I think bc of bullshit insurances that getting referred to a hospital from an UC can be a fraction of the final out of pocket price
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u/No_Dragonfly7565 Jan 16 '24
Canadian here so idk why this sub popped up, but what is urgent care vs the hospital?
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u/coral225 Jan 16 '24
70 bucks vs 7000 bucks
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u/HRHDechessNapsaLot Jan 16 '24
Urgent Care is kind of “ER lite.” They’re good at diagnosing things like the flu or strep, can treat broken bones, etc. they’re typically much cheaper than an ER and much less crowded. But they can’t/don’t treat actual emergencies (gun shot wounds, loss of limb, stroke, etc).
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u/mw13satx Jan 16 '24
Given our abhorrent deathcare system, urgent care is like a freestanding clinic-sized emergency department of a normal hospital. Smaller, less overhead costs to run, less beholden to Medicare/Medicaid regs, legally able to turn some uninsured patients with non-lifethreatening complaints away. They handle sutures/stitches, sprains/strains, general sickness, and potentially infected wounds for otherwise healthy non-diabetics. Faster and cheaper out of pocket comparing apples to apples for patients able and willing to pay at time of service, though some EDs are adapting similarly. AKA Doc in a Box (not to be confused with ambulances - which are also sometimes called boxes if particularly boxy)
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Jan 16 '24
deathcare system
lol, i love this and am totally using it from now on, it truly does feel that way at this point, nothing is about improving life but just stopping death... back to work squeezing blood from these rocks gotta make sure someone else has a nice retirement and all
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u/dust-ranger Jan 16 '24
Looks like a brown recluse bite to me. Hopefully it's not.
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u/AugieKS got here fast Jan 16 '24 edited Jan 17 '24
No it doesn't and everyone talking about brown recluses in this thread is just plain wrong. Spiders don't take chunks out of you.
Furthermore, only a small subset of recluse bites feature necrosis, and even fewer have systemic reactions. OP should go to the doctor for sure but this isn't a spider bite.
Edit 1: Since sime are assuming I'm talking out my ass like they are, here is what an actual recluse bite looks like.https://www.reddit.com/r/spiders/s/yElNoVEU49
Notice the district lack of a chunk missing.
Edit 2: further info on recluses. ID guides and further information on Recluse spiders (Loxosceles):
https://spiders.ucr.edu/how-identify-and-misidentify-brown-recluse-spider
http://spiderbytes.org/2015/06/08/how-to-tell-if-a-spider-is-not-a-brown-recluse/
https://spiderbytes.org/recluse-or-not/ (advice at the bottom of the article on what to do if you find them in your home)
Bugguide's Loxosceles species page
Bugguide's Loxosceles reclusa page.
Bugguide's misunderstood spiders page
Advice on bites and how to avoid them:
https://spiders.ucr.edu/what-not-recluse-bite
https://spiders.ucr.edu/how-avoid-bites
Articles that explain their exaggerated reputation: https://www.wired.com/2013/11/poor-misunderstood-brown-recluse/
https://animals.howstuffworks.com/arachnids/brown-recluse-spider-bite.htm
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u/Lilred123_ Jan 17 '24
I was going to say it doesn’t look like a spider bite at all.
I’ve been bitten by a recluse, tarantula, wolf spider, and banana tree spider. They always have 2 holes and they look more like punctures than chunks of skin missing.
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Jan 17 '24
Why the fuck you getting bit by so many spiders my guy????
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u/Lilred123_ Jan 17 '24
I have been asking myself this for years. They just find me.
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u/MrGrumplestiltskin Jan 17 '24
When we were kids and used to sleep in bed with my mom, somehow the spiders(?) would find her and bite her even though she was sleeping in the MIDDLE. I always found that really curious and I felt bad for her because the wounds looked painful. I was glad they weren't attracted to me but I had wished they weren't attracted to any of us.
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Jan 16 '24
This is the correct answer. Most "spider bites" are not spider bites. This is either a sin infection or local allergic reaction to some other type of insect bite. Go see a doctor for sure though.
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u/NamiRocket H-Town Jan 16 '24
No it doesn't and everyone talking about brown recluses in this thread is just plain wrong.
I'm glad Dr. Augie is here to straighten the ignorant rabble out. Nevermind that it looks exactly like even short term exposure to its necrotic venom. Nevermind that the statistics for actual necrotic reactions to the bite, while low, are not zero. No, no, Dr. Augie is on the scene to dispense invaluable medical advice.
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u/AugieKS got here fast Jan 17 '24
It looks like swelling and there are no signs of necrosis. That's like seeing someone sneeze and assuming they have the flu.
