# Bite Report - Poecilotheria ornata



## boxofsorrows (Nov 7, 2011)

Sunday 25th August 2013 approx 17:00hrs
Species: Poecilotheria ornata, approx 5.5", female.
Me: Male, 42yrs old 5'10", heavy build. Various allergies (furry animals, dust, pollen etc) which also trigger asthma.

Overview:
Spider bolted out during maintenance, onto my hand which I kept completely still, paused then circled to my inner wrist where it then bit - my assumption is that my pulse was the trigger. 
Managed to re-tub spider although with difficulty due to the pain onset (spider is safe and well).
Pain was fast to set in and became intense, unbearable within minutes. Ambulance was called and a shot of Piriton and morphine given in the van*.
Muscle spasms and cramps were intense and agonising in the first 24hrs, they are still ongoing at the point of posting this, worse at night, mostly just annoying but with the odd one thrown in that completely seizes up the affected limb.

Bite area observations:
Initial bite felt like a "sting" followed rapidly by radiating, pulsating pain increasing in severity. Varied from stinging to burning. Extremely painful to touch the skin. Erythema noted around area on the hospital notes.
As the pain subsided on Monday the area from wrist to middle of lower arm felt like it had been repeatedly stung by nettles over and over, tender and tingling.
Tuesday morning a red rash around bite area appeared and went after approx 1hr. (medication possibly?)
Approx 7" x 4" around bite area red & inflamed on Tuesday lunchtime, monitored for secondary infection but cleared by Wednesday. Released from hospital Wednesday PM.
Wednesday the redness and swelling has subsided, area still feels a bit tender as though bruised (but no bruising).

Other notes:
Creatine kinase (CK) count in bloods was 385 on Tuesday and had risen to 510 on Wednesday, Doctor attributed this to the effects of the severe muscle cramps but the increases warranted an extra night stay in hospital to monitor (potential danger to kidneys).

Few partial medical notes I jotted down (doses are correct, times might be out as I scribbled these down roughly):

```
Sunday                 Monday
        17:50    18:40    21:15    23:45    02:45    07:15    09:45    17:00
Morphine    10mg    5mg    5mg    5mg    5mg    5mg
Diazepam            6mg        4mg        4mg    4mg
Metodopramide            10mg
Calcium Gluconate                        10mg(IV)
Paracetamol 500mg per 4hrs
Heart Rate    121    115    96    83    81    76    89    74
Blood Pressure    147/77    108/69    101/69    112/66    125/68    152/85    118/71    143/96
Respiration remained at 16-18 breaths per minute throughout.
SpO2 (oxygen saturation) remained at 97-98 throughout.
Temperature peaked at 37.5 in the first hours, then 36.8 with a drop to 36.1 then 36.3 briefly.
```
Hospital had not dealt with a bite from a Tarantula before, various sources were contacted/consulted including good old Google, checking specifically for the species, my stay was lengthened by extended "better safe than sorry" monitoring of the after effects. Hospital staff were very good under the circumstances with the lack of previous cases to refer too, which also meant they spent a lot of time asking endless questions!

*Piriton and (I think) morphine were given in the ambulance before setting off for hospital, I don't know the doses on these but I don't recall the journey too, or initially arriving at, hospital.

Please note, I'm posting this report for the benefit of others and the hobby as a whole. There is no intent to put these spiders (or the sale/keeping of them) into a negative light. I believe it would be more detrimental not to post these details and leave people not fully aware of the potential risk. It may also discourage the blasé attitudes and especially handling photo's and video's seen on some websites.

Edit - forgot to add that I'm taking Calcium + Vitamin D, Magnesium and Glucosamine supplements to try and relieve the ongoing muscle cramps.


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## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

What a very informative report, hope you are well on the mend now Lee.


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## HowseR21 (Nov 5, 2011)

Good to know you're on the mend at least. And fairplay that is one EXTENSIVE bite report! 

I think it's a good idea like you said to highlight the potential and educate those less familiar with T's (Me)

Get well soon : victory:


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## boxofsorrows (Nov 7, 2011)

I've had a couple of big cramps/spasm's this afternoon, my right leg knotted up down the front pulling my foot up at a weird angle and locking it solid for a good 5minutes. Typing is triggering them in my fingers.
The worst are certainly the leg ones though.


