My limbs nearly exploded and I’ve been left with arthritis after a spider in the UK bit me in my sleep
A DAD has been left arthritic after his limbs nearly “exploded” from what he believes was a bite from a false widow spider.
Brian Smith had woken up in bed to a sharp pain on the top of his right hand but went back to sleep because he thought he was dreaming.
The 43-year-old spotted two small fang marks the next morning and became increasingly concerned when he began struggling to move it.
Horrifying photos show how his hand, arm, leg and even foot ballooned up as the venom ran rampant through his body.
Brian was rushed to hospital via ambulance where doctors told him he’d had a reaction to a spider‘s venom.
They revealed his hand could only swell 20 per cent more before “exploding” and hospitalised him for three weeks while the venom spread from his hand to his shoulders and left leg.
The dad-of-three’s leg ballooned so much that the scaffolder was forced to use crutches for weeks and he’s still suffering with a limp, an aching hand and even arthritis.
Now four months on from the incident Brian believes he was bitten by a venomous false widow spider – whose bites produce necrosis of the flesh.
He now checks his bed sheets for any pesky creatures and is warning others to remain vigilant of venomous spiders too.
Brian, from Maidstone, Kent, said: “I was quite shocked a spider in the UK could cause this sort of damage.
“I thought this only happened in Australia and places like that.
“I was asleep in my bedroom when I felt a really sharp pain in the top of my right hand.
“It woke me up. It felt like someone was putting a fag out in my hand.
“I shook my hand and just went back to sleep because I thought I was dreaming.
“It wasn’t until I woke up in the morning that I realised I could hardly move my hand.
“I thought I might’ve slept on it funny but then it started swelling through the day.
“It wasn’t until I looked properly at my hand that I saw two little prick marks where its two fangs must’ve gone in and bit me.
“I couldn’t do anything with my hands, the pain was too much. It was a sharp pain and was getting worse and worse through the day.”
[The doctors] told me I had 20 per cent left of my hand to swell before it would explode like a balloon
Brian Smith
After Brian’s boss sent him home from work he went to Maidstone Hospital in Kent where he was sent home with some painkillers.
But hours later, Brian returned to hospital in an ambulance as the pain worsened.
Doctors told Brian he had suffered a serious reaction to the spider’s venom and may need a portion of his hand cut off.
Brian said: “[The doctors] told me I had 20 per cent left of my hand to swell before it would explode like a balloon.
“The skin was going to explode due to the pressure so I would’ve needed a skin graft. Thank god I didn’t lose my hand.
“The poison must’ve reacted with my blood. It was so swollen and my hand kept changing colours from purple to red.
False widow spiders
FALSE widows are not native to the UK, but are thought to have arrived from the Canary Islands in banana boxes in the late 1800s.
They’re sometimes confused for black widow spiders, but are considered relatively harmless.
Both spiders have a similar dark-coloured, globular body.
False widows can be found in the home all year round, but they’re mostly seen when the weather gets colder in autumn.
Their webs look like a tangle of webs and are usually suspended at least 1.5 metres off the ground. This is so they can hunt flying insects.
They prefer to skulk in kitchens and conservatories.
Although false widows do have a venomous bite, the venom is not potent.
Usually, the only symptom is pain in the place you were bitten for 1-12 hours, rarely for more than 24 hours.
Source: Rochdale Borough Council
“I don’t know any other spider in this country aside from a false widow that can cause this sort of damage.
“They tied my arm above my head but the poison went down my arm, down the back of my shoulders and went down into my left leg. My leg ballooned.
“The poison travelled across my body and I couldn’t walk because my leg ballooned so much. I was on crutches for three weeks. I still have a little limp now.
“My immune system started attacking different parts of my body and I’ve now got reactive arthritis because of it and I’m on steroids for three months.
“This happened in November and I’m still going through it. My little finger on my right hand won’t flatten properly and I still get a dull, constant ache.”
After three weeks in hospital, Brian finally began responding to medication and was discharged to return home where he’s cautious about what could be sharing his bed.
Brian said: “When I was in hospital, my parents fumigated my bedroom and tried looking for the spider but they couldn’t find it.
“Now I always check my bed sheets. I’d tell other people to be very wary of them because they can do a lot of damage.
“I’m slowly getting better but I’m still not 100 per cent.”
When to call 999 if you've been bitten or stung
THE following can be signs of a serious allergic reaction and may need immediate treatment in hospital.
- your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly become swollen
- you’re breathing very fast or struggling to breathe (you may become very wheezy or feel like you’re choking or gasping for air)
- your throat feels tight or you’re struggling to swallow
- your skin, tongue or lips turn blue, grey or pale (if you have black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet)
- you suddenly become very confused, drowsy or dizzy
- someone faints and cannot be woken up
- a child is limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do (their head may fall to the side, backwards or forwards, or they may find it difficult to lift their head or focus on your face)
You or the person who’s unwell may also have a rash that’s swollen, raised or itchy.
Source: NHS