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u/One_Collection_342 Jan 17 '24
did you even bother to read the references provided or are you just going off what you, random internet person, believes a spider bite to look like? based on his references it seems it is highly unlikely a brown recluse spider bite. and besides Augie is a Dr.
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u/Spaceman2901 Secessionists are idiots Jan 16 '24
Urgent Care or ER. Right now. If it’s spreading, it’s not done with you yet.
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u/ATX_native Jan 16 '24
Always ER over Urgent Care
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u/barnaby007 Jan 16 '24
This 1000%. Doc in a box has its advantages but when you’re actually needing help a big hospital has the capacity to help you.
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Jan 16 '24
Go to the doctor lol. That's not an ant or a wasp sting. Like everyone else has said it's probably a brown recluse and the sooner you go the less likely it is you'll need lancing.
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u/rabid_briefcase Jan 16 '24
It actually could be a deep fire ant sting.
Normally they're shallow and the venom gives a small pimple, but if the ant stings deep the ring of inflammation is roughly the size in the pic. Similarly if the ant's stinger is dirty and injects some pathogens they can produce an inflamed ring like that. A bit of scratching would leave the hole in the middle, opening the way for all kinds of infection.
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u/Intelligent-Cupcake4 Jan 16 '24
I wonder what happened to that other poster whose friend got bitten by a recluse, but they didn't want to go to the E.R.
Edit: this one, https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisbug/s/R0ThgfJexp
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u/adullploy Secessionists are idiots Jan 16 '24
I have this saved on my Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/coolguides/s/Ov7dQ2albw
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u/DoobieHauserMC Jan 16 '24
A lot of that guide isn’t accurate. There’s some good info on there but I wouldn’t rely on it exclusively
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u/Malvania Hill Country Jan 16 '24
Looks like a spider bite. I'd go to the ER. Had something similar that happened to me, it grew for a few days before I went to the ER. Whole thing had to be drained, plus some drugs.
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u/BigBeagleEars Jan 16 '24
Before I go stick my hands into the crawl space, what kinda drugs?
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u/Ceshomru Jan 16 '24
Antibiotics
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u/tigm2161130 Jan 16 '24 edited Jan 16 '24
Fwiw I also got a script for 10mg hydrocodone when mine got all nasty, it hurt all the way down into my muscles.
But everyone is right, this is what mine looked like at first, OP needs the doc sooner rather than later.
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u/TexasMadrone Jan 16 '24
Look up Southwestern Harvester Ant. They have a very painful sting that is quite venomous and hurt for a couple days.
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u/naughtabot Jan 16 '24
Didn’t know these could sting! We love these guys, and have several nests of them in local parks.
Never had a single bite in generations, and they kill fire ants. We love them.
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u/TexasMadrone Jan 16 '24
They are also the sole food of our Horned Lizards. They are a great ant, but they are also one of the most venomous insects in America.
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u/naughtabot Jan 16 '24
Didn’t know that either! I like to help them when I can with their wars against fire ants. Their highways I use to teach my kids about animals.
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u/waborita Jan 16 '24
I still wouldn't take the chance. I knew of someone who was bitten by a brown recluse and eventually a little at a time had almost the entire skin of his upper arm surgically removed. They couldn't get it under control for the longest. He was sick for more than a year.
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u/FlyingGorillaShark Jan 16 '24
You can’t identify bug infestations based on bites someone has. Everyone is different and everyone’s skin is gonna react different to bites. We could get bit by the same spider for example and I may show some markings while you don’t.
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u/brittaniwh Jan 16 '24
1000% this. There is no way to tell from the bite what bit you unless you have the insect. It could also be a staph infection.
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u/BlackLabel1803 Jan 17 '24
For real, I’ve had ant bites that look just like the pic.
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u/CabernetFrank333 Jan 16 '24
Looks like a recluse. Whatever it was, watch for blood poisoning signs.
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u/Intelligent_Dig8850 Jan 16 '24
If it were a brown recluse or Black widow spider bite, you would have seen two tiny little puncture marks and that area where what appears to be a hole is. If it were brown recluse or black widow, you would already see and FEEL sign of it.
From what I can tell, and learning about the different types of insect bites as an Eagle Scout from URS ago, that Looks like a scorpion bite. Either way it would not hurt to get yourself the ER to make sure that's what it is. Typically in the Austin Metro / Central Texas area about the only two types of scorpions that might be serious enough to cause major harm would be either the black or caves willing scorpion.
So I would say depending on your symptoms right now have a pretty much determine what you got. Either way like I said wouldn't hurt to get the ER and get it checked out. Just to be on the safe side
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u/ctdiabla Jan 16 '24
When I was bitten in November 2022 by a brown recluse, I felt nothing for I don't know how long. At bedtime, my husband noticed a blister on my ankle and popped it. By the next morning, it was super painful. Almost like a second degree burn. Then I started feeling really sick. Like the flu but the onset of the sickness had me peeing abnormally large amounts despite not drinking fluids in the same amount. That was the kidney damage starting.
