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Yves
08-06-2013, 11:13 AM
I was sanding outside and everything was fine. All of a sudden, I felt a sharp, piercing pain in my left knee (right where the meaty area is). I attached the photo. The pain was intense and felt like a needle got me there. It felt like it penetrated about 1 inch into me. It still hurts like hell. It happened about 5 minutes ago. I can walk, but it's making it _very_ difficult. Prior to this, I felt like a brand new penny and now it just sucks...

Anyone have a clue? Is this ER worthy?

welderguy
08-06-2013, 11:39 AM
That could be a lot of different things. first thing that pops into my mind is wasp or bee sting. Hard to say.

welderguy
08-06-2013, 11:41 AM
Did you check the area you got bite at ? do you have scorpions in your Area?

RandyRhoads
08-06-2013, 12:31 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83AXh_C1Oug


I don't think anyone's going to be able to tell you what bit you, but if you're having any other symptoms go in...

1stimestar
08-06-2013, 01:09 PM
Benedryl...

welderguy
08-06-2013, 01:15 PM
Benedryl...

Ive never been bitten by Benedryl !!! hurts pretty bad huh? :innocent:

Cast-Iron
08-06-2013, 01:47 PM
I don't know a physician in his right mind who would give medical advice to some stranger over an internet forum. I have no medical background, but if I were in your shoes I would monitor the site for any signs of the wound site expanding. I would also make sure someone is around to check on me periodically for the next day or two. If I experienced any symptoms such as dizziness, shortness of breath, elevated heart rate, or the wound site deteriorating than I would seek immediate medical help. But that's what I would do?

Rick
08-06-2013, 01:51 PM
Unless you know you are allergic to bees/wasps go with the above info. Good, solid advice.

welderguy
08-06-2013, 02:07 PM
Info from the Mayo clinic.
Signs and symptoms of an insect bite result from the injection of venom or other substances into your skin. The venom causes pain and sometimes triggers an allergic reaction. The severity of the reaction depends on your sensitivity to the insect venom or substance and whether you've been stung or bitten more than once.

Most reactions to insect bites are mild, causing little more than an annoying itching or stinging sensation and mild swelling that disappear within a day or so. A delayed reaction may cause fever, hives, painful joints and swollen glands. You might experience both the immediate and the delayed reactions from the same insect bite or sting. Only a small percentage of people develop severe reactions (anaphylaxis) to insect venom. Signs and symptoms of a severe reaction include:

Nausea
Facial swelling
Difficulty breathing
Abdominal pain
Deterioration of blood pressure and circulation (shock)
Bites from bees, wasps, hornets, yellow jackets and fire ants are typically the most troublesome. Bites from mosquitoes, ticks, biting flies, ants, scorpions and some spiders also can cause reactions. Scorpion and ant bites can be very severe. Although rare, some insects also carry disease such as West Nile virus or Lyme disease.

For mild reactions

Move to a safe area to avoid more stings.
Remove the stinger, especially if it's stuck in your skin. This will prevent the release of more venom. Wash the area with soap and water.
Apply a cold pack or cloth filled with ice to reduce pain and swelling.
Try a pain reliever, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), to ease pain from bites or stings.
Apply a topical cream to ease pain and provide itch relief. Creams containing ingredients such as hydrocortisone, lidocaine or pramoxine may help control pain. Other creams, such as calamine lotion or those containing colloidal oatmeal or baking soda, can help soothe itchy skin.
Take an antihistamine containing diphenhydramine (Benadryl, others) or chlorpheniramine maleate (Chlor-Trimeton, others).
Allergic reactions may include mild nausea and intestinal cramps, diarrhea, or swelling larger than 4 inches (about 10 centimeters) in diameter at the site, bigger than the size of a baseball. See your doctor promptly if you experience any of these signs and symptoms.

For severe reactions
Severe reactions affect more than just the site of the insect bite and may progress rapidly. Call 911 or emergency medical assistance if the following signs or symptoms occur:

Difficulty breathing
Swelling of the lips or throat
Faintness
Dizziness
Confusion
Rapid heartbeat
Hives
Nausea, cramps and vomiting

Ken
08-06-2013, 02:09 PM
You can probably rule out a great white shark, a grizzly, a kangaroo, a green anaconda, and my beagles, because they prefer to be inside with air-conditioning.

Beyond those possibilities, it's anyone's guess.

welderguy
08-06-2013, 02:15 PM
You can probably rule out a great white shark, a grizzly, a kangaroo, a green anaconda, and my beagles, because they prefer to be inside with air-conditioning.

Beyond those possibilities, it's anyone's guess.

what about a stealth ninja green anaconda?

Yves
08-06-2013, 02:30 PM
Did you check the area you got bite at ? do you have scorpions in your Area?

I live in Rhode Island and the last I checked, no scorpions. When I felt the pain and looked around, I didn't see anything. No bees, no mosquitoes, nothing.

Yves
08-06-2013, 02:31 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83AXh_C1Oug


I don't think anyone's going to be able to tell you what bit you, but if you're having any other symptoms go in...

Nah, it's fine now. Still hurts when I kneel down or touch it. There is still a little bump, but the redness is gone.

Yves
08-06-2013, 02:34 PM
I don't know a physician in his right mind who would give medical advice to some stranger over an internet forum. I have no medical background, but if I were in your shoes I would monitor the site for any signs of the wound site expanding. I would also make sure someone is around to check on me periodically for the next day or two. If I experienced any symptoms such as dizziness, shortness of breath, elevated heart rate, or the wound site deteriorating than I would seek immediate medical help. But that's what I would do?


