Wtf was this reaction?

[Whoshorseisthat]

Got stung by a wasp on my leg today. Not been stung for years. At first there was the usual pain, but then I felt really sick and faint. Probably a reaction to the pain tbh it was awful!

Where I got stung on my leg is massive, it's all red and the red area on it is at least 20cm wide, but the weirdest thing is every couple of minutes I get a stabbing pain from the sting, up my leg, up my back and into my neck, I get goose bumps when this happens, all over my body and my hair feels like it's standing on end. I've checked and there is nothing left in the wound at all.

Should I speak to my GP? I've taken some antihistamine because it hurts a lot

Er, yes, I'd go to a and e to be honest

Draw a circle around it and go to a&e.

I had this but not as extreme last summer. It was either that sting was infected or it was an allergy. The pharmacist told me to draw around it and take antihistamines, if it got bigger I had to go to GP. It got bigger.
GP gave me antibiotics but did tell me that if the sting patch went near to my elbow i.e the nearest joint (my sting was on my forearm) I had to seek medical attention. (I'm not sure why)

I didn't have the shooting pains though. If your sting is near to a joint I'd maybe ring 111. Stings are horrible, you have my sympathy

I agree with others that you should go to A&E.

Hopefully you’re on your way there now.

Was it definitely a wasp? Is it a bullseye pattern? This could be a tic bite and you may be at risk of Lyme disease. You could also have cellulitis - an infection that needs antibiotic treatment. Google bites and see if you can find similar, and see a Dr today.

Have you taken an antihistamine? And put an ice pack on it? It is too soon for infection but likely just an extreme skin reaction. If you feel it is getting worse after an antihistamine then by all means see a doctor but it is likely there are limited things they can do

Goodness

I would phone GP in the morning. I wouldn't go to A & E as it is neither an accident nor an emergency.

It sounds like an ‘accident or emergency’ to me... it’s definitely not a normal response to a sting, with that degree of redness and the other strange symptoms going on. If they think you seem well they’ll send you home. I hope antihistamines help to make it manageable but if the weirdness continues I’d get it looked at ASAP.

It won't be a tick bite. They don't cause pain and the bullseye doesn't develop immediately.

Go to A&E.

You are allergic by the sounds of it, and will need an injection in the backside in hospital, same thing happened to me. It won't take long, the swelling should stop immediately.

Similar thing happened to me, I managed to get an emergency doctors appointment and was told I was hours away from being very ill with sepsis. I ended up on a huge amount of antibiotics and eventually steroids. I wouldn't ignore it if you've done all the obvious, eg antihistamines and hydrocortisone cream, etc.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/insect-bites-and-stings/

Advice here

I would phone GP in the morning. I wouldn't go to A & E as it is neither an accident nor an emergency.

It could be though!

Get it checked if it is still the same. Sounds like an allergic reaction

Do you think it might have been a hornet? I know the bites tend to be a lot more painful.

I had a similar reaction to a wasp sting a few years ago, when we were on holiday in France. It was really swollen for 2 weeks. (Very similar to when I was stung by a jellyfish as a teenager in fact.) I used an antihistamine, which helped, but I didn't get medical advice apart from going into a pharmacy a few days later, and visiting my GP on return home, to make sure that it wasn't something else.

It certainly hasn't done anything to help me get over my wasp phobia!

One question, could it have been a bee sting? If it was, there would be the sting left in the wound and you would need to remove it and it wouldn't get better if you didn't. (It wasn't in my case, but I did check carefully several times when it didn't get better.)

For those posters saying it isn't an emergency, it usually isn't but there are people who end up with anaphylactic shock from wasp or bee stings and it can be fatal. (You would know about it by now, though, if that were the case, OP.)

Go and get checked out. I had similar and it was awful. I started throwing up and hallucinating . Needed strong antibiotics, steroids and anti histamines.

My almost two-year old was stung last week. He cried for about 10 seconds and then forgot about it. His finger swelled up but by the time he’d woken up from his nap it was back to normal.
Your reaction sounds really extreme. You need medical attention x

did you get the sting bit out?

@Sarahandco wasps don't leave their stings in the wound, they pull it in again. Bees leave their sting in the wound, which is why they die after they sting.

Sounds like it stung you on a nerve. I would definitely get this checked out.

I had this last year too. I went to the pharmacist who said it is known as an extreme local reaction. Not an allergy in the sense of needing an epipen. He gave me Fucidin cream and said to take antihistamines. Was stung a few weeks later and same thing happened - tingly, could feel the venom moving up my spine. The year before my FIL was stung on the face and had the same reaction.

I’m allergic to wasp stings, the last one 2 years ago my whole lower leg went red, spreading before me after I’d drawn around it (as advised the previous time). I ended up in hospital on IV antibiotics to get the drugs into me quickly! So definitely get proper medical advise ASAP.