bandnerd
07-17-2006, 03:27 PM
Just a warning to everyone:
I had a doctor visit yesterday for a suspicious bite and back pain. Before I went, I called Poison Control because their site was very informative and I wanted to speak to a person who knew what they were talking about to see if I was crazy or not. Well, the guy felt like I probably had been bitten by a brown recluse (yikes!) and I should see a doctor to get some antibiotics. I went to an after-hours facility on NW Expy, spent an hour and found out that yes, it was indeed a spider bite (the doctor couldn't tell me what kind, though, it's very hard to tell, but he said he didn't *think* it was a brown recluse) and got my meds.
The Poison Control center guy called me back...yes, they are quite persisitant and I think that's a good thing...to make sure I was okay and the bite was healing with no necrosis, etc. He seemed surprised that a doctor said it wasn't a fiddleback bite, because without seeing the spider, he really couldn't say for sure. However, the PC guy felt it probably was, but if I have no necrosis (dead skin) then I'm all right.
The bite area is about the size of a half-dollar. Yesterday it was swollen and hot to the touch. It never hurt, and itched only a little. The back pain was unbearable, however; I was barely able to get out of bed. I thought I overdid the Turbo Jam haha. But this morning I hopped right out with lots of energy and no pain, but other parts of my body still hurt from the workout (my triceps) so I have no doubt the bite and back pain were related.
I asked Randy, the PC guy, what I can do. My apartment is fairly free of clutter at this point, as I cleaned all last week (yes, pretty much all week) and we vacuum fairly regularly around here. He told me there isn't much I can do except kill them when I see them. You can spray for them, but the little boogers will just laugh at you. Fiddlebacks are very resilient creatures. If you have pets, all you can do is hope for the best.
You'll never totally get rid of them, and as it gets insanely hot outside, they will move indoors to darker places. They get in your shoes, on clothing if it's on the floor, and sometimes in between your sheets. They also lurk in sheds and outhouses. A lot of people get bitten with no effects as it is a "dry" bite with no venom. Others like me have symptoms but they are very easily treated. About 10% end up with those scary open wounds you see floating around on the internet.
Basically, I just wanted to remind everyone to check their shoes, shake the sheets out before you get in them, and try not to store anything you are going to wear/use on the floor and to wear gloves if you are going to be in a shed or similar area. If your pet eats one of these guys, it won't hurt them, but they can get sick from a bite.
Just one of the many things we Oklahomans have to deal with.
I had a doctor visit yesterday for a suspicious bite and back pain. Before I went, I called Poison Control because their site was very informative and I wanted to speak to a person who knew what they were talking about to see if I was crazy or not. Well, the guy felt like I probably had been bitten by a brown recluse (yikes!) and I should see a doctor to get some antibiotics. I went to an after-hours facility on NW Expy, spent an hour and found out that yes, it was indeed a spider bite (the doctor couldn't tell me what kind, though, it's very hard to tell, but he said he didn't *think* it was a brown recluse) and got my meds.
The Poison Control center guy called me back...yes, they are quite persisitant and I think that's a good thing...to make sure I was okay and the bite was healing with no necrosis, etc. He seemed surprised that a doctor said it wasn't a fiddleback bite, because without seeing the spider, he really couldn't say for sure. However, the PC guy felt it probably was, but if I have no necrosis (dead skin) then I'm all right.
The bite area is about the size of a half-dollar. Yesterday it was swollen and hot to the touch. It never hurt, and itched only a little. The back pain was unbearable, however; I was barely able to get out of bed. I thought I overdid the Turbo Jam haha. But this morning I hopped right out with lots of energy and no pain, but other parts of my body still hurt from the workout (my triceps) so I have no doubt the bite and back pain were related.
I asked Randy, the PC guy, what I can do. My apartment is fairly free of clutter at this point, as I cleaned all last week (yes, pretty much all week) and we vacuum fairly regularly around here. He told me there isn't much I can do except kill them when I see them. You can spray for them, but the little boogers will just laugh at you. Fiddlebacks are very resilient creatures. If you have pets, all you can do is hope for the best.
You'll never totally get rid of them, and as it gets insanely hot outside, they will move indoors to darker places. They get in your shoes, on clothing if it's on the floor, and sometimes in between your sheets. They also lurk in sheds and outhouses. A lot of people get bitten with no effects as it is a "dry" bite with no venom. Others like me have symptoms but they are very easily treated. About 10% end up with those scary open wounds you see floating around on the internet.
Basically, I just wanted to remind everyone to check their shoes, shake the sheets out before you get in them, and try not to store anything you are going to wear/use on the floor and to wear gloves if you are going to be in a shed or similar area. If your pet eats one of these guys, it won't hurt them, but they can get sick from a bite.
Just one of the many things we Oklahomans have to deal with.