Medical treatment for spider bites
There are medical treatments that a doctor will give you, however, it will depend on certain factors such as which spider bit you, the severity of the bite, and the amount of time that has passed since you got bitten.
Treatments that may help if you are bitten by a venomous spider include:
- Anti-venom, to neutralize venom
- Antibiotics, to treat or prevent secondary bacterial infections
- Dapsone (Aczone) or other antibiotics, to fight bacteria from a brown recluse spider
Treatments prescribed to help relieve pain and inflammation include:
- topical or narcotic pain relievers, to help with pain and muscle spasms
- colchicine (Colcrys, Mitagare), to help reduce swelling and pain
- diphenhydramine (Benadryl), to help relieve itching or allergic reactions
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or aspirin, to help reduce inflammation and pain
- corticosteroids, to help reduce inflammation
Note that injecting corticosteroids into the spider bite or applying the cream isn’t recommended and may worsen the injury.
Other treatments include:
- hyperbaric oxygen therapy, to help speed up wound healing
- nitroglycerin, to treat heart symptoms