Jellyfish

woodstock

woodstock

Final Approach
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I got stung by one yesterday - on my calf. More of a brush-by I'd say as nothing was actually sticking to me when I got out of the water. That ^&*%er hurt though, let me tell you what. I was floating in water that was maybe 5 feet deep.

It basically looks like a chicken footprint across the side of my calf. It's still pretty red but the swelling has gone down a bit - it was rather swollen yesterday. It doesn't bother me unless I touch it.

Anything else I should know/do?

Two years ago we spent an afternoon in late July wave-jumping and saw nary a one. The water (then and now) is bathwater - I bet it's at least 90 degrees. For that matter, we didn't see any jellyfish yesterday including washed up on shore. I never saw it but HOOBOY did I feel it. I am really glad it didn't get my arm/back/face, now.
 
BTDT-- ain't fun!
 
It will hurt for a while. You can bring down the pain with the application of meat tenderizer or any other type of chemical that breaks protein down because that is what the venom is. The application of a little topical Benedryl can also help. As long as you have no other symptoms than just the skin involvement that is the most you need to do.
 
Sponge with ammonia and wipe the area. You could just pee down your legs as well, but ammonia is more effective.
 
Making a paste out of meat tenderizer powder helps - it denatures the proteins in the venom.

Ammonia (or urine) can help.

As can applying hot water (as hot as can be tolerated) since the heat helps denature the protiens too.
 
Henning said:
Sponge with ammonia and wipe the area. You could just pee down your legs as well, but ammonia is more effective.
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Ammonia is the ticket. (I have resorted to the "Au Naturel" remedy as well), but ammonia is best. We kept a bottle on the dive boat I worked on, as well as "Right Guard" deodorant spray for sea urchin spines.
 
woodstock said:
I got stung by one yesterday - on my calf. More of a brush-by I'd say as nothing was actually sticking to me when I got out of the water. That ^&*%er hurt though, let me tell you what. I was floating in water that was maybe 5 feet deep.
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Being new to the Gulf, we've been watching for these little buggers. So far, nothing, but I'm told they can "bloom" dramatically at times.

The water here is like bath water, too. Absolutely perfect.
 
Doggtyred said:
As can applying hot water (as hot as can be tolerated) since the heat helps denature the protiens too.
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Hot water can also cause problems.

The stinging cells that may be in the skin but have not yet actually stung the person, can fire off when they feel attacked. Hot water can make them do that. You need really hot water to kill the cell and start to break down the poison. So be careful with the hot water method.
 
Jay Honeck said:
So far, nothing, but I'm told they can "bloom" dramatically at times.
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We would go to a dive site one day and see not a single one. The next day, same place there might be thousands out there, just drifting a few feet below the surface. Fortunately, the water was clear enough to see them before jumping into the soup.
 
Would you believe it actually looks worse today? I thought it was starting to go away, but the part of my leg that was hit (and has a nice mark) is now an angry red and is swelling up again - by this I mean the mark itself is red and swelling, not an overall section of my leg. plus it itches like hell.
 
woodstock said:
Would you believe it actually looks worse today? I thought it was starting to go away, but the part of my leg that was hit (and has a nice mark) is now an angry red and is swelling up again - by this I mean the mark itself is red and swelling, not an overall section of my leg. plus it itches like hell.
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The stinging cells are nasty little barbs that can keep working their way into the skin before firing off their poison. I suggest some oral Benedryl to help kill the over all histamine reaction. Wash you leg in luke warm soapy water real well. Then soak it in hot water. Lastly a topical Benedryl. Then rest the leg and a couple of glasses of a nice Tuscan red will do wonders.
 
Would you believe I went to Urgent Care yesterday? The damn thing apparently has gotten infected and same has engulfed at least half of my leg. I'm on augmentin for the next ten days, benadryl at night.

It already looks like the extreme swelling is starting to go down a little...
 
No. Way too late for that now - maybe within the first 24 hours it would have worked. I didn't pee on it, either.

How many times have you had a sting?

The doc said that some people don't have much of a reaction. She said I'm apparently very allergic to them - other people might not be.
 
woodstock said:
No. Way too late for that now - maybe within the first 24 hours it would have worked. I didn't pee on it, either.

