Woman's entire skin peels off 'like a snake' after a spider bite: ‘My heart rate was stuck between 140-160 for days'

A woman was bitten by a venomous spider and had to be hospitalised for two weeks. After being discharged, her entire skin start peeling off “like a snake.”

A woman named Mynita S. was bitten by a venomous brown recluse spider, triggering sudden and severe symptoms despite her being completely fine just moments earlier. She shared her ordeal on Instagram, revealing that she was hospitalised for weeks with severe symptoms, including an inability to walk or feed herself, a dangerously high heart rate, and critically low haemoglobin and oxygen levels.

This woman's skin started peeling off after she was bit by a brown recluse spider.(Instagram)

However, the most striking part came after her discharge, when she shared an Instagram video, detailing how her skin continued to react to the venom long after the initial bite. In the video, she shows patches of skin peeling away from different parts of her body “like a snake”. In her caption, she wrote, “A Brown Recluse Spider bit me - it had me shedding like a snake and looking like a web. Those things are venomous and deadly! Small in size and mighty in destruction.”

New fear unlocked: She was bitten by a brown recluse spider, and this is how her body reacted to it.
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The woman’s ordeal

Mynita was struck by a sudden misfortune when she had to be hospitalised on account of a spider bite. She recalled, “Something so unexpected happened to me on May 17th, 2025. I found myself hospitalised for two weeks because I was bit by a Brown Recluse Spider.”

The symptoms struck without warning, and she went on to recount the harrowing experience in detail in her Instagram post. She said, “One day I was perfectly fine, and then…BOOM. I couldn’t walk on my own, couldn’t feed myself, couldn’t wash myself and couldn’t even keep my eyes open. I lost my independence overnight. My heart rate was stuck between 140-160 for days, laying down in the hospital bed while my oxygen levels dropped dangerously low. Things got so bad, my hemoglobin plummeted to three, and I had to be intubated for days-not even knowing what’s happening to me. My body was literally fighting itself from within.”

What is a brown recluse spider?

A brown recluse spider is an eight-legged arachnid which inhabits southeastern and midwestern US, and can be found in warm, dry and dark places. It ranges from tan to dark brown in colour and has a striking violin shaped mark on its back.

What happens when you get bitten?

According to Cleveland Clinic, a brown recluse spider bite may not be immediately noticeable because it is often painless at first. However, reactions can vary widely, ranging from mild skin irritation to severe and potentially dangerous complications.

Mild symptoms: Pain; ache at the site; pain surrounding muscles near the bite; pain in your abdomen, back, chest and legs; blister at the site; swelling; bruising.

Severe symptoms: Rash, fever, dizziness, vomiting, chills, restlessness or difficulty sleeping.

Brown recluse spider bite stages

According to WebMD, brown recluse spider bites can change over time. Here’s what to expect:

• The bite: Usually painless, sometimes a mild sting.
• Within 1 hour: Redness appears; two fang marks may be visible.
• 2-8 hours: Red area spreads, centre turns pale forming a bull’s-eye; pain, bruising, fatigue, nausea or muscle aches may occur.
• Next few days: A white blister forms, followed by a hard scab; the centre may sink and turn blue, purple or black.
• Following weeks: Dead skin peels as the wound heals; severe cases may worsen and need medical care.

Why does this happen?

HT Lifestyle reached out to Dr Akriti Gupta - Founder and Chief Dermatologist from Jivisha Clinic Gujranwala Town and Yamuna Vihar in New Delhi - to gain further medical insight into how the body reacts to a brown recluse spider bite. She explains that the venom of this spider contains enzymes that damage skin cells and the tiny blood vessels supplying them. She adds, “When blood flow to that area is disrupted, the skin does not get enough oxygen and nutrients, leading to local tissue death, also known as necrosis.”

What makes these bites tricky is that they may not seem serious at first. Dr Gupta explains that many people feel only mild irritation initially, but over the next 24-72 hours, inflammation increases and the damaged skin begins to break apart. As the deeper layers are affected, the body naturally sheds the dead tissue. This process can cause the skin to peel or slough off in sheets, sometimes resembling snake-like peeling. The dermatologist highlights, “It’s important to understand that this is not normal exfoliation or healing skin - it is the body removing damaged tissue so healing can begin underneath.”

Dr Gupta points out, “Not every brown recluse bite progresses to this stage. Many remain mild and heal on their own. However, if a bite becomes increasingly painful, develops a dark center, blisters, or open wounds, medical attention is essential. Early treatment helps limit tissue damage and prevents infection or scarring.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.