Extreme attempt to ‘get high’: Woman injects black widow venom and ends up in ICU

A rare and deliberate exposure to black widow venom sent a 37-year-old woman to intensive care after she injected a ground-up spider into her bloodstream to get high. Doctors documented severe muscle pain, breathing distress and cardiovascular symptoms, likely intensified by an allergic reaction and an unusually high venom dose. The patient recovered after several days of supportive treatment.