Allergic reaction to marine life

  • I forgot my gloves and dove without them. A few times I grabbed rocks (which had some kind of growth on them) to stabilize myself on the bottom. I had no problem in the water but when I got out my left hand started hurting. There was no rash and it wasn't swollen, but it felt like tiny shards of glass digging into the palm and fingers, it also felt swollen/hard to make a fist. Being so uncomfortable I even tried peeing in my hand which didn't help at all.


    Today the shards of glass sensation is gone, but the hand is quite painful. I tried Benedryl cream but it had no effect. Holding a frozen water bottle alleviates the pain. Does anyone know of a medication that will fix this?

  • Id bet anything it was a stinging hydroid. They used to get me from time to time. They are like clear little feathers that can grow on any surface, even on top of other things like sponges and seafans (or just rocks or sand).

    Scupper Pro Gives You Wings!

  • Is your hand starting to look like this? It says this is hydroid stings. Or coral dermatitis. But I would guess you've looked up all these already. Hydroid, anemone, urchin, ?? Did you try soaking it in very hot water? Hope you get better soon.


  • Thanks Hank. It's nowhere near as bad as that pic, but I can see it getting there if I had a stronger reaction. I tried hot water today. Initially it feels worse but then calms down. But once I remove it from the hot water it goes back to the "normal" painful condition.

  • Hydroids and upside down jellyfish just feel like a bee sting to me if I kick to heavily. Maybe you bumped into one of these. Only other thing I could think of from my diving in Florida. I saw them, but luckily never brushed one.
    How to Avoid Bearded Fireworm Stings
    The link has some first aid advice.
    Sounds like my experiences with fiberglass on boat repairs when I was younger. Hope you feel better soon.

  • I would take 25mg oral Benadryl before bedtime. It would have helped more if taken sooner. I keep a few pulls in my drybag.


    And apply hydrocortisone cream 2-3 times a day.


    Can you see any spines/needles with a magnifying glass?


    C

  • Took a look with a magnifying glass and didn't see anything. Any spines would've been rubbed off. I had an itch attack and rubbed my hand wildly. This made it much worse. It feels like it's on the way to looking like the pic Hank posted. Did the hot water thing again and couldn't keep it in the water because of the pain, but when I took it out of the hot water there was some relief. It's weird typing like this, my finger tips are double the normal size. I can't make a fist I feel like my hand will explode if I do. I'm surprised the effect is peaking a day after.


    I thought I should've grabbed the hydrocortisone rather than the Benadryl cream.. I don't think it will make a difference at this point though. Thanks.


    Makes me wonder how presumptuous it is to believe ourselves to be at home in the ocean, yet the smallest thing like this can take you out. I wonder if touching this crap would affect a dolphin or a seal the same way. Then again there are plenty of nasty things on land that can have a similar effect..

  • Took a look with a magnifying glass and didn't see anything. Any spines would've been rubbed off. I had an itch attack and rubbed my hand wildly. This made it much worse. It feels like it's on the way to looking like the pic Hank posted. Did the hot water thing again and couldn't keep it in the water because of the pain, but when I took it out of the hot water there was some relief. It's weird typing like this, my finger tips are double the normal size. I can't make a fist I feel like my hand will explode if I do. I'm surprised the effect is peaking a day after.


    I thought I should've grabbed the hydrocortisone rather than the Benadryl cream.. I don't think it will make a difference at this point though. Thanks.


    Makes me wonder how presumptuous it is to believe ourselves to be at home in the ocean, yet the smallest thing like this can take you out. I wonder if touching this crap would affect a dolphin or a seal the same way. Then again there are plenty of nasty things on land that can have a similar effect..


    Damn Dan, sorry you're having such a rough go with whatever got you. It is surprising with all the time spent in the water you haven't encountered whatever it is you touched before. Have you found any other possibilities of what you may have touched while looking on the Internet?

    Scupper Pro Gives You Wings!

  • I didn't look just asked here.


    My thoughts exactly. Gotta be that I always used gloves. It's one thing to brush by something and be on your way, and another to take a solid hold of the same growth encrusted rock a few times. I believe the skin of the hands and fingers is thinner and more sensitive. If I remember right it requires smaller diameter sutures than other parts of the body when cut.

  • I typed in "things that sting in the Caribbean. Some interesting things I didn't know here. A sponge? Sounds like some of the same symptoms you have Dan. And the Bristle worm. I got one of those on my lip when changing to an O2 bottle during a deco stop in the Philippines.


    http://www.bootkeyharbor.com/MarineStings.htm
    This is a small worm that grazes on the surface of corals or algae. It sometimes hides under rocks. They're fun to watch. the segmented body has two rows of bright white tufts along its length - these white tufts are what hurts! They cause an intense burning sensation and tend to stick to your skin like little fiberglass. strands



    Bristleworm closeup - Venomous bristles in the white tufts
    When stung, you must remove all the bristles you can see. You can try to pick them off gently with tweezers (don't rub or scrape!). Once you have those off then dry the area - use a hairdryer or something if you have one. Gently apply sticky tape to the area and peel it very slowly away. Hopefully most of the remaining bristles will stick to the tape. Apply the vinegar or alcohol (discussed previousl) for some pain relief. The meat tenderizer or diluted ammonia solution (sometimes found in your own urine) also works. If you really welt up you might try some hydrocortisone cream.
    IRRITATING SPONGES


    Most of the sponges on the reef are harmless. The one shown at left though is the exception. It is a Caribbean species that causes extreme irritation and will make you miserable for a long time. It's been called the "Dread Red Sponge", the "Irritating Sponge", and the "Do-Not-Touch-Me Sponge" (pretty self explanatory name). It gets big and has an irregular shape. It's a dark reddish brown and rather bland aesthetically. It has numerous tiny spicules that will stick to your skin and burn for days. The same applies with the other stings: Use the vinegar or alcohol and don't rub or scrape. You can also try the same trick used with the bristleworm tufts: dry the area and use sticky tape to gently and slowly peel away the tiny spicules. Use the hydrocortisone twice daily. If it gets really bad, and you develop an allergic reaction, you might have to be treated with Benadryl or other antihistamine. If you've rubbed up against this sponge with clothing or gloves then be very careful in handling them. The little spicules are easy to transfer this way. You can soak the material in the vinegar solution, then wash them.

  • Reading some of the posts reminded me of watching out for fire coral in the keys along with those worms. Your situation sucks. Hope it gets better soon. Such a bummer.

  • That sponge sounds like the culprit.


    I believe it could be a lionfish sting from a little guy. They hide on the undersurface of rock outcroppings. No visible puncture wound anywhere?


    C

  • I'd take the oral Benadryl every 8 hours.


    And I'd continue to apply topical hydrocortisone cream.


    If it blisters, I'd probably also apply a triple antibiotic ointment to prevent a superimposed Staph or MRSA infection.


    C

  • That sponge sounds like the culprit.


    I believe it could be a lionfish sting from a little guy. They hide on the undersurface of rock outcroppings. No visible puncture wound anywhere?


    C


    I wear mechanic's gloves now for that reason. I get finger holds in little holes in the rocks and reef and you're right, those sneaky little lion fish could be in any one of those. But I think that pain would be more localized to the point of the injection. ?
    (I'm no doctor, but my dad was and my two sisters are nurses :laughing:) But this is an eye opener.


    And yes, I would think other animals out there are affected by the weapons marine organisms have developed over millions of years. Humans weren't even around when a lot of this was going on so we can't be the only animal susceptible to the stings, toxins and bites. ??

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