# help needed. flesh eating bacteria



## Fonseca (Aug 14, 2010)

I went fishing this passed weekend n found out that my waders leak
Had a pimple on my knee n didn't think much of it popped it, now days later im in a lot of pain and knee is swollen. Thought that it was a boil but when I do get a boil it normally doesn't hurt as much.


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## dbarham (Aug 13, 2005)

Go to ER!


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## FSSU3 (Nov 18, 2015)

dbarham said:


> Go to ER!


X2 and like yesterday!! Looks like a spider bite, may have been one in your waders. i would go to urgent care or ER ASAP. If it is a spider bite the longer you wait the more muscle and skin will deteriorate. Go now!


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## Swampmamma (Feb 14, 2007)

Never pop. I still have a huge scar on my knee from 2002 hospitalized for nearly two weeks for messing with something on my knee. Go to ER


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## DA REEL DADDY (Jun 7, 2005)

I know nothing other than a buddy is in the hospital right now because of a staff infection. If it is swollen better get to the er like the young lady in front of me suggested.

IMO


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## SaltyBones (Mar 17, 2009)

See a Doctor ASAP. We are too stubborn and then it's too late.


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## Swampmamma (Feb 14, 2007)

It's probably a form of staff or cellulitis. I have had it on my knee and my daughter had it on her knee when she was two. Hers ended up requiring two separate surgeries. I worked at a doctor's office for several years, most everyone that came in with staff thought it was a spiderbite. Most forms of staff these days are resistant to oral antibiotics and require antibiotics through an iv. First and foremost when you get to the ER do not let the staff poke and prod at it. Good luck!


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## barronj (Sep 30, 2013)

Well, the thread title didn't deliver, but for you, I'm glad.


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## Load&Go (Jul 16, 2004)

Go to ER - been there 


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Pain? Swelling? Redness?... Yeah... Emergency room time. You like having a leg right?


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## Fearless (Jun 28, 2015)

The sooner you can get to ER the better. Even now you've waited way too long. I'm still recovering from a salt water infection on my thumb from a year ago. And I went to the ER the same day.


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## Im Headed South (Jun 28, 2006)

Probably Staph, water hasn't warmed enough for Vibro to be effecting folks yet. Regardless you need to get to the ER, seen to many bad endings messing with infections down here, better safe than sorry.


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## chickenboy (May 5, 2008)

Been there done that get to a specialist asap. Most docs don't have a clue about this sort of thing 


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## SolarScreenGuy (Aug 15, 2005)

Seek medical help ASAP! Don't fool around with infections like that.
www.solarscreenguys.com


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## tommy261 (May 3, 2006)

*er time*

I had a pimple and popped it also....same area on my knee....was in alot of pain; ended up being staff. Got so bad it put me on crutches....


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## Burnadell (May 17, 2015)

You said it was flesh eating bacteria, yet you did not go to the doctor? Do you know for sure it is that? 

Surely you have been to see a doctor now.


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## saltwaterjunky (Aug 17, 2012)

*stuff*

This is really wild HELL I used to go to the coast with jock itch,cuts etc get stuck by a hard head roll him over and rub where I got stuck on his belly slime seems like saltwater cures all what the hell is different today from then.I do know people with immune dificiencies are more at risk but still don`t get it.............


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## CaptBrad (Dec 29, 2007)

I've had staph twice from the saltwater and both times looks almost identical to your leg. 
Go the hospital NOW!


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## Red3Fish (Jun 4, 2004)

I am with you Saltjunky! Fished salt from ~7 yrs old, like every week, wadefishing all my life and never had a problem? Never even heard of vibro 'til 10 years or so ago.

I never had an infection around salt. Get a cut, and the current wisdom then was soak in the salt while you fish. LOL I have wadefished with 13 stitches in my foot from the day before?? A wave in the surf knocked me into a piling and had cuts all up and down my legs from barnacles....no problem. Don't think I would do it today!

