In the 1990s, an American woman tried something shocking that ended up in a medical journal: injecting herself with a blend of crushed spider. And this isn’t a tale of superpowers, folks, but a “very bad trip.”
A 90s American injected a crushed black widow spider into herself.
Ever wondered why spiders freak us out? Zoologist Yvan Kereun-Appa breaks it down.
The California Experiment
Back in the ’90s, researchers in California stumbled upon a bizarre medical case. A woman decided to explore uncharted territory in the pursuit of a high. Her method? Injecting herself with a concoction that’s definitely not doctor-approved, and it was all documented in the 1996 issue of Annals of Emergency Medicine.
A 37-year-old woman, who had a history of heroin use, whipped up a special brew. The recipe included one whole, crushed black widow spider and 10 milliliters of distilled water. She then injected the mixture intravenously.
Swift and Severe Symptoms
Less than an hour later, she was at the ER, complaining of brutal muscle cramps, mainly in her abdomen, thighs, and back. Headaches and intense anxiety piled on.
Her condition quickly spiraled. Her heart rate shot up to 188 beats per minute (a healthy adult usually clocks in between 60 and 100), and her blood pressure soared to 188/108 mm Hg (normal is under 140/90).
Morphine offered little relief, and breathing became a struggle. Doctors noted, “contraction of bronchial smooth muscles was partially responsible for respiratory distress, likely due to the large quantities of black widow venom entering her system.”
Admitted to intensive care, she needed respiratory assistance for days. She confessed to the doctors that she was trying to get high, denying any suicidal thoughts.
The Potent Venom’s Unseen Dangers
Black widow venom packs a serious punch. Scientific journal Annals of Emergency Medicine reports that it’s “fifteen times more potent than that of a rattlesnake.” While an accidental bite usually causes intense pain but is rarely fatal for adults, injecting a concentrated dose ramps up the risks significantly.
Doctors suspected that a protein in the spider’s anatomy triggered an allergic reaction, intensifying her symptoms. This was backed up by her asthma, which likely worsened her breathing problems.
Thankfully, after days in intensive care and medical monitoring, she recovered. A month later, she was doing well, according to the report. But this tale serves as a stark reminder that extreme experiments with natural substances can be incredibly risky, even deadly. As the study’s authors point out: “Black widow venom is not a substance to be trifled with.”
A Spider-Man Wannabe
Flash forward to 2023, and another case of voluntary envenomation highlighted the dangers of this species. In Bolivia, an eight-year-old boy let a black widow bite him because he wanted to become Spider-Man, according to health officials. He was rushed to the hospital and stabilized after receiving antivenom.
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