The Brown recluse venom causes tissue necrosis.  The enzyme primarily responsible is sphingomyelinase D (or phospolipase D), which disrupts cellular membranes.  Various other enzymes in the venom may act as foreign antigens to trigger the victim's immune response and contribute to necrosis.

There are mixed theories on the proper treatment for a Brown Recluse Spider bite and varying degrees of success.   Please search on treatments reported by actual victims.  Also see Analysis of Linda's Bite.

• Auer Classification of systemic signs and symptoms of brown recluse spider bites.

• Modified Stun Gun Treatment  / 25KV Electronic Device
  • Stanley D. Abrams, MD
    • Dr. Abrams' Web Site:  http://www.spiderbitetreatment.com/ 
    • A patient's before picture and after stun gun treatment picture 1 , picture 2.
    • Patient Stories of the Stun Gun Treatment: Msg# 34 & 164, 166, 42
      Note: For additional patient stories search on "Stun Gun" in the database.
  • Carl D. Osborn, MD (deceased) - An explanation of the Stun Gun Treatment.
  • Ronald Guderian, MD (Ecuador) - "A Shocking Cure For Snakebite" by Larry Mueller, Outdoor Life, July 1988.
  • Marla Jo Mccutchan's Web Site: http://www.brownreclusespider.net/
  • Moran Voorhis (Sierra Star) - "Spider victim's choice: surgery or lawn mower or ?"

• Medications and Surgery
  • Wui-Leong Koh, MD
  • Dr. Gary Tamkin (University of California/San Francisco)
    Paper: "Emergency Management of BRS Bites" for the Global Emergency Medical Archives (GEMA)
  • EMedicine.com - Spider Envenomations, Brown Recluse http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic547.htm

  • Dr. Kenneth Burton recommends nitroglycerin patches., "The Brown Recluse Spider: Finally Stopped In Its Tracks"

• Other Articles
  • Diagnosis of loxoscelism in two Turkish patients confirmed with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay