Dad-of-three Brian Smith, 43, from Maidstone, Kent, almost had to have his limbs amputated and developed arthritis after he was bitten by a suspected false widow spider
A dad was told his hand might need to be cut off after he was bitten by a suspected false widow spider in his sleep.
Brian Smith, 43, from Maidstone, Kent, is warning others about venomous insects in the UK after his arm nearly “exploded” after the bite. In November, he woke up to a “really sharp pain” in his right hand but managed to get back to sleep. However, when he woke up again in the morning, he could barely move it.
The dad-of-three went to hospital and was initially sent home with antibiotics, but after the sensation got worse he had no choice but to go back. By this point, the poison spread, leaving him unable to walk as his leg “ballooned”.
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Speaking about the ordeal, he 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.”
Doctors told Brian he had suffered a serious reaction to the spider’s venom and may need a portion of his hand cut off. “[The doctors] told me I had 20 per cent left of my hand to swell before it would explode like a balloon,” he explained.
“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.
“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.”