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## herper147 (Feb 7, 2009)

One of the interesting things I have read on here in a long time, didn't expect the effects of a bite to last such a long time and be so extreme

Good to see your on the mend


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## martin3 (May 24, 2011)

herper147 said:


> One of the interesting things I have read on here in a long time, didn't expect the effects of a bite to last such a long time and be so extreme
> 
> Good to see your on the mend


It could still get worse before it gets better..

Glad your ok B O S..


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## Guest (Aug 29, 2013)

You get morphine for taking a bite? 

*Runs off to the spider cupboard*


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## Buzzlightyear (May 28, 2011)

Good to see you back on the mend fella ,

Take care of yourself ,

Best wishes,

Buzz.


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## Harbinger (Dec 20, 2008)

boxofsorrows said:


> including good old Google,


And you didnt die?!


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## rikki446 (Nov 24, 2011)

Great report very detailed thanks for posting people need to be made aware of the risks and effects of a bite from these magnificent creatures glad your on the mend


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## garlicpickle (Jan 16, 2009)

At least it was Google they consulted and not Yahoo Answers 

It does just demonstrate how nasty a bite from one of these spiders can be. I'm glad you are home and on the mend Lee, hope the cramps ease off soon.


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## minz (Apr 16, 2013)

Wow, I hope it eases off soon, good to hear your getting better.


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## Drift (Aug 18, 2012)

Great report mate!
Glad your on the mend dude.


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## AilsaM (May 18, 2011)

Wow such an informative report and the most interesting thing I've seen on here for a while, am also glad you've not had any negative comments from certain people.

Hope your on the mend now fella!!


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

Glad you are on the mend! one thing is for sure nature is amazing!

the report is detailed and well written and could be a source of great help for anyone else that encounters a bite.

Ive been done by a fair few scorps but never had any more than localised pain.

hope the cramps stop soon!

john


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

Are you finding the temperature of water affecting pain levels. Were you given any blockers?


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## boxofsorrows (Nov 7, 2011)

Poxicator said:


> Are you finding the temperature of water affecting pain levels. Were you given any blockers?


The soreness/tenderness in my wrist is gone, can't say as I noticed what effect water temp had on it because anything on it the first 24hrs hurt, I was trying to stop the medical staff even touching my arm when I first went in.

"Blockers" - as in beta-blockers for the fluctuating blood pressure/heart rate? Nope, not that I'm aware, I didn't notice any on my notes but most of Sunday evening/night through Monday morning was an utter blur.

I'm still cramping up today and it's still mostly my lower legs causing the problems. Calf muscles on the right leg are really sore from it and tight, the front muscles on both tense up along with the arches of my feet, worse at night still. It's bad enough that when I tried driving the car even a short distance to the local shops today I decided not to go any further because of the tightness and discomfort when operating the pedals.
Had a couple of hand spasms, couple in my sides too but they're short lived - it's the leg ones that are a drag.

As an aside, I felt so bad that she wasted some effort on a bite that didn't get her a meal, that I chucked her a huge fat cricket in today. She slammed it and then I felt bad because I know what it feels like for the prey now!


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## Reeceinleeds (Jun 26, 2013)

Good report glad you are out of hospital hope you back to normal soon (just of to feed my 3 ornata) just put the chainmail on lol


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

boxofsorrows said:


> I've had a couple of big cramps/spasm's this afternoon, my right leg knotted up down the front pulling my foot up at a weird angle and locking it solid for a good 5minutes. Typing is triggering them in my fingers.
> The worst are certainly the leg ones though.


going by your report, sounds like you were lucky, however nasty the experience- i've heard of pokie bites causing irregular heart beats, vomiting, respiratory problems and dizziness.


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## boxofsorrows (Nov 7, 2011)

wilkinss77 said:


> going by your report, sounds like you were lucky, however nasty the experience- i've heard of pokie bites causing irregular heart beats, vomiting, respiratory problems and dizziness.


I had dizziness and nausea, but that was the morphine! 

