07-12-2007, 07:18
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#1
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Asset
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Oconus
Posts: 21
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brown recluse spider
anyone have some good treatments for brown recluse spider when far away from other medical?
Docb Buxton
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docbuxton is offline
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07-12-2007, 07:24
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#2
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Sneaking back and forth across the Border
Posts: 6,681
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Go to this site they have a good ref for the Brown Recluse. They can ba a nasty little creature. 
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/spide...article_em.htm
Here is the Treatment:
Brown Recluse Bite Treatment
Self-Care at Home
Home first aid care is simple. This self-care should not replace a visit to your doctor or emergency department.
- Do these techniques:
Apply ice to decrease pain and swelling.
Elevate area if possible above the level of your heart.
Wash the area thoroughly with cool water and mild soap.
Avoid any strenuous activity because this can spread the spider's venom in your skin.
Use acetaminophen for pain relief.
- Don't do these techniques:
Do not place any heat to the area. This will accelerate tissue destruction.
Do not apply any steroid creams to the area such as hydrocortisone cream.
Do not attempt to remove the spider venom with suction devices or cut out the affected tissue.
Do not apply electricity to the area. Anecdotal reports of high voltage electrotherapy from common stun guns have never been shown to be effective in any scientific studies. This can also cause secondary burns and deepen tissue destruction.
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SF_BHT is online now
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07-12-2007, 19:29
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#3
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: RDU
Posts: 110
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Be very, very careful with home treatment, however. I almost lost my leg in Afghanistan to a spider (docs said camel spider but....) and I had identical symptoms to a brown recluse bite. At day 4, I couldn't bend or straighten my lower leg (bite on the back of the calf). I just barely missed losing most of the lower leg...
Just keep a close eye on it. If you notice tissue really starting to turn purple, take yourself into the ER.
__________________
"By way of deception, thou shalt do war."
Israel's Mossad
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CPL Mick Bekowsky, USMC, 6 Sep 2004, Fallujah --- Never Forgotten
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Mav is offline
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07-12-2007, 20:30
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#4
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Free Pineland
Posts: 24,816
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I was thinking the same thing.
This is nothing to try and treat yourself, and there is a very good possibility it will get worse, rather than better.
Unless there is absolutely no doctor or medical treatment available, GO TO A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
TR
__________________
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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The Reaper is offline
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07-13-2007, 10:32
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#5
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Hornet Nest Poker
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Texas
Posts: 183
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FWIW I was the lucky recipient of a Brown Recluse bite four years ago. Thought I could tough it out with home care.
By day 5 the bite area had swollen to the diameter of a grapefruite (it was on my thigh) and I was having dizzy spells.
Went to ER and wound up on a 2 hour Cipro drip and blood work to see if my kidneys were being compromised.... seems I had a very adverse, systemic reaction to the venom. They said if I had waited another day I would have done some serious time in the hospital. Spent an additional 2 weeks on some heavy duty antibiotics after being released from ER.
Scary bite that can be. Good luck
m1
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Four things greater than all things are — Women and Horses and Power and War ~ Kipling
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Michelle is offline
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07-13-2007, 13:46
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#6
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Sneaking back and forth across the Border
Posts: 6,681
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Mav
Be very, very careful with home treatment, however. I almost lost my leg in Afghanistan to a spider (docs said camel spider but....) and I had identical symptoms to a brown recluse bite. At day 4, I couldn't bend or straighten my lower leg (bite on the back of the calf). I just barely missed losing most of the lower leg...
Just keep a close eye on it. If you notice tissue really starting to turn purple, take yourself into the ER.
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DITO. I should have put it on the Ref that I posted before. They are Terrible bites and you should get the H#@$ out of where you are and seek Proper Medical attention. The comments I put were only for if you can not get there in a timely manor.
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SF_BHT is online now
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07-13-2007, 13:59
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#7
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Guerrilla Chief
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 880
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being the guy that takes care of all of these around here.....
I agree with TR. IF you are far away from medical attention, take ibuprofen, antihistamine, multivitamin and an antibiotic if you have it (cipro, bactrim, avelox, flagyl, etc). This combo attenuates the inflammatory response...slows but does NOT stop the progress of the reaction to the venom. Not all of them make you sick, not all of them need surgical debridement but you need to be monitored closely for adverse reactions and potential debridement. I'm running about 50% with surgical debridement and ~20 % who get 'sick'. Time is variable based on location of bite, degree of evenomation and your general health.
ss
__________________
'Revel in action, translate perceptions into instant judgements, and these into actions that are irrevocable, monumentous and dreadful - all this with lightning speed, in conditions of great stress and in an environment of high tension:what is expected of "us" is the impossible, yet we deliver just that.
(adapted from: Sherwin B. Nuland, MD, surgeon and author: The Wisdom of the Body, 1997 )
Education is the anti-ignorance we all need to better treat our patients. ss, 2008.
The blade is so sharp that the incision is perfect. They don't realize they've been cut until they're out of the fight: A Surgeon Warrior. I use a knife to defend life and to save it. ss (aka traumadoc)
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swatsurgeon is offline
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08-27-2007, 07:39
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#8
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: GA
Posts: 184
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Wife was bitten by one back in July while we were in PC Beach. We figure someone must've brought one into the room in an old suitcase or something. Hit her on the top of the thigh about 2 inches above the knee. The morning after she was bit, she had a red bump about the size of a mosquito bite, but a purple halo around it about the diameter of a Fosters beer can. The purple faded back to the bite site after a day or so and a large pustule grew at the bite site. A couple days later the pustule was about 3" in diameter and raised a 1/2 inch with red and purple directly around it. She went to the Dr. and they gave her an oral. Cleared it up pretty quickly, I was suprised. She's got a nickle sized divot in the top of her leg now.
