Strange Effect from Caterpillar Sting

[Eric Krewson]

Three months ago I was walking through my corn patch in shorts and was nailed by a stinging caterpillar, I didn't see what kind it was as I was too busy getting out of the patch. The pain was pretty intense. On my walk back to the house it stung me again so I knew I had broken spines embedded in my skin.  Every time I moved my leg a certain way for the next two weeks I could feel the sting again.

I scraped the area with a knife first to try to remove the spines, looking back this was a bad idea. Next I looked up treatment and it recommended using scotch tape pressed to the area to remove spines, this didn't work and I was still being stung. Lastly I bought one of those wax hair removal kits and stripped the sting area of everything, this didn't stop the stinging either. The spines break off the caterpillar with the poison gland attached.

I have spent countless hours researching these types of stings and found no long term effects, with most lasting a day or two.  In my case the sting area has become numb with the numbness is expanding up to my knee and down to my foot with some dull pain on the front of my leg where the sting was. the effects are getting worse every day. My doctor doesn't have a clue when I mention it to him. 

I do take blood thinners which makes every wound very slow to heal. I have also been stung by these critters multiple times in the past before I took thinners with no long lasting effects.

I fear I will lose my leg to this before it is over, probably an unfounded fear but I always expect the worse.

Just thought I would throw this out there because so many people read this forum, in hopes that someone has had a similar experience and knows how to deal with it.

[Pappy]

That don't sound good at all Eric, no clue on how to deal with it, like you I have been stung by them before, but other that hurt like heck ,no lasting effect on me. Good luck hope it get better soon or they figure out what to do for it.
  Pappy

[Urufu_Shinjiro]

Well better than asking WebMD, they'd tell you it's cancer and sell you a supplement for that or something, lol.

In all seriousness though, I would try to track down a local entomologist, you're average primary care physician likely wouldn't know a love bug from a bowl weevil much less effects of long term sting exposure. Any local universities or natural history museums or the like give them a call and ask if they have an entomologist or someone who could help you track one down. Hopefully a local entomologist will be familiar with what kind of stinging caterpillar lives in the corn around there.

[Chief RID]

Did you actually see the caterpillar? I would see a doctor. The symptoms you are experiencing are not normal and a doctor should take them seriously.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Have you tried milk soaked bread Eric? I know it works great at sucking out slivers that cant be removed otherwise.

[Zuma]

nothing to mess  with. see a specialist!!!!
ive been stung sent me to my knees.
i found the four horned,four eyed yellow- green rat.
allergy to all stings now. he looked like a jousting horse.

[stickbender]

Man that doesn't sound like a good time at all!  If you get stung by an insect, you can use household ammonia, and it will stop the sing immediately!  Also plain OL meat tenderizer, with water, just make a paste out of it, and apply it to the sting site.  Most insect venom is a Protein.  I would definitely get a better doctor, than what you have, specifically one that deals with reactions like that.  Maybe an allergist, or neurologist.  At least any doctor who will take your symptoms seriously, enough, to at least refer you to someone that can help you.  I don't think you will lose your leg, but you might get nerve damage, if you don't get to the bottom of this.
                                   Wayne

[mullet]

Yea, I'd see a specialist. After my episode at the hospital where I found out nothing I was glad to get some information about what I had after seeing an Allergist.

[bowandarrow473]

I agree with everyone else. Go see a specialist, it's not worth the prolonged pain or possible leg damage.

[Parnell]

Heck yeah see a specialist.  Your talking losing a limb...you need to get to the best care center possible, ASAP.

[JW_Halverson]

It's one thing to lose a limb ... if your are a tree! 

See a doctor!

[Chippintuff]

Find a toxicologist. You might be able to find one through your local university. If not, try to locate one through the CDC.

WA

[Eric Krewson]

The leg is feeling better. I waxed it again to try to pull any spines that were still in my leg it seemed to help with the pain and numbness.

I put a couple of the Biore’ strips on my leg this afternoon. I am almost certain I picked up two caterpillar spines when I pulled them off. One was an indistinguishable very short piece, the other was longer but still microscopic. I put on my 7 power optivisors and looked at the strip through a magnifying glass. The longer spine was black, sharp, appeared to be barbed and was twice the diameter of the hair I pulled from my leg and put alongside it for a comparison. Sure wish I has a microscope.

[mullet]

One thing I've noticed the older I get is that bugs that used to bite me I just took for granted effect me a lot different now. Even mosquito bites seem to itch more and longer.