My Hammer coral STung me and I can't move my thumb. !?!?

[Tha Sultant]

Hello good people.

Well, I was re-positioning my large Hammer Coral yesterday. I wanted be careful not to touch any of it's heads, but that was sort of hard due to his size. I accidentally brushed my right thumb (thumb joint actually) against one of the heads....and Booooom.

I felt, I even "saw" it Sting me. A sharp, fast, spark, sort of like an electric shock. It penatrated deep within and blistered up quick. There was a lil blood as well. I put it under some pretty hot water for a few minutes, which did seem to help.

Well, now 20 hours later, it feels as if I cannot move my right thumb at all. It feels like it's been hit with a Hammer, no pun intended. My thumb feels numb, which radiates down the left side of my right hand, down to the upper wrist. In comparison to my left thumb this one is a bit "redder" in coloration, but not that crazy.
Other than a few milimeters, I can't move my thumb at all. It's also swelled up a little bit.

Basically what I want to know is, Am I going to Die from this?

Seriously, what should I do? Aloe Vera? Hmmmm.....

[davelin315]

GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND TELL THEM WHAT HAPPENED! Some people have allergic reactions to coral nematocysts and react like it was a bee sting! HURRY! You're better safe than sorry, and the longer you wait, the more risk you take!

[SaltwaterNovice]

Sultan:

If you don't go to the emergency room try applying some Adolph's (or any other brand) meat tenderizer to the affected area. It will neutralize the poison, take out the sting and reduce swelling.

Good luck,

Brian

[Casie]

Absolutely! Follow Davelin's advice and get some medical help. You are having an obvious reaction that could escalate quickly. Most people do not have this type of reaction to contact with stinging corals, but to those who are allergic, a sting could be very dangerous.

To any others who get stung, do not treat with warm/hot water, instead cool the area with cold, icy water. Warming the area stimulates increased blood flow and can actually make the inflamation worse.

Hope you are ok, Sultant!

[Tha Sultant]

Thanks guys, I don't know why I would have an allergic reaction, I've "touched" tons of corals, I've even touched this very hammer countless times. The whole thing is weird, because I usually don't feel anything (other than squishyness).

[brandon429]

-Ive made it a personal goal to edit all my posts older than 7 months... the only trouble is finding all the buggers.

[brandon429]

--this one too

[Sarge]

If you die can I have your tank and stock - think of it as donating to the neady. Even in death a little bit of you will live on...

Joking apart - I'd get my self down to A&E (err Emergency Room) with some details of what stung you and when. And take a book with the offending coral in. If your hospitals are as crap as those here in Blighty it'll releave the bordom and give the Doc's some detailed information on the coral.

As for Gandmar's home remedies - I got stung by a Blue Bottle Jellyfish in Australia some time ago and the life guards there used white vinegar to help with the pain.

[dattack]

Take some Benadryl if you decide not to go to ER.

[es53]

Just seen your post. Hope you're doing better. If you didn't go to the doctor, and if you start seeing any red streaks or spreading of the "burn" area, go to the doctor and get antibiotics! Here's a link to a post I recently submitted:
http://archive.reefcentral.com/vbull...ight=infection

Let us know how you're doing.

[hiddendragonet]

Sorry to hear that, Sultant.

Euphyillia can sting humans? This is big news to me. I've touched my torch a number of times, and never felt a thing.

I thought fire corals were one of the very few corals which humans could feel the sting of. Are you sure it wasn't a bristleworm or something else?

[RobertT]

I suggest using these when working in your tank.

http://www.marinedepot.com/a_mi_ag.asp?CartId=

[ravenmore]

you might have had some tiny cut or scratch on your hand. I had this happen with a torch coral. I brushed a paper cut against one of the tentacles and holy crap it hurt! I brushed it dozens of times before that though and nothing. I'm no expert but I think if you were having a serious alergic reaction you'd either be in ER, an ambulance, or DOA now. Just keep an eye out for infection and give the hammer wide berth from now on.

[Tha Sultant]

Update on my thumb. It's ALOT better right now. Swelling has gone down. I've been soaking it in Hydrogen Peroxide which has cleaned it up a bit.

This whole thing is still pretty trippy, I mean come on...a hammer coral??? No way I ever thought a coral could PENETRATE into my skin causing all this mess. lol.

Thanks for your concern and all your help guys, I appreciate it.

[original-reefland]

Wimp

Hammers do pack a good punch. Usually not to your thumbs. I've been zapped on a cut and I saw stars after that sting. You can feel it moving up your arm.

It's serious that you had such a reaction. You need to have a plan in place and have family members ready to save your ***. Reactions tend to get worse each time.

I've been stung so many times that the slightest brush feels painful now. Anemone wraping around your arm is no fun. And a good firecoral sting will knock you right out if your sensitive enough.

One would think you build up resistance, but the opposite seems to happen. You get more sensitive. These corals play for keeps, better start respecting them more.

[Leopardshark]

Just saw this thread, sorry to hear that.
But it is good to know that you´re all right now. That was supposed to happen, I mean, you obviously weren´t going to die.
My lionfish stung me 2 months ago and everybody told me to go to the ER but I didn´t and I´m fine right now (except for my hand shaking LOL).
hope you´re ok.
Be cool!!!!

[Tha Sultant]

Guys. Tonight, about 30 minutes ago.

I realized WHY things happend.

Well, about 30 minutes ago my little brother comes in my room and says "did you see my new shoes?", well that phrase made me remember something that happend about 4 days ago.

My little brother joined the track team. And about 4 days ago he bought "Track" shoes. Now, if you've seen track shoes, you know that the newer ones have "metal" cleats on the bottom of them. Well my little brother tossed me the shoes so I could take a look, and cut myself on.... yup... the same thumb joint.

Then I guess when I was repositioning the coral, it hit the exact same spot I was cut on just a few days prior.

THAT'S WHY THE CORAL'S "STING" HAD AN EFFECT ON ME!!!!

I totally forgot I had a small cut there.

Wow. Finally. Some closure. lol.

[davelin315]

A bit of advice, I wasn't kidding that it's similar to a bee sting. Should you get stung again by a coral, you could have a very serious allergic reaction. It doesn't have to hit a wound to happen, either. A guy I knew long ago who worked in a fish store couldn't handle any corals at all without gloves because he would get nasty hives all over from the slightest contact, including coming into contact with the mucous that many corals secrete.

[original-reefland]

Oh yeah, you'll feel a hammer sting on a fresh cut. Like I said, I saw stars when I did that. When I yanked my arm away I had a few hammer polyps stuck to the cut so I assume I tasted pretty good.