Envenomation Story: Surviving a Poisonous Fish Sting in Mauritius

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A holiday fishing trip in Mauritius turned dangerous when an individual was stung multiple times by a poisonous fish, likely a masouran (plotosus lineatus). The immediate reaction included intense pain, sweating, dizziness, and severe cramps. Family members applied hot water to the stings, which provided temporary relief. However, the condition worsened, leading to a hospital visit where the individual received an injection that caused swelling in the foot. Despite painkillers, the pain persisted, resulting in a surgery that ultimately relieved the symptoms. Post-surgery, the foot was swollen but manageable. The experience highlights the importance of caution on tropical beaches and wearing protective footwear to avoid encounters with venomous marine life. The discussion also touches on other experiences with venomous creatures, including wasps, emphasizing their potential danger, especially to allergic individuals.
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I spent my holidays in Mauritius island (indian ocean) and was fishing with cousins living here when I got stung several times by a poisonous fish in the foot. I felt a fast growing pain, was sweating and feeling dizzy, and by the time I reached my cousins on the beach, I started to have unbearable cramps in my foot and leg.

What happened next is a little foggy in my mind. I was absolutely conscious but so focused on pain that I skipped a lot of what happened.

They told me that they boiled water in secret and poured it on the stings. They said I did not even notice the burn and that I thought it was just warm water. It eased the pain 30 seconds.
A few minutes later the color of my foot grew purple/black. They grew really worry and rushed me to the hospital. The doctors injected me something in the hand that made the veins in my foot swell a lot, I don't know what it was but if you know tell me please.

They then made me wait in a treatment room, but could not stay in place on the bed, it was atrocious. They prepared me for perfusion but by the time the nurse came back I had torn off everything, don't ask me why I don't know. The injected painkillers were completely ineffective, it put me to sleep 1 minute. My cousins told me I started shaking from head to toes, but I never noticed that.

Then I remember I had a quick surgery, they did not bother giving me anesthesia and I did not feel anything beside a gentle tickling. I remember literally begging the surgeon to let me move my leg, but after that, it was immediate relief. Surgery was the only thing that relieved the pain. It remained painful all night, but manageable. The next morning I was fine, but my feet had tripled volume, and had a load of medicines to take for a week.

So be careful where you walk on the beach, in particular in tropical countries, wear shoes.
 
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Oh I know the culprit, it was a masouran (or plotosus lineatus), which is a sort of small catfish. It is cute and peaceful, but its sting is very painful
 
What are your stories/experiences with venomous creatures ?
 
geoffrey159 said:
What are your stories/experiences with venomous creatures ?

I'm afraid the worst I've ever encountered are wasps. I was stung through my shirt once. I immediately conceded defeat and ran away in shame, leaving the wasp to revel in its victory.
 
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Drakkith said:
I'm afraid the worst I've ever encountered are wasps. I was stung through my shirt once. I immediately conceded defeat and ran away in shame, leaving the wasp to revel in its victory.

Hehehe that's funny lol.
But more seriously, wasps can be deadly to allergic people.
 
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