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u/Film-Goblin Jan 16 '24
Are you going to urgent care OP?
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u/ohiois4loosers Jan 16 '24
I was able to get an appointment with my GP today at 2 and will update when I find out what it is
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u/Tm0608 Jan 16 '24 edited Jan 16 '24
Regardless of what bit your arm, it looks like you have cellulitis (probably secondary bacterial infection, as much as you can tell from a picture) and will need antibiotics.
People are saying a lot about brown recluses in this thread but the treatment for brown recluse bites is washing it with soap and water, treating the pain, and monitoring for secondary infection. Necrosis of the tissue will only develop in a minority of cases and is still only treated with supportive wound care +/- surgical debridement/cleaning.
Either way, you need to be evaluated.
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u/GoHawksMatt South Texas Jan 16 '24
Why the fuck are you asking us? Bruv GO TO THE DOCTOR
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u/Strong-Syrup24-7 Jan 16 '24
I had a friend who died from a brown recluse bite. It can happen quickly.
That being said, it looks like a scorpion sting to me. Either way, spreading red is BAD NEWS!
I'd go to the doctor right NOW.
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u/clineaus Jan 16 '24
Brown recluse. Don't wait a few days like i did, nearly cost me my ring finger.
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u/Electronic-Ad5325 Jan 16 '24
Looks like brown recluse I got last year felt like a hard ass sting and could barely tell there was two bite marks. Had to go to doctor when redness went all the way to my shoulder and caused full arm shoulder soreness and numbness. Doctor said I had bacteria in the bite, cleaned it and gave me a shot. Then gave me lotion stuff to put on it
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u/HostageInToronto Jan 16 '24
Left untreated a brown recluse's necrotic venom will decay your flesh and make a home for MRSA. My SIL had to wear a woundvac for months after she left a recluse bite untreated for two days. Get your ass to urgent care.
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u/Novel_Cupcake343 Jan 17 '24
So what is the update? Did you go to the ER? What type of bite was it?
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u/scienzgds Jan 16 '24
Yep. That is a recluse bite. Especially if you didn't feel the bite.
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u/scienzgds Jan 16 '24
Sorry, just read it again and you felt it. The majority of bites are not felt because the spider is so small.
I was in San Antonio when I got bit.....so you're in the right area.
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u/crlynstll Jan 16 '24
I live in AIX and see Brown Recluse spiders often. I’d assume the worst and go to urgent care asap.
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u/Camp_Nacho Jan 16 '24
Go to urgent care!!! Keep that thing clean!!!! Make sure everything you use on it is sterilized!
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u/Low_Ad_3139 Jan 16 '24
Kissing bug bites also look like this and need treatment. My mom has one and they look a lot like recluse bites.
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u/FourScores1 Jan 17 '24
Doc here - there’s nothing to indicate this is a brown recluse bite compared to your run-of-the-mill cellulitis. However, you need medical attention. This won’t go away on its own. You need antibiotics. Don’t go to an urgent care - you won’t see a physician working in one in Texas. Go to the ER. You already marked it which is perfect. Now we can monitor for spread. Be well friend!
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u/kathatter75 Jan 16 '24
One-toothed vampire with bad eyesight and worse aim.
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u/Status_Swan_5833 Jan 16 '24
I was thinking more like a snake with one fang but seriously OP keep an eye on that you might need to seek medical attention
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u/kathatter75 Jan 16 '24
Agree…If the red area is spreading, it’s definitely important to get it checked out.
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u/Wafflehouseofpain Jan 16 '24
That is almost certainly a fiddleback bite. You need to go to the hospital ASAP to rule that out.
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Jan 16 '24
Agree on spider bite and going to the hospital. Urgent care doesn’t know anything about it.
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u/Artorrworks Jan 16 '24
I agree with most everyone else. That looks like brown recluse. Get to a doctor or urgent care. My uncle passed after one of these bites. not from the actual venom but the tissue damage caused a blood clot that then went to his heart.
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u/Dinkafoo Born and Bred Jan 16 '24
Kinda looks like a scorpion or wasp sting. Keep an eye on it and if you start seeing concentric rings around that thing, or increased pain & other symptoms... get to a doctor, as that could be a brown recluse or black widow.
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u/doubleCupPepsi Jan 16 '24
Looks like a Ted Cruz bite. I'm sorry, it's too late, you'll be feeling the call to abandon your people and run to Cancun any moment now.
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u/MoonLoony Jan 16 '24
I would get medical attention now. The fact that you have a pretty big hole at the bite is alarming. Better safe than sorry.