Unless you know you are allergic to bees/wasps go with the above info. Good, solid advice.

Not allergic to bees or wasps. The pain was very sudden and acute. I did not remember feeling it before (unlike mosquitoes).

The inflammation has gone down quite a bit, but still has a tad to go. My left leg feels a tad crampy, but then I've been squatting over a belt-sander for about 2 hours straight :) .

Yves
08-06-2013, 02:35 PM
You can probably rule out a great white shark, a grizzly, a kangaroo, a green anaconda, and my beagles, because they prefer to be inside with air-conditioning.

Beyond those possibilities, it's anyone's guess.

White sharks like environments with HVAC? Never heard that on the Nature Channel...

Rick
08-06-2013, 02:36 PM
So....don't kneel down and don't touch it....bazinga!

Actually, I'm glad it wasn't too serious. Hopefully, it gets better.

A few years ago I was trimming some limbs on a willow so I could mow beneath it. I grabbed a handful of limbs to pull them down and trim them and grabbed a wasp in the process. I never saw him either but he sure let me know he was there.

Yves
08-06-2013, 02:36 PM
Info from the Mayo clinic.
Signs and symptoms of an insect bite result from the injection of venom or other substances into your skin. The venom causes pain and sometimes triggers an allergic reaction. The severity of the reaction depends on your sensitivity to the insect venom or substance and whether you've been stung or bitten more than once.

Most reactions to insect bites are mild, causing little more than an annoying itching or stinging sensation and mild swelling that disappear within a day or so. A delayed reaction may cause fever, hives, painful joints and swollen glands. You might experience both the immediate and the delayed reactions from the same insect bite or sting. Only a small percentage of people develop severe reactions (anaphylaxis) to insect venom. Signs and symptoms of a severe reaction include:

Nausea
Facial swelling
Difficulty breathing
Abdominal pain
Deterioration of blood pressure and circulation (shock)
Bites from bees, wasps, hornets, yellow jackets and fire ants are typically the most troublesome. Bites from mosquitoes, ticks, biting flies, ants, scorpions and some spiders also can cause reactions. Scorpion and ant bites can be very severe. Although rare, some insects also carry disease such as West Nile virus or Lyme disease.

For mild reactions

Move to a safe area to avoid more stings.
Remove the stinger, especially if it's stuck in your skin. This will prevent the release of more venom. Wash the area with soap and water.
Apply a cold pack or cloth filled with ice to reduce pain and swelling.
Try a pain reliever, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), to ease pain from bites or stings.
Apply a topical cream to ease pain and provide itch relief. Creams containing ingredients such as hydrocortisone, lidocaine or pramoxine may help control pain. Other creams, such as calamine lotion or those containing colloidal oatmeal or baking soda, can help soothe itchy skin.
Take an antihistamine containing diphenhydramine (Benadryl, others) or chlorpheniramine maleate (Chlor-Trimeton, others).
Allergic reactions may include mild nausea and intestinal cramps, diarrhea, or swelling larger than 4 inches (about 10 centimeters) in diameter at the site, bigger than the size of a baseball. See your doctor promptly if you experience any of these signs and symptoms.

For severe reactions
Severe reactions affect more than just the site of the insect bite and may progress rapidly. Call 911 or emergency medical assistance if the following signs or symptoms occur:

Difficulty breathing
Swelling of the lips or throat
Faintness
Dizziness
Confusion
Rapid heartbeat
Hives
Nausea, cramps and vomiting

Yeah, the pain sucked, but it's nothing what you've listed here :) .

I was surprised and was curious if someone could figure it out, since I felt completely lost as to what to do next. If I started to feel much worse, I'd be dialing 911 right away.

Rick
08-06-2013, 02:37 PM
White sharks like environments with HVAC? Never heard that on the Nature Channel...

See? It's little hard to find facts just like that, that makes us what we are.

Yves
08-06-2013, 02:39 PM
So....don't kneel down and don't touch it....bazinga!

Actually, I'm glad it wasn't too serious. Hopefully, it gets better.

A few years ago I was trimming some limbs on a willow so I could mow beneath it. I grabbed a handful of limbs to pull them down and trim them and grabbed a wasp in the process. I never saw him either but he sure let me know he was there.

I found a ground nest that some bees use about 2 - 3 yards away from where I was working. Now that I remembered that, I'm pretty sure it might have been one of them. Kinda weird, I wasn't bothering them... unless the vibrations from the belt-sander pissed them off... *shrug*

I'll pick a different location next time.

Solar Geek
08-06-2013, 04:54 PM
YES yes yes, vibrations of any sort will set off ground bees. You are blessed you were not swarmed. Had it happen to my 2 dogs. They almost died. Just running along our garden path border and bam! Ground bees all over. Sevin kills them.

Ken
08-06-2013, 06:41 PM
White sharks like environments with HVAC? Never heard that on the Nature Channel...

No, no, no..... my beagles are the HVAC addicts.

japs8944
08-07-2013, 03:58 AM
I am not a doctor, so take this with a grain of salt, however I was bitten by a Brown Recluse about 8 months ago, felt just like what you described, the next day the pain went away, until a week later when the back of my leg started rotting. Than I waited about two week cause I'm a dumb ***. Still have the spot, had to go on a bunch of anti-biotics and it hurt like hell.

Keep your eyes CLOSE on it.

Anitcol
08-08-2013, 06:24 PM
I live in Rhode Island too and from my understanding their are no brown recluse in our state. My guess is a wasp stung you in a sensitive spot in your leg. I'd still keep a look out after the wound but other than that, I think your OK, if things feel worse, call the doctor; But thank god for almost virtually no poisonous animals/insects here.