# It's been 16 days since my stingray wound and was wondering what you guys thought



## Neck-deep

For those that didn't read the original post it can be found here
I got stung by a stringray or catfish and was wondering

It's been 16 days since my stingray hit. I haven't been fishing since then and have only been laying around the house taking it easy. Yesterday was the last of the stronger antibiotic 'avelox' pill I had to take and at that moment thought that my foot was already healed with a very minimal amount of swelling. Well, today I had no more medicine and thought that I'd be okay but the swelling eventually came back and now it itches like He**. I'm going back to the doctor in the morning to get an opinion or more medicine I guess.

My question to those that have actually been hit...

How long does it take to get healed by a stingray puncture? I didn't think I'd take more than a week to heal since the stinger barely penetrated the top part of my foot.
Why is it still swelling and itching?
Am I going to the right doctor for this?
Is an antibiotic the only approach to take or is there something else?


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## 85LoneStar

I got hit in the shin. 
I was on crutches for a week and limped around, bandaged up, for 4 more weeks.
Was about 26 years old at the time.


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## mastercylinder60

Neck-deep said:


> My question to those that have actually been hit...
> How long does it take to get healed by a stingray puncture? I didn't think I'd take more than a week to heal since the stinger barely penetrated the top part of my foot.


1-2 weeks, usually, but it can take up to a month.


> Why is it still swelling and itching?


without seeing your wound, it's hard to tell. along with the potential for infection with a stingray would, the barb can also introduce a protein-based toxin into you. the toxin is what causes the initial pain, swelling, itching, etc. the toxin should be breaking down, but you could still have some in the wound.


> Am I going to the right doctor for this?


i don't know. what kind of doctor are you seeing? most knowledgable general practitioners should be able to handle this.


> Is a antibiotic the only approach to take or is there something else?


avelox is an appropriate antibiotic for this, but without seeing the wound, it's hard to tell if it's still infected. you should follow up with your doctor as you mentioned. another round of antibiotics may be necessary.

not much is known about the toxin that is introduced from a stingray barb, but it is known that it is very sensative to heat. this is why it is important to soak a stingray wound in hot water immediately after being struck in order to break down the toxin as soon as possible following injury.

several people in the original thread mentioned this and indicated that they got immediate relief.


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## kenny

Usually the immediate area around the wound will become necrotic and slough away leaving a hole. It can take a long time to heal.
If it's swelling again, I'd be at the Doctors first thing.


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## Neck-deep

*Just got back from the doctors office*

I could not sleep all last night due to a nightmere of itching (like red ants attacking with the itching never going away). I awoke at 3:00am and started counting down for 7:30am since I couldn't go back to sleep (the time the doctors office opens). My wife thought there was a dam* beaver/squirrel in the bed scratching away and she couldn't sleep either since I was itching away, lol.

My foot is really swelled up now with the itching decreasing, since I got back on antibiotics. The doctor took a sample of puss or liquid from a small blister that dev. near the wound. She said she was gonna run it to the lab to see if there's a Staff infection. Don't know yet, but I'll keep you guys posted as the days progress.


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## Bueno Suerte

Good luck, glad to hear you are taking this seriously. I just started to wear the Ray Guards this year due to all the Sting ray posts.


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## CentexPW

I got hit May 25 ( Memorial day ) First few days , swelling, 4th day red and warm, called doc he sent me script for antibiotics. That night I soaked it in epson salt and it cooled off and began to heal. I never did take the antibiotics. Continued to stay swollen but when elevated swelling went down. It was hard to stay immobile. About week 3 it started to itch like crazy and the top layer of skin came off at the wound, about the size of a golf ball. Week 4 I went fishing again, Rayguards, no side effects. This is week 6 and there is a hard knot where the puncture is but it is shrinking in size. The wound has closed up eccept for a small slit. It weeps a clear liquid but is neither pussy or infected, it just leaks. Ive kept it clean and dabbed with triple antibiotic oitment, and thats about all. Im pretty much a home remedy type of guy. I feel fortunate I didnt get a secondary infection.


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## monkeyman1

have seen more stingrays this year than ever before. gotta get some rayguards...


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## Capt. Tricia

*Stingray*

If blistering is present, not good. I would insist IV antibiotics immediately. Do not wait!!!