Hate to jinx myself, but this morning so far only my right leg calf muscle is still sore. Had cramps last night in bed but they're passing faster and I've found that not fidgeting around with them, but staying still and "feeling" for them easing, is hard to do but seems to be working - the more I fight them the more they hang-in there it would seem.


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## Tarantulaguy01 (Mar 31, 2012)

Would the spray deep heat not help you're calf muscles buddy ????


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## Sickone (Jul 10, 2013)

Funk that, sorry to hear man that doesn't sound like anything i'd want to experience. Glad you've posted though as it's made me a little more cautious around the Ornata. Some weird darting around even when not disturbed tells me something not right with this one :lol2:


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## boxofsorrows (Nov 7, 2011)

I've left it a couple of days to see how things go rather than keep updating. Today is 8 days since the bite and I've still got cramps and spasms, they're not anywhere near as frequent and rather than being more frequently in my legs, they're now more sporadic around my body. 

Back at work today I had some *twinges* in my sides and then a "banding" cramp around my upper abdomen and sides that returned a couple of times. 
Early hours of yesterday morning I got a wicked one in my left calf, which made me sit bolt upright out of my sleep - this movement set off an abdominal one that was pretty tight and hurt a fair bit while it lasted.

Felt a bit "off-colour" yesterday, like a cold coming on, but it passed and it would be hard to say whether it was directly linked to the bite or indirectly to just generally having had my body thrashed around for a week.


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## Veyron (Mar 29, 2011)

Definitely worse than a wasp sting.


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## touchthesky (Jun 13, 2012)

Wow, morphine? Wouldn't expect that. Thanks for an informative bite report.


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## F4LL3N4NG3L (May 4, 2013)

My bite from P. regalis was very similar to yours. I never went to hospital or took medication though. I was bitten in a similar place (spider scuttled round to the underside of my forearm and tagged me there, she missed the large vein by a fraction of a millimeter :S), initial pain felt like I had thousand of tiny scarab beetles from the film "The Mummy" crawling around under my skin. 

My cramps lasted around 2 weeks and I agree, the leg ones are definitely among the worst, especially when you are trying to sleep... although the ones in my jaw when I tried to yawn were pretty bad too, my suggestion to counteract this is quinine (which athletes use for muscle cramps)... if the doctor won't prescribe you some form of quinine, drink tonic water which has a high quinine content (not very nice to drink, I know, but it eases the cramps)


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## boxofsorrows (Nov 7, 2011)

F4LL3N4NG3L said:


> My bite from P. regalis was very similar to yours. I never went to hospital or took medication though. I was bitten in a similar place (spider scuttled round to the underside of my forearm and tagged me there, she missed the large vein by a fraction of a millimeter :S), initial pain felt like I had thousand of tiny scarab beetles from the film "The Mummy" crawling around under my skin.
> 
> My cramps lasted around 2 weeks and I agree, the leg ones are definitely among the worst, especially when you are trying to sleep... although the ones in my jaw when I tried to yawn were pretty bad too, my suggestion to counteract this is quinine (which athletes use for muscle cramps)... if the doctor won't prescribe you some form of quinine, drink tonic water which has a high quinine content (not very nice to drink, I know, but it eases the cramps)


I think what really took me by surprise was the speed that it went through me and the sheer intensity. I'm getting the odd leg/foot cramp, but they're once in a blue moon now. I don't ever want to find out how a different Pokie compares, that's for sure!


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## martin lees (Jan 4, 2011)

Nowt that a few rocks of crack and 8 cans of special brew couldn't sort out.:gasp:


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## F4LL3N4NG3L (May 4, 2013)

Lmfao Martin... at the time, if I had 8 cans of special brew and a few rocks of crack, I may have considered it... I settled for a few cans of stella and a big fat, erm, "cigarette" though


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

martin lees said:


> Nowt that a few rocks of crack and 8 cans of special brew couldn't sort out.:gasp:


You and your Special Brew lmao


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## jorge666 (Apr 6, 2012)

martin lees said:


> Nowt that a few rocks of crack and 8 cans of special brew couldn't sort out.:gasp:


Martin having flash backs of the Hacienda


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