Don't Rub Your Eyes After Handling Zoanthids/Palythoa

update day 7 post exposure:
saw doctor today. Continue to see slight improvement, the redness of the eye is just about gone. There is no change in the inflammation or the ulceration nor vision. However no worse either. I actually do not need to go back until Monday again, unless something new starts. I am now on antibiotic eye drops 6x day, 60mg prednisone every day, rewetting saline gtts as needed and Sunday will start steroid eye drops 4 x a day. Trying to stop the vicoden however havent been that successful.

I am actually having more pain and in general feel bad. The doctor was actually very happy to hear that as he said the neurotoxins had damaged the nerves. He said if I hadnt had the nerve damage I would have been in much worse pain than I was. Now the nerves are most likely regenerating so that is a great sign!

 

Good to hear there is optimistic progreess! Keep fighting the good fight and HULKKKK SMMMMASH

 

Hey now!!! Would I turn on the lights, take a picture of you right away, and then post them on the internet? No I wouldn't. ;D They are actually a very interesting shade of yellow and beige. They are definitely a keeper. I don't hold any malice towards them whatsoever. Simple stimulus-response. If attacked, fight back. They don't even think. I will gladly frag them for anyone who wants them. You just have to promise to follow some of the rules I've preached for years.....no touching mucus membranes (namely your eyes, nose, and mouth) after your hands have been in your tank.

 

On the road to recovery YAY!!!!

They are attractive Palys vs Zoanthids.

I get sloppy when I work in a tank, heck turning off electricity is a major feat for me. I had a local reaction to some very nice zoanthids just from touching them, it was not until I actually started to experience mild palpitations and localized pain did it motivate me enough to get rid of the piece and good riddance. This was after several months of exposure. Creating a siphon the old fashioned way probably did not work in my favor either.

I can not say I positively would pause and think before wiping my eye.

Goggles must be the answer.

 

they were much prettier last week then they are this week! LOL!

I am waiting for the steroids to give me that boost of energy that everyone talks about. I am just so sleepy that it is not even funny. The reddness of the eye is almost completely gone today. I dont think there is much difference in the vision, and pain today seems to not be so good. Hanging in there however. Getting a little restless, want to go do things but just really cant tolerate it. Cant read, or watch tv or be on nternet for long. However I think if this is starting to bother me, then i am on the recover! LOL

 

I've had palytoxin poisoning and it wasn't fun. However, I was in contact with 40 boxes of nothing but corals over an 18 hour period. It was my semi-annual Indonesian trans-shipment. I was knee-deep in my QT pond for about 16 hours straight and I think it soaked in through my skin. There were no visible cuts on my legs (yes, I checked). I GUARANTEE that during those 16 hours, I never touched my face once. If I sneeze, I don't even touch my face. I lift my shoulder and sneeze there.

With that said, if you don't know that you won't make a mistake, wear gloves, wear goggles, and DON'T have corals with palytoxin in it. Frankly, Mycobacterium marinum frightens me a whole lot more than palytoxin.

 

BIG BIG time. Got a whole other war story about almost losing a friend to that until we insisted they contact an infectious disease specialist and educated the staff regarding the bacteria.

Deadly stuff and quickly.

Survival rate drop dramatically if you do not act fast.

 

even though I might not feel like it right now, I am still VERY fortunate! I am so glad that the original ED doctor took my concern for palytoxin seriously. Not sure if the 8l of irrigation in the eye actually helped or not, but I would like to think it might have kept it from going into the bloodstream! Like I said, right now, dont feel very fortunate but I know i am!

 

And glad to hear,hopefully things are on the mend for you.What an ordeal you've been through.

 

i always where gloves when handling that way i remember not to touch anything like eyes or lips and then there is always those little unexpected scratches we get from rock