[crosscreeksh]

As I scrubbed the water buckets in the stable tonight I grasped the lip of the water bucket to hold it steady and WHAMMMMM!!!! I had a sudden jolt of pain that felt like the end of my index finger had been shot off!!!! (Not that I've had other digets shot off, but I bet that's how it would feel!!!) If not a bullet, then I was looking at the ground for the attacker, expecting to see a red wasp on steroids, but what I did see was a scorpion about 1.5 inches long. I smooshed him then went to get my finger taken care of. I covered it with Icthamol to draw the poison and bandaged it, finished my chores and now I have it "done up" in an antibiotic wrap. Anyone have experience with these darn beasts??? Any better treatment suggestions?? Since moving to Oklahoma I have discovered - contrary to my previous beliefs - that Tarantullas lived in pet stores or the jungle and scorpions lived in horror movies or the desert. Wrong on both counts...they live in Oklahoma!! I welcome any advice..it still hurts like HE**!!!

[M. O'Connor]

In case you haven't already Googled it:

http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec24/ch298/ch298l.html

Hope it feels better soon.

I worked in Arizona one winter. I always thought scorpions were the size of crabs...they are the size of a bumble bee!

That, and tails actually falling off lizzards were the biggest shocks to me.

[crosscreeksh]

Thanks soooo much!! It says I'm not dying!! Shows you my thought process - I come to the folks on COTH - not Google!!

[MistyBlue]

Very few scorpions are dangerously venomous.
An easy rule of thumb to remember with scorpions is the bigger the claws the less toxic the venom. The smaller the claws the more toxin they usually carry.
Rarely is a sting dangerous though, not from scorpions in this country.
But it does hurt like heck.

[bludejavu]

My mother was stung in bed by a scorpion about the same size when I was a teen. She felt it but it didn't totally wake her up. The next morning, she had a very sore, red and swollen place on her calf and found the very much smashed scorpion on the sheet (hope I never find one myself in my very own bed - ick ick ick). At any rate, she got pretty nauseous that day and it continued to really irritate her so she went to the doctor the next day. I can't remember what they prescribed but she definitely lived thru it. I do remember she said it bugged her for a week or so but the nausea passed after the first day.

[crosscreeksh]

My OP was a bit tongue in cheek, but I really do appreciate the responses. The red wasps in this country REALLY pack a wollop, but not as bad as the scorpion!!! I'll start looking at the underside of buckets before I grab!

[MistyBlue]

Crosscreek...everyone will react differently to the venom of stings. Some people can be stung or bit by something and have a red spot and some dicomfort while someone else can have all sorts of pain and swelling and other symptoms.
So you could very well be feeling it more than someone else has.

[bludejavu]

I don't know what area of the country you're in, but here in the south it's the Brown Recluse spiders and the Black Widow spiders that I fear the most. The Black Widows LOVE to put their egg sacs on the bottom of our pasture water tank rims and I have gotten pretty paranoid about dumping them - way too many close encounters. The Black Widows will really hurt you! The Brown Recluse is worse but they are pretty much nocturnal and I never see them thru the day. Either way, as the song says "I don't like spiders and snakes"...and I'll add Scorpions to that list too.

[AnotherRound]

Made me look. Your title says "Scorpion String". ha ha

[flea]

I hate those things...feels like a hot poker! Shouldn't kill you unless you are allergic to them. And you would know by now!

[jetsmom]

My drama queen German Shep mix dog got stung on the foot by one. (This is the same dog that whacked her tail on the stair bannister when she got a case of the "zoomies" after a bath. She refused to sit down, so was off to the E-Vet at 10:00 at night. 600.00 later, after X rays and pain killers she was fine.). The scorpion got her at about 11:00 at night as I was getting ready for bed. She refused to put her foot down, so off to the E-Vet we went. Waited about 20 min in the waiting rm, and when they called us, she walked in barely limping. 200.00 later, after a Benadryl shot she was fine.

We have lots of scorpions here. I see one about every other night on my patio.

[nightsong]

Many places have an Ask-a-nurse phone service you can call for FREE for medical advice. Especially good for those "local" critters and ailments that not everyone knows about.

[Samotis]

I got stung 3 times on my big toe once. It was in the tip toe of my riding boot. I had been riding all day and I was taking my horse out of the pasture and I got a stinging sensation, then again, and again.

Well I must have shook him loose from his comfortable toe spot. Of course I had hal chaps on and I was laying on the ground trying to rip it off while holding my horse screaming for my friend to come and get him and some damn thing bit me!!!

That was not fun. My toe was numb for a week and from the knee down was numb for a good 2 days.

Nasty little creatures.

[avezan]

Your OP was hysterical. Remind me not to move to Oklahoma! We had little scorpions in Texas. I also thought they were only in movies, and much bigger, and would kill you! The little ones we had (less than 1" long) would sting, but it hurt less than a bee sting. I think you'll live. Hope it heals fast.

[JanM]

Another precaution (from living in really South New Mexico for years). Always shake out boots or shoes before putting on-it's not just scorpions, but roaches, mice, and other creepy crawlies too. And before using outdoor toilets (outhouses, portapotties, and barn toilets) look under the seat before you sit down and get bitten in the butt.

And I've heard that there are different species of scorpions and the venom varies according to the type of scorpion-generally the further south the scorpion is from the more poisonous. Of course, I doubt the scorpion had a label saying it's point of origin.

[EqTrainer]

Thank you for this timely reminder to never move out west.

[strawberry roan]

I'm with you EqTrainer--staying put!!

[Wild Oaks Farm]

DH and I have both been stung by scorpions...and we were both IN BED when we were stung, and it was one two separate occasions!! Yes, I had a scorpion under my freaking pillow. Nice. My finger was numb for a day or two but I survived to tell my tale.

I have also had to shake them off of me, on multiple occasions, in the shower, One was on my hand and the other was crawling across my foot. I have no idea how the one got on my hand. Terrifying!

[Chall]

Just a thought, but don't be shy about going to your Doctor. You know you would have had the vet out if it had been him who had been stung. Think of it this way, you have to stick around to take care of your horse

[Alagirl]

note to self: Stay East.

Spiders are bad enough. (I second the idea of shaking out boots that have been left untended....oh, and do likewise for gloves left outside....)