SOMETHING IS DIFFERENT!!

Later
R3F


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## bubbas kenner (Sep 4, 2010)

Red3Fish said:


> I am with you Saltjunky! Fished salt from ~7 yrs old, like every week, wadefishing all my life and never had a problem? Never even heard of vibro 'til 10 years or so ago.
> 
> I never had an infection around salt. Get a cut, and the current wisdom then was soak in the salt while you fish. LOL I have wadefished with 13 stitches in my foot from the day before?? A wave in the surf knocked me into a piling and had cuts all up and down my legs from barnacles....no problem. Don't think I would do it today!
> 
> ...


the darn ship channel is being dredged and made islands outa toxic waste.It got me too go er.


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## planohog (Nov 1, 2006)

Corpus Christi 1976 , sting ray sliced me good, dad said go sit in the water and let it clean up. bad ugly scar but it healed nicely .


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## troutsupport (May 22, 2006)

Red3Fish said:


> Fished salt from ~7 yrs old, like every week, wadefishing all my life and never had a problem? Never even heard of vibro 'til 10 years or so ago.


It's always been around.. it is more prevalent now and you're right things are changing. Water quality and salinity are changing and toxic algae blooms are increasing in size and frequency. Either way, as long as he listened to you guys and went to the emergency room he should be ok. Probably staff, most vibrio cases are during the heat of summer.

Hope he end up healing up and quickly, the surf will be on fire this summer.


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## Im Headed South (Jun 28, 2006)

We probably all grew up like that but the water isn't anything like it was 20 or 30 years ago. Father in law got stuck by a redfish fin last year in Rockport and was hard headed and tired healing it as they would for years and well after a week in the icu he was dang lucky only to loose his finger instead of his whole arm. His was a variation of Staph and not Vibro.


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## Its Catchy (Apr 10, 2014)

Red3Fish said:


> I am with you Saltjunky! Fished salt from ~7 yrs old, like every week, wadefishing all my life and never had a problem? Never even heard of vibro 'til 10 years or so ago.
> 
> I never had an infection around salt. Get a cut, and the current wisdom then was soak in the salt while you fish. LOL I have wadefished with 13 stitches in my foot from the day before?? A wave in the surf knocked me into a piling and had cuts all up and down my legs from barnacles....no problem. Don't think I would do it today!
> 
> ...


They feed antibiotics to shrimp in shrimp farms, fish in fish farms, chicken in chicken farms etc... We eat shrimp from China and Fish from Vietnam...

We used to be more immune to things like staff. But our immune system has been effected as has the bacteria. So we get infections easier and when we get them they are much worse and are harder to get rid of.


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## planohog (Nov 1, 2006)

This might help , or scare you off the beach.

https://cgis.glo.texas.gov/Beachwatch/
:texasflag


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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

Good news is it is probably not vibro or you would be in the hospital in a life and death or lost leg situation.

I have never had a problem till last year in the back of the KL system and had a hook barely stick my thumb but by the time I got home it was red and swelling and being a dentist I did take some Amoxicillin after cleaning the boat. Thumb kept swelling all night.

I was at the er at 7 Am with the shift change wanting the Vibro medicine regime which is Leviquine, doxicillin and the lady thru in clindimycin too. She was smirking with me talking about vibro but I told her I did not care this is what I wanted as my thumb was 2x the size and still swelling. Probably was not vibro because it did not swell past the thumb but it was a bear with such a small stick and I wonder if I had done more than a tackle box stick.  I did take the first drug by iv to get a jump on the infection.

Thumb quit swelling by dark and by Monday I could work. 

I wonder what would have happened if I had waited a day or two.

Get to the Dr or Er today.


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## Ripin' Lips (Jul 3, 2012)

*Vibrio*

I believe it starts out as a rash or at least looks like a rash in the beginning (first few hrs). A nurse told me, If you think you may have it, draw a circle around the area in pen. If it moves past your circle its time to go to ER.