Mike's wound had blisters, look it up. Necrotizing fascitis.


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## Redfishr

My cousin had no blisters but his wound ooosed and stayed swolen and open for a year before the wound closed up. It was all the way through his ankle though, near his ackilees tendon.
He's a stud of a man in premiun condition (mid 30's at the time) and still it took a long time to heal.


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## Neck-deep

*Thank you for your concern*

Man, I was supposed to pick up my brand new 2009 Majek RFL in Richmond today but it's gonna have to wait sad2sm. If you could imagine the excitment and the pain I was going through due to awakening with hives on my ankle, both inner thighs, and under arm areas, made it real tough to go on a road trip to Richmond. So I stayed behind to go to the doctor but can't wait to pick her up, run it, and fish in it. For those that have kept up with my post through the year can tell I've done lots of research on these boats. I finally decided to pull the trigger on it a wk and a half ago.

Today I had lots of hives and it scared the **** out of me. I went straight to the doctor and was told that I had an allergic reaction to the Bactrim antibiotic. The swelling of my foot has gone down and is no where near the size it was yesterday. The blister I had before the doctor popped it on Monday was half the size of a raisin. No other blisters have developed. The doctor is sending the fluid from the blister to the lab to check for staph and any other type of infection, she said. The doctor gave me two shots in the A** and one of them was not pleasant. I almost knocked out on the floor (fainted) but made it in time to the small matted table that I was leaning on (I hate needles) before I might of ate it. She put me back on the Avelox meds that was doing well for me, until I ran out of them and is why I went back to the office on Monday but mainly from the inflamed swelling of the foot.

Now as I write, the swelling has gone down and is not hot to the touch like last night. Last night was pretty scary because if it had gotten any bigger I probably would've found myself in the hospital. Over night, the swelling went down, but I went back to the doctor this morning because of the hives.

Well all last week and this week, I've been in bed elevating my foot every chance I get and havn't been doing much except eating, watching every episode of Deadliest Catch, Hooked, and putting on the pounds. I'm beginning to experience 'Reeling In Fish Syndrome,' where you just start reeling in and setting the hook for the heck of it.

I want to thank you all for your concern and ideas. This wound is definitly serious and I hope it gets better soon.


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## backlashingcooger

kenny said:


> Usually the immediate area around the wound will become necrotic and slough away leaving a hole. It can take a long time to heal.
> If it's swelling again, I'd be at the Doctors first thing.


 Got a buddy that was hit next to the archilles tendon in the right ankle...about 10 years ago...he still limps and has a depression where the meat sluffed away....permanent per the Dr....


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## Brassnadz

Did they by any chance do an x-ray of the wound? I ask because my brother got hit from a hardhead, and it was taking a long time to heal. Come to find out, a small piece of the barb had broken off and was still imbedded in the wound. Cleared up pretty quick after it was removed. Just a thought. Hope you get better before the fish stop biting.


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## oldtrackster

Brassnadz said:


> Did they by any chance do an x-ray of the wound? I ask because my brother got hit from a hardhead, and it was taking a long time to heal. Come to find out, a small piece of the barb had broken off and was still imbedded in the wound. Cleared up pretty quick after it was removed. Just a thought. Hope you get better before the fish stop biting.


Looking for a barb might not be a bad idea. I have one of those brothers where if it can happen it will happen to him. We were fishing the jetties and he fell and and after three operations digging out the spines of a sea urchin his ankle was still staying swollen and infected then after the fourth the swelling desisted. But by the stories it sounds like sting ray wound will just take time.


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## McTrout

Dude. I'm also thinking you my still have some trash in there. You should be a bit better than that by now, but the other stories above about long heal times are not unusual. Good luck to you man...just stay on top of it. There is an RFL waitin' for ya'.


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## OxbowOutfitters

I got nailed in the Palm a few years Back from Flipn 1 off the hook..
it took 4 months to heal & I had the Dr cut the area open a bit bigger than the hole to ensure no barbs or trash were left behind..
They had me on Anti's for 2 weeks & I know your pain as far as the Itch'n...damnnn that about drove me crazy..
the Initial pain from the strike was Terrible..Id rather let someone scoop a testi out with a spoon b4 goin thru that again..
Since that...Im an Avid Kayac fisherman..farrkk those slimey sonsabastedges

good luck
Oxx...


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