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

I have a sensitivity to wasp stings (not an allergy) and have a very similar reaction to them. The pain is dreadful, I then feel sick, the whole thing goes red, hot and swells ... it hurts for days, then goes irritating and itchy....and ended up with a temperature once.
People think I am dramatic in my fastidiousness when it comes to wasps, it’s just such an awful experience.

Well I left it because I'm a knob I drew round it last night and went to bed, went into work this morning and noticed in the changing room that the sting is absolutely huge well past the sad biro mark, so I've gone down to A&E. I work in theatres I showed my boss and she retched 😂. I'm on antibiotics incase it's cellulitis, had an injection of hydrocortisone and some Iv antihistamine, won't be driving myself home today!

To give context for size. I was stung in the crook of my knee and the redness now extends up to my bikini line. Ain't nobody got time for that.

@Whoshorseisthat

Holy god 😀 you poor thing

Oh no OP! How is it now, have the drugs worked?

Yowser. That sounds painful. Hope the drugs kick in soon!

@NotEverythingIsBlackandWhite

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

There's always one of these on MN, despite documented history of threads where this mantra has been trotted out only for it to turn out that the OP was indeed dangerously ill.

Being stung is potentially both an accident and an emergency when you get a severe reaction like this.

Ouch. No advice at all Sorry. Glad you got it checked. How you feeling ? Sending 🍫. Was going to send flowers but just before pressed send thought that might not be a good plan under the circumstances.

I got stung by a very small insect a couple of years back, and thought it was just an allergic reaction so ignored it for days, but the bite was infected, and I ended up in a & e, on antibiotic IV for many hours waiting for a plastics surgeon to come and sort it out. Draw a biro or sharpie line round the edge of the red bit, and make a note of the time so the docs can see how it's progressing, and go to a doctor!!

I wonder if it was a hornet, rather than a wasp? Hope it improves quickly OP.

I think there's some right bastard insects around currently, I am a mass of blisters where I'm being bitten by either one persistent fly or several opportunists. I was bitten by an ant a year or so back and my leg swelled up to the point where I couldn't get my trousers over it.
Pharmacist told me to go to A&E straightaway.

Holy shit, you poor thing Whoshorseisthat! I hope you feel better soon

I'm allergic to wasp stings and the last time I got stung, despite taking anti-histamine straight away, I had a swollen red circle about 9" in diameter within a couple of hours. No shooting pains, though, although my whole thigh hurt and the red circle was raised and felt hot to touch.

Called in at Boots and asked the pharmacist to suggest something. He took a look at it (I was wearing a skirt, so didn't have to drop my keks in the shop lol) and gave me some cream, but I can't recall what it was.

He told me to go to A&E if it got worse, because stings can lead to cellulitis in people who are allergic. Whatever he gave me worked like magic though.

Hope it gets sorted soon, OP.