12 replies to this topic

[uwfan]

I slipped away to Cozumel recently. I enjoyed it even though I had to keep telling the boat crew I wanted to set up my own gear...LOL...no one else seemed to be bothered (until I discovered the trip leader was also readjusting his gear).

All was well...until I was doing a swim through and slightly dropped my hand...on a black feathery looking lifeform...I won't say what it is because I don't know...I just know I got a stinging charge just before I QUICKLY pulled my hand back and cursed my lack of concentration through my regulator.

It's been about ten days...and I went to the doctor today. Yep, a form of penicillin is my fate along with the couple of red blotches that haven't gone away...

Anyone out there know how long something like this usually takes to go away without medical intervention?

[scubaski]

I slipped away to Cozumel recently. I enjoyed it even though I had to keep telling the boat crew I wanted to set up my own gear...LOL...no one else seemed to be bothered (until I discovered the trip leader was also readjusting his gear).

All was well...until I was doing a swim through and slightly dropped my hand...on a black feathery looking lifeform...I won't say what it is because I don't know...I just know I got a stinging charge just before I QUICKLY pulled my hand back and cursed my lack of concentration through my regulator.

It's been about ten days...and I went to the doctor today. Yep, a form of penicillin is my fate along with the couple of red blotches that haven't gone away...

Anyone out there know how long something like this usually takes to go away without medical intervention?

If your a member of DAN check thier web site and /or send a email to them with as many details as possible, you can aslo phone them.



Just check DAN site, about 18 FAQ re: marine life encounters w/ stingers-rash. If your a member for non -emergency questions -help is 800-446-2671 9a- 5p

Edited by scubaski, 13 April 2009 - 06:51 PM.

[dustbowl diver]

Four years ago, I go t into some fire coral. When the red blotches wouldn't go away, I went to the doctor, put me on a steroid for a short duration. Sure made me hungry, as if I needed that! Red blotches didn't immediately disappear. So while with this crew at an event south of Dallas, I talked to the purveyor of one of the scuba parks. In short, after a couple of treatments of soaking my hands in vinegar-ta da, no more blotching!!

[UP Diver]

I slipped away to Cozumel recently. I enjoyed it even though I had to keep telling the boat crew I wanted to set up my own gear...LOL...no one else seemed to be bothered (until I discovered the trip leader was also readjusting his gear).

All was well...until I was doing a swim through and slightly dropped my hand...on a black feathery looking lifeform...I won't say what it is because I don't know...I just know I got a stinging charge just before I QUICKLY pulled my hand back and cursed my lack of concentration through my regulator.

It's been about ten days...and I went to the doctor today. Yep, a form of penicillin is my fate along with the couple of red blotches that haven't gone away...

Anyone out there know how long something like this usually takes to go away without medical intervention?

Heidi -
Sorry I am still not able to make the San Jose show.

From your description you did NOT hit fire coral - you more likely hit a jellyfish or other exotoxin carrying fish. You now have (or had) attached stinging cells - you can start with a vinegar solution application or soak. Examine the area of redness to see if you have any remaining spines, in the event you touched a venom source from a fish. You can debride with tweezers (pick them out) and irrigate with sodium chloride. Just call this approach a "pluck and rinse" treatment!

It sounds like you most likely hit a box jellyfish or venomous fish - not a sea snake. The fact that ten days have passed indicate you did not have a significant allergic reaction to the toxin - some sea snake bites require a shot of antivenin!

Have you had any neuromuscular paralysis (loss of feeling, loss of control of hand or fingers)? This can be seen with bites by sea snakes, cone snails, blue octopuses, and some jellyfish.

Do call DAN and get their read - then see your physician before San Jose!

Jim aka UP Diver

[uwfan]

I slipped away to Cozumel recently. I enjoyed it even though I had to keep telling the boat crew I wanted to set up my own gear...LOL...no one else seemed to be bothered (until I discovered the trip leader was also readjusting his gear).

All was well...until I was doing a swim through and slightly dropped my hand...on a black feathery looking lifeform...I won't say what it is because I don't know...I just know I got a stinging charge just before I QUICKLY pulled my hand back and cursed my lack of concentration through my regulator.

It's been about ten days...and I went to the doctor today. Yep, a form of penicillin is my fate along with the couple of red blotches that haven't gone away...

Anyone out there know how long something like this usually takes to go away without medical intervention?

Heidi -
Sorry I am still not able to make the San Jose show.

From your description you did NOT hit fire coral - you more likely hit a jellyfish or other exotoxin carrying fish. You now have (or had) attached stinging cells - you can start with a vinegar solution application or soak. Examine the area of redness to see if you have any remaining spines, in the event you touched a venom source from a fish. You can debride with tweezers (pick them out) and irrigate with sodium chloride. Just call this approach a "pluck and rinse" treatment!

It sounds like you most likely hit a box jellyfish or venomous fish - not a sea snake. The fact that ten days have passed indicate you did not have a significant allergic reaction to the toxin - some sea snake bites require a shot of antivenin!

Have you had any neuromuscular paralysis (loss of feeling, loss of control of hand or fingers)? This can be seen with bites by sea snakes, cone snails, blue octopuses, and some jellyfish.

Do call DAN and get their read - then see your physician before San Jose!

Jim aka UP Diver

I'd actually call it a plant...though I know I'm still new enough to ocean life that what I'd typically call a plant, might be an animal, LOL! I was quite close to the bottom and hesitate to say what my hand hit because I'm still learning names. Small black spindly or feathery plant would be the best description - in some respects like elkhorn coral in shape but it was probably 1-2 inches high (perhaps more, I hesitate on that as well because water makes everything look bigger.) I saw no fish in this particular area, but there might have been something small I couldn't see. I've looked through the galleries trying to find a picture of what I saw...but no luck. It doesn't hurt now unless I bump it, and even that is slight. I'll try vinegar and continue with my penicillin. It looks better to me than yesterday...so something must be right. Certainly it feels better - stung like Hades for a while!

[UP Diver]

I slipped away to Cozumel recently. I enjoyed it even though I had to keep telling the boat crew I wanted to set up my own gear...LOL...no one else seemed to be bothered (until I discovered the trip leader was also readjusting his gear).

All was well...until I was doing a swim through and slightly dropped my hand...on a black feathery looking lifeform...I won't say what it is because I don't know...I just know I got a stinging charge just before I QUICKLY pulled my hand back and cursed my lack of concentration through my regulator.

It's been about ten days...and I went to the doctor today. Yep, a form of penicillin is my fate along with the couple of red blotches that haven't gone away...

Anyone out there know how long something like this usually takes to go away without medical intervention?

Heidi -
Sorry I am still not able to make the San Jose show.

From your description you did NOT hit fire coral - you more likely hit a jellyfish or other exotoxin carrying fish. You now have (or had) attached stinging cells - you can start with a vinegar solution application or soak. Examine the area of redness to see if you have any remaining spines, in the event you touched a venom source from a fish. You can debride with tweezers (pick them out) and irrigate with sodium chloride. Just call this approach a "pluck and rinse" treatment!

It sounds like you most likely hit a box jellyfish or venomous fish - not a sea snake. The fact that ten days have passed indicate you did not have a significant allergic reaction to the toxin - some sea snake bites require a shot of antivenin!

Have you had any neuromuscular paralysis (loss of feeling, loss of control of hand or fingers)? This can be seen with bites by sea snakes, cone snails, blue octopuses, and some jellyfish.

Do call DAN and get their read - then see your physician before San Jose!

Jim aka UP Diver

I'd actually call it a plant...though I know I'm still new enough to ocean life that what I'd typically call a plant, might be an animal, LOL! I was quite close to the bottom and hesitate to say what my hand hit because I'm still learning names. Small black spindly or feathery plant would be the best description - in some respects like elkhorn coral in shape but it was probably 1-2 inches high (perhaps more, I hesitate on that as well because water makes everything look bigger.) I saw no fish in this particular area, but there might have been something small I couldn't see. I've looked through the galleries trying to find a picture of what I saw...but no luck. It doesn't hurt now unless I bump it, and even that is slight. I'll try vinegar and continue with my penicillin. It looks better to me than yesterday...so something must be right. Certainly it feels better - stung like Hades for a while!

Heidi -

Likely an anemone - but may have been an urchin. Urchin is black, spiney but can contract spines and just look like a black blob. NOT leathery though! As I recall, they carry a really nasty type of toxin that is a gift that keeps on giving. Anemone always remind me of slugs. Yech! Has or can have exotoxin scutellum (surface slimey coating) as well as stinging cells as protection from being eaten by others in the water. You put it right when you said your hand was just where it shouldn't have been! Your description sure sounded like you hit a jellyfish though (slimey tentacles with stinging cells can wrap around anything but still sting) - but if you hit a spine on a fish (may have been hiding on bottom or in a wall), you got the same thing. If the edema is not in a singular locus, you hit more than one spine or stinging cell.

Your physician likely put you on penicillin (probably ampicillin or pen VK) in a prophylactic mode - just in case you may have opened a wound and infected the area. Antibiotic will do nothing to help your stinging though. It is sore when you bump it because of the reaction to the stinging cells/spines. Examine the area closely under good light. If you can see any spines, get out the tweezers, flush with saline solution.

Of course, it NEVER hurts to rinse/soak in vinegar solution! What did DAN tell you? Remember, if you belong, you have already paid for the online services they are giving you.

UP Diver

[secretsea18]

I vote for hydroid.

They make for some very stingy red blotchy spots. When I get hydroid marks on my hands, I put hydrocortisone cream on it. I fail to see what Penicillin will do for a non-infected wound, and just because something is red doesn't mean there is an infection there. Hope you get better soon (but hydroid marks can take a couple weeks to go away.)

[uwfan]

I vote for hydroid.

They make for some very stingy red blotchy spots. When I get hydroid marks on my hands, I put hydrocortisone cream on it. I fail to see what Penicillin will do for a non-infected wound, and just because something is red doesn't mean there is an infection there. Hope you get better soon (but hydroid marks can take a couple weeks to go away.)

I'm inclined that way having read info on DAN's website. The penicillin is being prescribed because I have (IMHO) very slight red marks along my wrist following (apparently, I'm no doctor) the lymphatic system...which suggests (?) infection. I'm doing the better safe than sorry routine of going to the doc because it was more than 7 days and my thumb looked pretty bad over the weekend...I think it looks better now, but who knows ...my eyes are starting to do that can't see up close very well routine.

[damselfish]

Hope it gets better.
I always wear light gloves. I've touched fire coral before on accident. ~ D

[uwfan]

Hope it gets better.
I always wear light gloves. I've touched fire coral before on accident. ~ D

I really wanted to wear gloves, but they aren't allowed where we were diving in Cozumel.

[damselfish]

Oh. it's like that in Bonaire too.
Sorry girlie. ~ D

[UP Diver]

Hope it gets better.
I always wear light gloves. I've touched fire coral before on accident. ~ D

I really wanted to wear gloves, but they aren't allowed where we were diving in Cozumel.

Heidi -

Hope you are doing better today. I was pretty rushed yesterday and couldn't give you more info. I agree that hydroid read, just remember that hydroid is a jellyfish.... Stinging cells are what you most likely hit. Often it is hard to differentiate between a multiple stinging cell exposure and a spine stick. From your description, it appears you hit multiple stinging cells though.

The penicillin was likely prophylactic, in the event it could have been an urchin or other spine delivery system. These nasty organisms don't often have much toxin, just like a number of animals, they keep a mix of nasty bacteria in their area near their mouth/teeth/spikes. The antibiotic was to prevent infection start/spread.

Go with a mild vinegar soak, rinse with water, repeat as often as you wish. A corticosteroid cream will alleviate any itching and may help in relief of the redness.

I understand many areas now ban gloves while diving. I trained and dove mostly fresh water for twenty years with no gloves. When I dove in the ocean, we wore gloves near rigs and structures to keep from getting shreaded by barnacles. Only when I resumed diving in Aruba in 2003 was I introduced to fire coral and the DM wearing cotton gloves on EVERY dive!

Good luck with the San Jose show and with the hand issues. Note - if this does NOT clear by next week, you should get a referral from DAN and see a physician that specializes in Hazardous Marine Life response! If you need more, PM me and I will give you a call.

Jim aka UP Diver

[uwfan]

What can I say...Single Divers.com members ROCK! Thanks for all your help everyone. It just mostly looks nasty...I look at it as a mark that I am privileged to be able to dive as much as I do. (Though I'll be glad to see it go away! LOL!)