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A woman suffered paralysis and was hospitalised for four days after being bitten in her sleep by a spider.

Lauren Reid was left with a gaping hole in her arm after the horrific arachnid attack in her Kingstanding home. The spreading venom robbed her of use of the limb.

She is now waiting for tests to reveal the type of spider which struck on Monday, October 20.

“I was in my bedroom asleep when I felt something crawl across my left arm,” said 21-year-old Lauren. “I pushed it off and noticed something sticking out my arm. It looked like a thick black hair.

“I pulled it out, cleaned it up and went back to sleep.”

By the morning the small, red mark on Lauren’s arm had swollen to a huge lump.

She visited her doctor, who prescribed antibiotics and explained the wound looked like an abscess.

“I was in an unbelievable amount of pain,” Lauren added. “My arm was paralysed and stuck in an upwards position.

“If I tried to move it, it felt as though my arm would rip off.”

The admin worker also suffered sickness, drowsiness and hot and cold flushes.

Lauren visited her local walk-in health centre, but was told it may take a few days for the antibiotics to take effect. “My arm felt really hot and I had shooting pains. Eventually my friend told me we should go to A&E. She was that worried.

“When we arrived, the doctors looked stumped. I don’t think they had seen anything like it, which was really scary.”

Lauren visited Good Hope Hospital on Sunday - and stayed there for four days, being treated with intravenous antibiotics.

But she is still none-the-wiser over what type of spider left her in so much pain.

“I think if I hadn’t listened to my friend and gone to hospital, I may have had to have my arm amputated.

“I was deteriorating very quickly.

“I’m back home now, but I don’t even want to go to sleep in my bedroom.

“I’m shaking now just thinking about it. I’m scared to be on my own.”

*Last month a Birmingham mum issued a warning to parents after her daughter’s body turned bright crimson after she was bitten by a SPIDER.

It prompted dozens of you to send pictures of spiders you found in your home