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Thanks for your post. We contacted the Banner Poison Control Center in Phoenix and a representative said that the Brown Recluse Spiders that we have in Arizona do not cause those types of symptoms. In Arizona, they are not considered 'true' Brown Recluses. Were you bitten in another state?

She also went on to say that any insect in Arizona would not cause those types of symptoms. It sounds like you may have another type of medical condition, the Poison Control Center said.

And I see that HIV and Hepatitis were ruled out as factors contributing to your elevated liver enzymes. There may be some other causes, however, according to the Mayo Clinic:

* Side effect of medication, such as certain nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), cholesterol medications, antibiotics or anti-seizure medications
* Drinking alcohol
* Obesity
* Diabetes
* Elevated triglycerides
* Infection, such as mononucleosis
* Autoimmune disorders of the liver and bile ducts, such as autoimmune hepatitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis or primary biliary cirrhosis
* Metabolic liver disease, such as hemochromatosis or Wilson's disease
* Excessive use of certain herbal supplements, such as kava, comfrey, pennyroyal or skullcap
* Gallstones
* Tumors of the liver, pancreas or bile ducts

Have you been tested for any of those conditions to your knowledge?

The first thing that comes to mind is that you are taking medications for cholesterol. You have all the symptoms of Lipitor or Zocor side effects. Or red rice yeast. Any of these can cause high liver enzyme counts or muscle weakness.

Are you taking at statins? Do you have high cholesterol?

I live in an area of Texas where the brown recluse is one of the two most venomous spiders of concern (the other being the black widow). It is known for its painful bite that can result in serious tissue damage.

It seems to me that you, or your doctor, would have been able to determine whether or not you were bitten by a brown recluse, sooner than later. People react to spider bites differently; but, perhaps these resources could help others learn and understand more about this elusive little creature:

Identifying and Misidentifying the Brown Recluse Spider, Rick Vetter, Dermatology Online Journal 5 (2): 7, Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside

UCR research and extension on Spiders and other Arachnids

Brown Recluse Spider Bite, eMedicine.com (WebMD)

First of all I was bitten in Arizona, I thought it may have triggered something to cause these other symptoms, I got blood tests back on 6/17/08 now they say it may be M.S. have to go to the Dr. on 6/23/08.I do not take any medication at all not prescribed or over the counter

Have been diagnosed with Poly Myositis my symptoms fit this disease to a T! Will have a muscle biopsy done on the 30Th and then they can start treatment,have been informed it is treatable but is a rare disease.

Knowledge really IS power, isn't it?! I'm glad you found a diagnosis to your symptoms. I was curious about polymyositis, and here is information from the Mayo Clinic website .

Will you come back to EmpowHer.com and write a SHARE article about this condition, telling us what your doctor said, how the muscle biopsy goes, and what treatment options you are given. It will help many women, and we want to know how you are doing!

What is polymyositis?
- an uncommon disease that causes inflammation in your muscles; a type of connective tissue disease.
- most noticeable characteristic is muscle weakness
- can occur at any age, but it mostly affects adults in their 40s and 50s.
- myopathies are suspected to be autoimmune disorders, in which your body's immune system mistakes normal components of your body for foreign substances and attacks them.
- an unknown cause seems to trigger your immune system to begin producing autoimmune antibodies (also called autoantibodies) that may damage healthy body tissues.
- many people with polymyositis show a detectable level of autoantibodies in their blood. It's still unclear, however, whether these autoantibodies are indeed involved in causing polymyositis.

You mentioned that you are receiving a muscle biopsy in a few days, here is a link to the diagnosing/testing options:
Muscle biopsy. A small piece of muscle tissue is removed surgically for laboratory analysis. A muscle biopsy may reveal abnormalities in your muscles, such as inflammation, damage or infection. The sample also can be examined for the presence of abnormal proteins and checked for enzyme deficiencies.

Several treatment options as well, including:
Corticosteroids (prednisone). These medications suppress your immune system, limiting the production of antibodies and reducing muscle inflammation.

Please be aware, according to Mayo Clinic, and ask your doctor about these supplements, if you choose to go the corticosteroid route:
- Prolonged use of corticosteroids can have serious side effects including osteoporosis, weight gain, diabetes, increased risk of some infections, mood swings, cataracts, high blood pressure, a redistribution of body fat and muscle weakness. As a result, your doctor may also recommend supplements, such as calcium and vitamin D, and may prescribe bisphosphonates, such as alendronate (Fosamax) or risedronate (Actonel), to counteract loss of bone density.

Other immunosuppressants. If your body doesn't respond adequately to corticosteroids, your doctor may recommend other immunosuppressive drugs, such as azathioprine (Imuran) or methotrexate (Rheumatrex). Your doctor may prescribe these alone or in combination with corticosteroids.

Polymyositis treatments that are still under investigation include:
- Plasmapheresis. This treatment, also called plasma exchange, is a type of blood cleansing in which damaging antibodies are removed from your blood.
- Radiation therapy. This involves irradiation of the lymph nodes to suppress your immune system.
- Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg). This involves receiving intravenous infusions of antibodies from a group of donors over two to five days. This treatment is usually expensive. It may be an option for you if your dermatomyositis is severe or resistant to other forms of therapy.
- Fludarabine (Fludara). This agent prevents the development and growth of malignant cells.
- Tacrolimus (Prograf). This transplant-rejection drug may work to inhibit the immune system. Tacrolimus is often used topically to treat dermatomyositis and other skin problems.
- Monoclonal antibodies. These man-made antibodies are designed to target and destroy specific types of cells. Clinical trials are studying the effects of infliximab (Remicade) and rituximab (Rituxan) on both polymyositis and dermatomyositis.

Last year I was drinking heavily and was diagnosed with this. My doctor has advised moderation and I have since cut my drinking in half. However with a new blood test a week away I'm nervous. I wish to stop drinking until then. If alcohol is the culprit, will a week be enough time?

UPDATE had muscle biopsy on 7/01/08.My Dr. had me admited to the hospital on 6/29/08 so he could get a surgeon to do the biopsy. He has me on Prednisone and also prescribed Cellecept.This drug is $945.00 a month. he also had me call the drug co. AND THEY ARE PUTTING ME ON a patient asist prg. I am still very weak my Dr. says my muscles are not damaged but it will still be awhile before I feel alot better. Unfortunately I live alone and missed alot of work.I was unable to pay my rent for this month and tried to get different churches in my area to help me. But help came too late and I've been evicted. I'm still trying to hold my head up and not let this get me down. I have to move tomorrow and not sure where I'm going as of yet. Things have to get better! My Dr. wante to put me on Disability but the state lost my paper work so I can only depend on myself. So i'm still working but very weak

Give acupuncture and herbal medicine a try.