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## Fishin' Soldier (Dec 25, 2007)

That is probably Staff. Go to DR. It could be Flesh Eating Bacteria but water is still pretty cool. Either way you need a culture and antibiotics.


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## Rack Ranch (May 25, 2004)

Really dude??


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## zthomas18 (Dec 1, 2008)

That is for sure staff. Get on some antibiotics from the doctor and be ready for a world of hurt for a week or so.


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## mchildress (Jul 11, 2009)

Agree looks like staph need a doc.


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## Reel Therapy15 (Aug 25, 2015)

Don't want MRSA like I had. 


"We're going to need a bigger boat!"


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## TripleGrip (Oct 18, 2007)

have you left yet?


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## texasislandboy (Apr 28, 2012)

looks like a spider bite. I had one just like it last year. Could wade all summer.


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## Flounder Face (Jun 20, 2012)

Any update from the OP?


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## Fonseca (Aug 14, 2010)

I'm very stubbor, in the e.r now waiting. Yes still in pain n am more swollen than yesterday. I've had many boils in the passed but thought that it would at least drain on its own


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## Bustin Chops (Feb 3, 2008)

keep us updated


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## AaronB (May 15, 2010)

You prolly should've been at the ER yesterday. Keep us posted.


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## wiznut (Jun 10, 2013)

Fonseca said:


> I'm very stubbor, in the e.r now waiting. Yes still in pain n am more swollen than yesterday. I've had many boils in the passed but thought that it would at least drain on its own


Seriously?????.... You let 24 hours go by with literally EVERY SINGLE PERSON telling you to go to the ER immediately.... :headknock


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## Cod Wallupper (Jul 11, 2015)

It's a hoax


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## LA Wader (Oct 22, 2013)

Little late to the thread and hopefully the OP went to the ER. I have had similar infections several times a few years back. They turned out to be MRSA staph infections. The first was just as the OP and I was stubborn and tried to pop it, very bad mistake, just pushed the infection deeper into the tissue. These infections can be very serious and shouldn't be taken lightly. When I had gotten my infections, it wasn't too terribly long after we had been hit by Hurricane Ike. The Dr told me that he had seen a bit more of these infections following the hurricanes. These days I keep bleach very handy on the boat and wash all cuts and fin nicks with bleach ASAP.


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## Fonseca (Aug 14, 2010)

Sorry for be so hard headed. Yes, 1st went urgent care but the Dr didn't want to touch it. She said that I needed to go to the er. At the er I was running some fever, they did blood work n hooked up an IV. After the results came back w good news she brought out the needle n knive. Gave me an antibiotic and as of right now not much pain. The swelling is down also. No staff and not flesh eating bacteria.


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## Blueshoes (Jan 24, 2013)

well thats about as good of news as it gets! I thought at MINIMUM it was staph


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## sotxks (Jul 10, 2011)

Ingrown hair that got infected when you tried to pop it! 


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## SaltwaterTom (Jun 23, 2013)

sotxks said:


> Ingrown hair that got infected when you tried to pop it!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


More often than not, you are correct. I don't know why people assume "It's a spider bite" when it is typically a break in the skin that allowed an opportunistic bacteria (we are covered in various strains of staph) to get a foot hold and grow. Back of the head/ neck (pillow rubbing on shorter hairs), underarms (constant rubbing where hair grows), groin, elbows and knees (pressure when we rest our arms and on the inside of pants/waders). Whatever the cause, it all comes down to luck of the draw whether the strain of staph can be handled by our immune system, or if it needs a medical helping hand. Diabetics are at particular risk (younger diabetics may not be aware, the old timers are usually very well versed on precautions). Don't underestimate the value of a good antibacterial srcubbing of a minor wound followed with neosporin/bacitracin and a bandaid. Change the bandage as soon as it has gotten wet, even if that means doing it 10 times a day. NEVER WEAR A WET BANDAGE!!!!!!! That is my ranting advice (based on 18 years of emergency nursing) for the morning, hope it saves someone grief and pain in the future.


