My neighbor was bitten by a brown recluse in Northern IL, where they are rather rare, but do exist. His skin did exactly what others report. It became black and a huge open wound followed. This led to nerve damage so severe that he refuses to drive. He said his nerve problems cause him to either slam the brakes or floor the gas, sometimes hitting both pedals at once. He has these rapid, painful jerking involuntary motions as well. Be wary of all spiders. Consider them all dangerous.

I was bitten by a BRS in my sleep on the back of my head. When I woke I knew right away something had bit me because I could feel I little bump on the back of my head. The next morning I woke to a bump the size of a half of apple on my head. I showed my neighbor who knew right away what it was. It is slowly healing but it has been six months and it still itches like crazy no matter what I put on it. I live in MI and they say it's too cold up here for them but it was for sure a BRS bite. The pain has been pretty bad and it keeps leaking this clear fluid. I think more people need to know about this spider so they can look out for it and know what to do if bitten. I never heard of them til I was bitten.

So far I've been lucky on the bite site--no big gaping hole. it does have a pus pocket in the middle and really reddish color and swollen part is hard as a rock and hurts. My whole body itches on the inside and outside and I've got hives.

I was bitten almost three months ago on my tailbone. The bite happened while I was sleeping and I felt no pain. About a week after I was bitten, I noticed a dented, very dark, almost black, wound and it hurt terribly. I am disabled and was scheduled to see my pain management specialist in about a week so I thought I would ask her to look at it. She told me I was bit by a venomous spider, a black widow or a brown recluse and that it would start to heal on its own. My doctor said because the bite was not pustuous and looked to be healing. She also said for me to keep antibiotic cream on it and if it worsened, go to the ER. I was surprised she didn't give me antibiotics or other treatment but she said I was lucky the wound had not blistered or ever oozed with pus. It's been about three months now, and the bite wound is not black anymore but it is still flaky and itchy. I continue to put cream on it to help with the healing. Although I know I will always have a nasty scar, I have researched this type of spider bite and feel very lucky mine did not grow to the size of some I've seen and that it did not pus up and blister like the very severe ones I've seen in pictures. I also heard hydrogen peroxide helps so I'm going to start using that to hopefully help with the healing.

I was bitten last Friday. I have one bite on my left palm and one on the right pinky. I have extreme swelling, purple skin and throbbing pain in both hands. I was prescribed antibiotics, which are working.

I noticed a little red blister with two fang marks on my index finger 6 days ago. The skin is now being eaten away downwardly and outwardly and about the size of a dime. You can still see the fang marks perfectly in the deepest areas burned down. It's hot to the touch, and the skin surrounding is dark red. Not that painful, but it is ugly!

I was bitten by a brown recluse spider. It was in the bed sheets. I was ill throughout the night and went to the ER early the next morning. I was admitted later that day and on Monday afternoon, the wound care doctor officially confirmed a brown recluse bite. I spent 12 days in the hospital. I developed toxic shock syndrome and renal failure, having to receive blood transfusions. I developed fluid around my lungs which caused labored breathing. My wound care doctor informed me that about 1% of people bitten by the Brown Recluse have the reaction that I had. I almost did not survive the bite. I was bitten under my left shoulder blade. A plastic surgeon closed the wound because it would not heal after 3 months. Two weeks after he removed the staples, the wound opened again. The wound finally healed after 6 months, leaving a deep, sunken in scar which is tender.

I was bitten and thought it was a boil, but five days later ended in hospital had to have surgery to cut a hole out of my leg. I am now on five antibiotics including an IV at home. This is a very nasty bit and I have a long recovery with possible skin graph needed. Watch where you sit and what you touch. The spider was on my golf cart seat and I sat on it. BEWARE!

I was bitten by a brown recluse about a year ago, and when it bit me I was in my living room. It stung really badly, but I just ignored it. The next day it was swollen and looked like a pimple that needed to be popped. It hurt but I don't think my bite was very severe. My mother is a doctor and she told me to put this medicine on it, because she thought it was a boil. It got worse and I ended up going to the doctor because I literally had a hole the size of a dime on my waist. It hurt really badly, but it was nothing I couldn't handle. I did not have insurance at the time so the doctor couldn't test the infection to see exactly what it was. But between him and my mother they both said recluse bite. It took weeks to heal, and I have a scar a half inch on my belly. Yes I was given antibiotics and pain medicine throughout this experience.