don't get bit

[Steven]

i've been bitten by several centipedes before but yesterday i got tagged by a
20cm + (8" +) Scolopendra subspinipes dehaani.
yesterday after the bite i carried on with stuff as usual without feeling much pain,... but to my surprise i woke up this morning with a completly swollen hand. and a burning feeling from the top of my finger to my shoulder.
(called the Belgian venom-center for some advice,... followed their advice on using some medical "gel" against swelling,... haven't noticed any other symptoms beside the swelling so i haven't paid a visit to a doctor)

here are some pictures of my hand 24h after the bite and 4h after the "gel" treatment, not such a pretty sight just a warning to all the "pede-wranglers" out there,... not every bite is the same,... as i've experienced these days.

guess which hand got bit

@diKe
yes all OK,... only a balloon for right hand today.

Where on your hand did it get you, middle finger?

yes,

here's a close-up of the bite-spot and local swelling:
you can see the "dracula-marks" on the red skin.

no,... i've read the article this morning and showed it to my girlfriend (who was way more worried then i was)
the pain was yesterday right after the bite,... just carried on with business as usual and didn't thought of the pain,...
at this moment,... no pain at all and the "burning" feeling has dropped too,... only the swelling isn't quite away,... making it hard to press the right keys on this keyboard

hopefully tomorrow i will have a "normal" hand again

@Caco
my conversation with the Belgium Poison Control was rather intresting,...
i explained the symptoms and what spec. got me.
after 1 min. research they asked me if i had to "vomit" or was feeling sick,... or if i was feeling afraid,... after answering those questions they told me that the swelling is the "normal" reaction to centipedes bites and they adviced the "gel",... if i would notice any other symptoms like disiness, sickness, etc... i should ask for antibiotics,... Ow yeah they also told me the swelling of centipede-bites is the worst of all.



BTW: they only had Sc.subspinipes and Sc.cingulata in their database,...
wasn't a surprise to me,.. but i'm allready glad they had some experience with centipede-bites here in Belgium

 

[diKe]

lol Steven, hope you are well?

 

[Scourge]

Where on your hand did it get you, middle finger?

 

[Scourge]

Ouch! Please keep us all updated.

 

[cacoseraph]

interesting!

did the gel seem to help? i know that my skin itches terribly when it's getting stretched out like that. often the itching is one of the worst symptoms

it seems like there is a venom component for pain and a venom component for swelling... and dare i say it... they centipede can control which it injects?

any boneache? that really is the worst thing i've experienced so far!

edit:
oh, and sorry to hear you got tagged.

also, what did Belgium Poison Control have to say when you explained the situation? that must have been an amusing conversation

 

[Scolopendra55]

Whew thats crazy!! I'm glad to hear your alright though.

 

[Randolph XX()]

oh my god steven
that reminds me the time i got bitten by fire ants (i poked the nest without knowing)in elementary skool
my hand was like that too, but wiithout the mark
i was taken to the hospital straight away too
hope u get well soon

 

[bistrobob85]

Did you try the ''heating'' method?!?! It seems like keeping your hand super warm should ease the pain and reduce the swolling because it seems like heat affects the venom activity level or something... i've read that from the pdf bite report from a guy who got bit by a sc.subspinipes dehaani too...

phil.

 

[PA7R1CK]

I'm sorry about your hand Steven. I hope you feel better bro! Please keep us updated on how your feeling. Hope you feel better,

Patrick

 

[jwasted]

wow sorry you got tagged and it effected you that way. Hope you get better.

 

[Galapoheros]

Very interesting. Thankyou very much for sharing that story. What doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger, if you don't lose an arm or it doesn't make you crazy. Hmmm, that kind of makes me want to go get a couple in case they become illegal in the pet stores here. Good to know you'll still be around on the AB!

 

[danread]

Hi Steven,

Glad to hear that you're ok! Now, when are you going to test out the venom of a full grown S. gigantea, i don't think we have a bite report form one of those yet

What doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger,

Unfortunately with venoms, this really doesn't seem to be the case! The danger is, the more bites you recieve, the more you become sensitized to it...

 

[bengerno]

Hi Steven,

Hope you are better now!
Did the medical center said you need to drink calcium? I heard they offer this for tarantula bites.
How does the bite happened?

 

[Jeff_C]

When the swelling goes down....

don't forget to post an official bite report


And how are you feeling now?

Jeff

 

[Galapoheros]

Hi Steven,

Glad to hear that you're ok! Now, when are you going to test out the venom of a full grown S. gigantea, i don't think we have a bite report form one of those yet



Unfortunately with venoms, this really doesn't seem to be the case! The danger is, the more bites you recieve, the more you become sensitized to it...

Yea, it wasn't an appropriate time to joke around. If I get stung by C, vittatus one more time, I may have to go to the hospital myself! I can't afford anymore stings.

 

[BugBoyX]

Ok....all I have to say is.....OUCH!!!! Glad you're doing ok and that you're not having a nasty after effects from the bite.

 

[Steven]

just a small update:

hand-swelling is gone 80%,...
only some light swelling on the bite-spot on the finger.

i'll post a bite-report asap

 

[Jmadson13]

wow Steven, if this doesn't serve as a reminder of how various the effects of centipede bites can be, I don't know what does. I hope all works out, very interesting bite report.

 

[darrelldlc]

Yeah, That looks painful...Glad to hear all is better now.
Darrell.

 

[kerensky]

It's making me think twice about putting my mutilans on my hand again
:wall: