Most exposures to black widow spider venom are accidental, but in a rare medical case, the exposure was intentional.
The patient: A 37-year-old woman in California
The symptoms: The woman visited the emergency room with severe cramps and muscle pain, primarily in her back, abdomen and thighs. She also reported having a headache and feeling anxious. Her pulse, respiratory rate and blood pressure were elevated, and she had a temperature of 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit (37.5 degrees Celsius), a little below the typical threshold for a fever.
What happened next: Upon admission to the ER, the patient — who had a history of heroin use — told her doctors that she had tried to get high by grinding up a black widow spider (Latrodectus genus), mixing it with 0.35 fluid ounces (10 milliliters) of distilled water, and then injecting it intravenously. Her symptoms appeared one hour later. Several hours after arriving at the hospital, the woman began to have trouble breathing. Her wheezing became so severe that she was moved to the intensive care unit (ICU).
I’m curious how much of her issue was the venom. The report said the doctors determined it was, but my guess is it was more complicated. If she literally ground up the spider and mixed it with water, the majority of the substance that entered her blood would be varying bits of spider, not the minuscule (in comparison) amount of venom. Her symptoms seem like generalized, massive inflammation, similar to anaphylaxis.
Imagine your mast cells dumping their histamine, but rather than just locally, as would be seen in a small cut or injection, everywhere that bloody spider went. Hint, it would be everywhere your blood goes in the body. Now you have all the classic innate immune system cells creating cytokine storms, just like you’d see with super antigens, but it’s everywhere. The actual venom being present in addition to the various spider proteins and such would contribute, without a doubt, but how much?
Anyone have access to the actual article? It’s ridiculous that an event documented in a scientific journal nearly 30 years ago still remains locked behind a wall for the benefit of fucking elsevier.