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Spider bite- not healing..
This past Saturday I was yanking weeds in between some plants in my garden. I felt something on my hand and noticed a brown colored spider, felt a slight prick, I immediately brushed it off. When I came inside I noticed two small fang marks/punctures on top of my right hand. Within a few hours I felt nauseated, arm cramped up, felt woozy. I waited overnight and decided to head to a walk in clinic. The doctor prescribed me Erythomycin, 333mg, three times a day. Since I saw the doctor, that little puncture mark has turned into a lesion that is white in the middle and red around the outside. The redness has increased in size, plus I have bruising all over my hand, including my knuckles which look bluish, now going up into the wrist. I don't see pus but I did cover the lesion with a bandaid and there is a slight greenish stain/mark on the bandage itself.
The nausea has not gone away and now my hand hurts when it is hanging downwards.
I thought maybe the medication was making me sick but I make sure I take it with food. My appetite isn't that great.. eating crackers, toast, bananas, drinking tea and water.
My family doctor is away on holidays but my neighbour thinks I should head to the ER especially with this weird bite. I don't mind going to the hospital but I feel because I am not seriously injured or dying that I am taking up someone else who may need the ER more than me.
I also feel somewhat unsteady, woobly on my feet.
As far as I know we do not have black widows and brown recluse spiders in Canada, at least in my Province.
I have been waiting it out to see if the meds will kick in or if I will see a postive change, but things are becoming slowly worse.
Any tips? Or should I just go see a doctor?
Answer:
Spider bite- not healing..
I'm not sure what part of Canada you are in - in relation to where I live in the mid-west United States, but we have just gotten the brown recluse in our area - didn't used to come this far north as I understood from a news report. Your symptoms sound like what they were showing on the report about recluse bites. Can be very serious - go to ER ASAP! Even if it isn't a recluse bite, it sounds infected and may need to be drained. GO TO ER. Best to you with it.
Answer:
Spider bite- not healing..
hi canuck,
Sorry to hear of your spider bite. If you see no improvement go back to the dr. It may need lancing, drained and packed. Please be seen asap.
Purple98Lady
Answer:
Spider bite- not healing..
Thank you for your help!
I phoned the doctors office but the doctor I saw is away right now. I live close to a hospital so I could go there.
The band aid does have a greenish-brown stain on it, so I assume that is pus or infection. But when I look at the bite I can't see any green at the surface, so I assume it is leaking a bit.
I live in Manitoba and from what I hear we don't have black widows or brown recluse, but you never know. Spiders can be carried in through cargo etc.
I will either go to the ER tonight or early am to have this checked. Will keep you posted. :)
Answer:
Spider bite- not healing..
Update...
I headed to the ER this morning. The doctor said the bite does look infected and said he would give me a IV antibiotic. I am allergic to penicillan (feel sick to the stomach, plus a rash) and he asked me if I could tolerate the rash if he gave me penicillan. I said I would prefer not to have it because I do feel quite ill from it, rash etc. He said he wasn't too sure about spider bites, told me to take the rest of my Erythromycin ( I will be finished the the whole dose in a day and half)
The nurse came in, put in the IV. Within a few minutes I felt quite odd, nauseated, sick to the stomach and itchy. I approached the nurse in the hallway and told her about my symptoms. She quickly looked at the IV bag, freaked out "Oh my, I gave you penicillan, this is suppose to be for another patient.! She quickly took it out.
I understand mistakes do happen but I felt sort of uneasy with the situation and ending up leaving the hospital.
I found out that an Urgent Care Clinic opened up a few days ago, they take non urgent patients, sort of a giant walk in clinic. I plan on going there tomorrow. My family doctor is away on holidays.
My bite is becoming quite ugly looking, hand is bruising badly. Hopefully it will be fixed soon.
Answer:
Spider bite- not healing..
Update...
I headed to another hospital that is a urgent care facility, not emergency. They treat injuries, illness that are not life threatening, giant walk in clinic.
The doctor said it is definitely infected, prescribed a different antibiotic. He said by Monday, today, if it has not improved or worse to come back in.
I was hoping to see the antibiotics working, but unfortunately the redness, bruising is slowly spreading. The bite wound, lesion has increased slightly in size and now there are little blister type things popping up near the lesion, seeping.
I guess I will be heading back tomorrow.
Answer:
Spider bite- not healing..
Update...
I headed back to the Urgent Care. They took blood work etc and determined I have a secondary bacterial infection from the bite. I have to go the UC twice a day for antibiotics via IV. It is helping. :) The bite is still ugly looking but was told it can take awhile for spider bites to heal.