Yesterday afternoon (12/12/08), I moved into a new dorm room for winter break housing at my West Tennessee university. Abut four hours ago, while reading a magazine on my bed, I was bitten by what I now understand is a brown recluse. Due to the information on this website, I was able to identify the species of the spider, and quickly receive medical attention. I have since lain store-bought glue traps for any other spiders that might be sharing my dorm room. My emergency room doctor also advised me to turn on music before I go to sleep, in addition to lights.

Again, if it had not been for the information on this website, I’m sure I would not have gotten medical attention as quickly as I did–thankfully, my only symptoms right now are an ache in the wound (left pinky), and numbness throughout my left hand, which the antibiotics and antihistamines I received at the emergency room tonight will hopefully eradicate by morning.

Thank you so much for your help,
Holly, West Tennessee undergrad

This spider Was the exact same color and size, the legs weren’t pointing more forward like the recluse, but much like the funnel web’s and wolf spider’s also found here in Missouri. But just a little darker brown than it’s body. If it would have had a fiddle ond the right posture, I would say it was for sure the “brown recluse”, just .. a relative or closer than close look alike??????? I keep searching and searching and I was led here.. thanks!

Both of my sons were bitten while playing near a wood pile outside. I have used the MSM for 7 years now on any bite that they have received and it works better than any antibiotic that you can get from the hospital. Now this worked for our family. I am not suggesting not to seek medical advice, I am just telling you that there truely is nothing including antibiotics that cure the bite. I work for a doctor and they don’t want to tell you that they don’t have a cure for the bite. But if you ever get bit by something try the MSM in a paste form for 2-3 days and it will bring the core to the top of your skin and once you get the core out you are removing the poison.

It will scab over. Now the only problem that we do have is that on my husbands neck were he was bitten 4 times. Every year around the same time they will scab up and itch for a few days. I don’t know the reason for this. But I have researched and found articles where people have had to have a body part removed years later because they get infected again because of the bite.

I understand this is not a medical forum but I’ve read that a nitroglycerin patch on the bite will prevent it from becoming necrotic and allow the bite to heal normally. (The venom is a vasoconstrictor, causing tissue starvation, the nitro is a vasodilator)

We have seen them a few times on the tile in the kitchen early in the morning when a light is switched on. My mother refuses to bomb or use sprays. Instead she gets sticky trays and slide them under the furniture ( couch, bed, cabinets, fridge, dryer) along the baseboards. This seem to be the preferred route of travel, close to the wall and in the dark. Sticky traps are great way to capture and correctly identify spiders. Check them monthly, if dusty change them or the spiders will just walk over the dust like they do a web. Please be careful when handling traps they may still be alive and able to bite. Use work gloves if needed. My sons get out the magnifying glass to see all the details…They are really into spiders at the moment.

I have came to the conclusion that my mother likes spiders. As a child I remember she would not let anyone kill “her” green-eyed jumpers in the window sills because they took care of moths and flies.