# what bit me?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 6, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bit-me/147046 "2003-01-06T23:55:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bit-me/147046/1 "2003-01-06T23:55:36Z")
A little over a week ago, I was lucky enough to have been bitten in my arm pit (of all places) by some lowly bug/insect/misc. Initially, I dismissed it as a mosquito bite. It was small, red, itched a lot and annoyed the hell out of me. But then it turned into a huge and rather painful lump. I sqeezed it in hopes that pus would leak out but nothing happened. Oh great, so I had this freakishly large lump under my arm that itched and hurt like the devil. Eh, no biggie. I’d just swear off tank tops for a few days til it went away. Sounded like a good plan… that is until I realized the lump was only growing larger and more painful each day. Right now, it’s slightly larger than a quarter in circumference and it elevated about 1/4 inch or so. I tried doing internets searches for it, only to find a bunch of sites about black widows and brown recluses. This doesn’t look like either. -pained and stumped. ☹ 😕 ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bit-me/147046/2 "2003-01-07T00:20:00Z")
Sounds like just a plain old spider bite, but I would head to an MD just to be safe - who knows - it could have [layed its eggs](http://www.snopes.com/horrors/insects/spiderbt.htm) in there… ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bit-me/147046/3 "2003-01-07T01:20:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by alice\_in\_wonderland \* > \*\*it could have [layed its eggs](http://www.snopes.com/horrors/insects/spiderbt.htm) in there… \*\* :eek: Regular spider bite, eh? Should it stick around for over a week, and should it be growing grotesquely large and paining me damn near to death? ---
**Author:** ![hobbes730](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/97f17d/32.png) [@hobbes730](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hobbes730)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bit-me/147046/4 "2003-01-07T01:41:56Z")
If it’s continuing to grow larger _shrug_…I think it’s probably something a little more than a spider bite, and something you’d want to have checked out by a doc. It could be a sign of infection, some sort of parasite, or even worse (as bizarre as it sounds) what alice I think jokingly suggested - there are hundreds of species of flies, wasps, and spiders that lay their eggs when they sting/bite, even in the US; it’s not likely that this is what happened, but certainly possible. In any case, if it’s not getting better, I’d definitely advise a visit to the doc. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bit-me/147046/5 "2003-01-07T01:45:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MeanOldLady \* > \*\* Should it stick around for over a week, and should it be growing grotesquely large and paining me damn near to death? \*\* Humm - this sounds a tad worse than your original post made it sound. Listen - if you’re about to sprout a second head out of your armpit, I think you should seek some medical attention pronto, rather than complaining about it on a message board. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bit-me/147046/6 "2003-01-07T02:23:06Z")
It’s not quite the size of a second head (almost though), but it’s freakishly large. I’m kind of hoping it’ll go away, but doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen any time soon. I’d go to the doc, but that whole med insurance thing… Hmm… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bit-me/147046/7 "2003-01-07T02:36:59Z")
That was me what bit you, mol. Sorry, but you just looked so damned yummy. What you gotta do is go to an old graveyard, at midnight, turn around three times, and… Go to the doc. Peace, MeanOldMan ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bit-me/147046/8 "2003-01-07T02:58:52Z")
Could it be the combination of a run-of-the-mill spider bite plus infection from deoderant / body spray? ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bit-me/147046/9 "2003-01-07T03:14:56Z")
IANAD, and I don’t play one on TV, but I’d guess you have [cellulitis](http://www.brighamandwomens.org/patient/patientframes.asp?id=20) from an [insect bite](http://www.fpnotebook.com/ER8.htm). Many non-poisonous insect bites can lead to [skin infections](http://dermatlas.med.jhmi.edu/derm/result.cfm?Diagnosis=103), and the redness and swelling you describe sound like infection symptoms. So, yes, see your doctor first thing in the AM if not tonight. You don’t want any lymphatic involvement, and the axillary nodes are near that spot. ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bit-me/147046/10 "2003-01-07T03:17:37Z")
Oh, I should have warned people, that last link is to a site with dermatology photos, which some may find off-putting. I also asked my wife, who is a doctor, and she told me to add that part about seeing your doctor tonight or tomorrow morning. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bit-me/147046/11 "2003-01-07T03:26:52Z")
I suppose it can be an infected spider bite. It doesn’t really look like any of those pics on that page. I suppose if it doesn’t get any better by morning (and I suspect it will not), I’ll have to muster up a few jillion dollars so that I can have a doctor poke me with cotton swabs and give me drugs. Arrr…