How many times have you had a sting?
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Way more than I can count, even have been caught up with a Portuguese Man o War on more than one occasion. You should have done it when it was posted up days ago. If it is still spreading, there is still venom, not too late.
 
woodstock said:
Would you believe I went to Urgent Care yesterday? The damn thing apparently has gotten infected and same has engulfed at least half of my leg. I'm on augmentin for the next ten days, benadryl at night.

It already looks like the extreme swelling is starting to go down a little...
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Augmentin? Keep an eye on it and if it's not significantly improving by the third to fourth day you need to see a provider again. Most cellulitis is caused by staph.. and so many staph variants are resistant to penicillins. Dont panic, just keep an eye on it and take the ENTIRE regimen, even after it looks better.
 
Thanks Dave. Is Augmentin really really strong - IE it should be working by now?

What else should I try, do you think? And how bad is staph?

ps. the redness is expanding beyond the outlined area (she drew an outline y'day) BUT the extreme redness/swelling is less. If that makes sense.
 
woodstock said:
And how bad is staph?
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If the stuff you are taking works, then it's not that bad.

If it gets bad, expect to be admitted and get antibiotics via an I.V. drip.

It can (but typically doesn't) get real bad...

My daughter went through this about a month ago - the oral stuff worked and after a week or so she was a lot better. Now all she has is a bit of a scab. It is gonna look real ugly for a while though.
 
Hi all

The meds are working. Other than the site of the sting itself (which has a nice scab going), the leg appears nearly normal. The redness is gone (maybe a little pink, but not really as is the swelling. That's just 2.5 days on the meds, and I have an RX for ten days...

Thanks for the advice/information. What a PITA.
 
woodstock said:
Hi all

The meds are working. Other than the site of the sting itself (which has a nice scab going), the leg appears nearly normal. The redness is gone (maybe a little pink, but not really as is the swelling. That's just 2.5 days on the meds, and I have an RX for ten days...

Thanks for the advice/information. What a PITA.
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Please follow the full course of medicines. This reduces the chance that a strain of bacteria becomes resistant to whatever you are taking.
 
Day 5 on Augmentin and I feel like crap. Mostly breathing - I feel like a weight is on my chest. I didn't feel this way, before today.
 
Time to see a doc.

....developing pcn (amox) allergy
....late serum sickness after massive allergic exposure
....steroid induced pumonary edema
....or something simple like a viral superinfection
....or stuff I can't think of just now....

Not medical advice. See a doc.
 
bbchien said:
Time to see a doc.

....developing pcn (amox) allergy
....late serum sickness after massive allergic exposure
....steroid induced pumonary edema
....or something simple like a viral superinfection
....or stuff I can't think of just now....

Not medical advice. See a doc.
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Ugh, just looking at those makes me squeamish....

When the DOC sez see a doc.... time to go see one..
 
bbchien said:
Time to see a doc.

....developing pcn (amox) allergy
....late serum sickness after massive allergic exposure
....steroid induced pumonary edema
....or something simple like a viral superinfection
....or stuff I can't think of just now....

Not medical advice. See a doc.
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Thanks Dr. B

I went to the doc y'day afternoon.

He was out, but his nurse saw me. Listened to heart and lungs - all clear. blood pressure and pulse normal.

She said discon the amox. Leg looks good. She actually said to just discon the amox and nothing but I said "hey, I was told to go to the end, not sure I want to just stop cold" and that's when she wrote the bactrim rx.

Now, I'm not sure I even want to take the damn bactrim, I don't know if I have allergies to sulfa - I thought I had no allergies to pcn and then this...

You know, first the ****ing ticks, and now the ****ing jellyfish. What gives?
 
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silver-eagle said:
Your cats?
Best of luck on your continued recovery. Think of it as just life's little jokes.
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Cats had nothing to do with the tick. I picked that up when I was 22-23.

I can't wait until this is over. I'm in a quandary - can't take the amox and not sure I should chance the sulfa b/c I simply don't know if I will react to it, now.
 
The thoughts behind "take the full course of antibiotics" are in error in my opinion. Once a bacteria is resistant it's resistant, more antibiotic won't kill it. If the symptoms are abated, and the drug itself is causing discomfort, you should abandon it. If there are resistant bacteria in your body, more antibiotic won't kill them, they're resistant.
 