__________________
If I see one more shirttail flapping while I'm captain of this ship - woe betide the sailor; woe betide the OOD; and woe betide the morale officer. I kid you not. - Capt Queeg, The Caine Mutiny.
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kachingchingpow is offline
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08-27-2007, 23:28
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#9
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Ohio, West Virginia
Posts: 137
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Most brown recluse spider bites (90%) resolve without necrosis or significant injury and without any specific treatment. We see a skewed population because we see the folks that have it bad enough to come see the doctor.
Conversely, EVERY cutaneous abscess I have seen is reported to start with a "spider bite", often described as a brown recluse, despite the fact that no spider was ever seen and no bite ever felt. These are more likely the result of aggressive bacteria than aggressive arachnids.
Register at emedicine.com and check out the articles there. As opposed to the emedicinehealth articles (which SF_BHT posted and are EXCELLENT resources for patients), the emedicine.com articles are more geared toward the healthcare provider. The articles are free, but you have to register to get access to them. I am on this site all the time for info.
'zilla
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You may find me one day dead in a ditch somewhere. But by God, you'll find me in a pile of brass. -Tpr. M. Padgett
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Doczilla is offline
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08-28-2007, 04:01
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#10
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Auxiliary
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Odense Denmark
Posts: 77
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by swatsurgeon
being the guy that takes care of all of these around here.....
I agree with TR. IF you are far away from medical attention, take ibuprofen, antihistamine, multivitamin and an antibiotic if you have it (cipro, bactrim, avelox, flagyl, etc). This combo attenuates the inflammatory response...slows but does NOT stop the progress of the reaction to the venom. Not all of them make you sick, not all of them need surgical debridement but you need to be monitored closely for adverse reactions and potential debridement. I'm running about 50% with surgical debridement and ~20 % who get 'sick'. Time is variable based on location of bite, degree of evenomation and your general health.
ss
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can you give some insight on the multivitamin?
or is just a standard Rx you use?
__________________
If we are going to ask one of our combat medics to undertake a medical treatment in the middle of a firefight, then we need to be as sure as possible that the benefit resulting from this treatment is going to be worth the risk.
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52bravo is offline
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08-28-2007, 15:56
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#11
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Guerrilla Chief
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 880
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Something like Centrum...has atleast 100% of the anti-oxidants: A,C,E
__________________
'Revel in action, translate perceptions into instant judgements, and these into actions that are irrevocable, monumentous and dreadful - all this with lightning speed, in conditions of great stress and in an environment of high tension:what is expected of "us" is the impossible, yet we deliver just that.
(adapted from: Sherwin B. Nuland, MD, surgeon and author: The Wisdom of the Body, 1997 )
Education is the anti-ignorance we all need to better treat our patients. ss, 2008.
The blade is so sharp that the incision is perfect. They don't realize they've been cut until they're out of the fight: A Surgeon Warrior. I use a knife to defend life and to save it. ss (aka traumadoc)
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swatsurgeon is offline
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08-28-2007, 17:05
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#12
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: NC for now
Posts: 2,418
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Quote:
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Elevate area if possible above the level of your heart.
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I was bitten by a Brown Recluse on the Penis one time. Doing the above really helped 
__________________
Sounds like a s#*t sandwhich, but I'll fight anyone, I'm in.
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kgoerz is offline
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08-28-2007, 17:13
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#13
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Free Pineland
Posts: 24,816
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by kgoerz
I was bitten by a Brown Recluse on the Penis one time. Doing the above really helped |
I do not want to know what you were doing with the spider at that time. 
A serious case of necrosis there and you could be in a real bind, hermano.
TR
__________________
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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The Reaper is offline
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08-28-2007, 17:28
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#14
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: LA
Posts: 1,653
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Good advice here. Most of the horror stories and pics come from people that were stupid and didn't seek treatment. I've been bitten a couple of times. Although the spider died in all instances, I still sought treatment. No major complications.
Boss, what he's not telling you is that he was standing on his head at the time.
__________________
Somewhere a True Believer is training to kill you. He is training with minimal food or water, in austere conditions, training day and night. The only thing clean on him is his weapon and he made his web gear. He doesn't worry about what workout to do - his ruck weighs what it weighs, his runs end when the enemy stops chasing him. This True Believer is not concerned about 'how hard it is;' he knows either he wins or dies. He doesn't go home at 17:00, he is home.
He knows only The Cause.
Still want to quit?
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NousDefionsDoc is offline
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08-28-2007, 17:53
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#15
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Guerrilla Chief
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 880
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by NousDefionsDoc
Good advice here. Most of the horror stories and pics come from people that were stupid and didn't seek treatment. I've been bitten a couple of times. Although the spirdxer died in all instances, I still sought treatment. No major complications.
Boss, what he's not telling you is that he was standing on his head at the time.
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Which ....head? Oh, I didn't really say that did I......I am a professional that deals with the extraodinary, the unusual and the unbelievable: what I deal with is every person's Darwin award winning performance of the "I thought I have seen it all and this won't hurt me" as they try to beat the odds of dying.
ss
__________________
'Revel in action, translate perceptions into instant judgements, and these into actions that are irrevocable, monumentous and dreadful - all this with lightning speed, in conditions of great stress and in an environment of high tension:what is expected of "us" is the impossible, yet we deliver just that.
(adapted from: Sherwin B. Nuland, MD, surgeon and author: The Wisdom of the Body, 1997 )
Education is the anti-ignorance we all need to better treat our patients. ss, 2008.
The blade is so sharp that the incision is perfect. They don't realize they've been cut until they're out of the fight: A Surgeon Warrior. I use a knife to defend life and to save it. ss (aka traumadoc)
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swatsurgeon is offline
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