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## Flounder Face (Jun 20, 2012)

SaltwaterTom said:


> More often than not, you are correct. I don't know why people assume "It's a spider bite" when it is typically a break in the skin that allowed an opportunistic bacteria (we are covered in various strains of staph) to get a foot hold and grow. Back of the head/ neck (pillow rubbing on shorter hairs), underarms (constant rubbing where hair grows), groin, elbows and knees (pressure when we rest our arms and on the inside of pants/waders). Whatever the cause, it all comes down to luck of the draw whether the strain of staph can be handled by our immune system, or if it needs a medical helping hand. Diabetics are at particular risk (younger diabetics may not be aware, the old timers are usually very well versed on precautions). Don't underestimate the value of a good antibacterial srcubbing of a minor wound followed with neosporin/bacitracin and a bandaid. Change the bandage as soon as it has gotten wet, even if that means doing it 10 times a day. NEVER WEAR A WET BANDAGE!!!!!!! That is my ranting advice (based on 18 years of emergency nursing) for the morning, hope it saves someone grief and pain in the future.


 LOL, great advice and rant!


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## The west bay assassin (Sep 30, 2015)

Its staff, If it was Vibrio you would be knocking on deaths door inside of 24 hours. Staff is not anything to play around with either. Its highly contagious and is very resistant to antibiotics. The normal script you will get is 100mg of Doxycycline twice daily for 10-14 days. but if there is a pocket of infection you probably need to get it lanced. Wash your waders and anything else that have made contact with it with a bleach and water solution. Use very hot compresses on it and DO NOT ATTEMPT TO POP IT. In the upcoming months when the water warms up to above the 76 degree mark is when Vibrio is in its most active and dangerous state. If you had this level reaction to just the salt water then be even more aware this summer. NO WET WADING. Hope you get to feeling better.


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## Burnadell (May 17, 2015)

Glad to hear you got it taken care of and it's not the bad stuff!


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## poppadawg (Aug 10, 2007)

reading threads like this and Bubba's recent experience scares hell outta me.


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## iridered2003 (Dec 12, 2005)

staph aka mrsa


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## jesco (Jun 23, 2013)

A few years ago I was camping backcountry at BBRSP. Shoved a wire through my palm (by accident). Within 12-16 hrs my hand had swelled up like a baseball glove. Got to ER within 24 hrs in Alpine. Red lines up my arm almost to my elbow. Staff. I've never seen anything like it. Lots and lots of IV antibiotics for five days. Go figure. All the cuts and scrapes that I've had, never thought that an infection could set in so fast. Staff can be nasty, especially if it colonizes a part of the body where it can grow and spread. I'm glad it turned out okay for you. Smart move getting to an ER.


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## C.Hern5972 (Jul 17, 2009)

get to the doc

get off here and go to doc


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## iridered2003 (Dec 12, 2005)

Fonseca said:


> I went fishing this passed weekend n found out that my waders leak
> Had a pimple on my knee n didn't think much of it popped it, now days later im in a lot of pain and knee is swollen. Thought that it was a boil but when I do get a boil it normally doesn't hurt as much.


so whats up? hope alls well with you


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## peckerwood (Jun 9, 2012)

Had a run in with MRSA a few years ago that turned into a life or death kinda deal,so don't just blow off a bump or sore the next time waiting for a bunch of people telling you to go to the ER.Your one lucky dude.The doctors questioned me like I'd murdered someone,because up until then,they thought MRSA was hospital contained and tried to make me say I had been to a hospital when I hadn't.It started pizzing me off.Maybe a year later I went to my dentist for a cleaning,and noticed the girl put on clean gloves,but touched everything in the office with the gloves on,mostly the light over my head,and then back into my mouth she'd go.I had been to the dentist a few weeks before I had the infection.


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