Thanks Steingar.

Symptoms are abated - but how can I tell if every last bugger is dead? IE if I stop some form of abx, will the 10 cells lurking blossom?

I made it through 4.5 days of the pcn before stopping (last night would have been the full 5 days, out of a ten day regimen).

My lungs feel a little better than y'day but still a little bit tight.

I CANNOT imagine how smokers can smoke. After one day of this weird tight feeling every time I took a breath - I think smokers are crazy.
 
woodstock said:
Thanks Steingar.

Symptoms are abated - but how can I tell if every last bugger is dead? IE if I stop some form of abx, will the 10 cells lurking blossom?

I made it through 4.5 days of the pcn before stopping (last night would have been the full 5 days, out of a ten day regimen).

My lungs feel a little better than y'day but still a little bit tight.

I CANNOT imagine how smokers can smoke. After one day of this weird tight feeling every time I took a breath - I think smokers are crazy.
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If there are ten bacterial cells, they are resistant to the antibiotic and will blossom in its presence or absence. They'll make their presence known, and you'll have to use a different antibiotic to knock them out. Normally, I'd say to continue with the antibiotics, just so you use them up and don't try and use the remainder inappropriately. But if the antibiotics themselves are causing you problems you should discontinue their use and discard the remainder. If you still have some symptoms I would suggest a different antibiotic that you could better handle. If you are asymptomatic, I myself don't see the point, unless some sort of symptom emerges. The problem with antibiotic resistance is not patients failing to take a full course. It is their inappropriate use by just about everyone in our society.

Do keep in mind that I am not an MD. But I doubt anyone could find fault with my science.
 
steingar said:
If there are ten bacterial cells, they are resistant to the antibiotic and will blossom in its presence or absence. They'll make their presence known, and you'll have to use a different antibiotic to knock them out. Normally, I'd say to continue with the antibiotics, just so you use them up and don't try and use the remainder inappropriately. But if the antibiotics themselves are causing you problems you should discontinue their use and discard the remainder. If you still have some symptoms I would suggest a different antibiotic that you could better handle. If you are asymptomatic, I myself don't see the point, unless some sort of symptom emerges. The problem with antibiotic resistance is not patients failing to take a full course. It is their inappropriate use by just about everyone in our society.

Do keep in mind that I am not an MD. But I doubt anyone could find fault with my science.
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I am neither a scientist nor an MD but I assumed that the reason doctors wanted you to take the whole course was to make sure that all the bacteria that could have been killed by the particular antibiotic were dead. Doesn't it take a certain length of time for the antibiotic to work? And wouldn't there be some bacteria which are slightly stronger, although not completely resistant, which would survive longer?
 
Everskyward said:
I am neither a scientist nor an MD but I assumed that the reason doctors wanted you to take the whole course was to make sure that all the bacteria that could have been killed by the particular antibiotic were dead. Doesn't it take a certain length of time for the antibiotic to work? And wouldn't there be some bacteria which are slightly stronger, although not completely resistant, which would survive longer?
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That's what I was wondering.
 
Everskyward said:
I am neither a scientist nor an MD but I assumed that the reason doctors wanted you to take the whole course was to make sure that all the bacteria that could have been killed by the particular antibiotic were dead. Doesn't it take a certain length of time for the antibiotic to work? And wouldn't there be some bacteria which are slightly stronger, although not completely resistant, which would survive longer?
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Different infections work differently in different people. In any given infection the bacterial involved will likely be very similar, but your infection will be different than mine, both in type of bacteria, number, and severity of symptoms. The logical solution is figure out the dose that would kill off the worst imaginable infection, double that, maybe double it again, and make certain the patient takes it. If the physician told you to take half, and the infection came back, it would be pretty bad for him or her, as well as you. Since it doesn't really hurt you to take more, you might as well. However, in the present case the drug is hurting you.

I imagine physicians tell you to do this because its what they've been trained to say in medical school. They may have been given a rationale, such as bacterial resistance, but that really doesn't apply to this situation. Treating with an antibiotic longer actually increases the chances of the bacteria becoming resistant. Treating an asymptomatic patient with antibiotics does likewise. The antibiotic you're using doesn't even kill bacteria, your immune system does that.
 
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