Get thee to the doctor straight away because it is likely a spider bite.

One possibility is what I've heard someone call an "oak ant". They are the very large ants that hang out in oak trees and other large trees. I've gotten bitten by them a couple of times now. The first time I didn't do anything to it the first couple of days, and after a few days it became a "bulls eye". It became a huge swollen area, purple and red like a bull's eye. After using hydro-cortisone, I got the swelling and itching to ease up.

The second time I got bit by one, I did the hydro-cortisone right away and helped keep it from getting so bad. Try hyrdro-cortisone, and that will probably help.

Heather

If hydrocortisone doesn't help, I agree. Head for the doctor. You aren't in danger from allergic shock at this point, but if it is a spider bite, it could get badly infected. They tend to ulcerate and become open sores. And whatever it is, it sounds like you might need medical attention. I would try maximum strength CortAid, and if that didn't help immediately, I would be heading to the doc's.

Marcia

Ugh...it is getting worse. It is spreading - now about 3 iches by 4 inches.

I don't have a doctor since I moved here - no insurance equals no doctor. :( If I need to get it looked at, what kind of Dr should I see? Just go to the ER or what? Thanks.

When you said jasmine my first thought was wasps. They can get you very fast...could have been a small nest so you didn't see others. If it was a wasp you are having a severe reaction. Benydryl (sp?) the oral kind works well for me for stings (deerfly! usually)

It does kind of sound like a wasp sting to me too, the itching, burning and swelling. If you don't have insurance
a rgular doc or walk in clinic is probably cheaper than the ER.

ANY insect bite calls for ammonia immediately. But now that it's already swollen, I would pour some on a wash cloth and make a compress and hold it on there. It might sting at first but it will reduce the swelling. I take the benedrile tablets along with this compress. If you are using the benedrile cream, you can't use the tablets too, you are over dosing with it. If you don't get any releaf get some medical attention.

The ammonia will counteract the insect bite. It is in all the insect bite creams, but in a lower dose. Harvester ants give a nasty bite on me and the area will swell to the size of a grapefruit, if I don't get the ammonia on it right away. Keep making compresses every few hours.

Oh, yeah...I forgot Benadryl. Take the liquid kind for quicker effect. And ditto what Katkin says. If no better, I'd head to the doctor. You might need a shot.

Yes, those little red wasps make a very hot place on me, and it hurts more than itches. You'll probably never figure out what it was for sure, but if the at home remedies don't work quickly, check out a Doc In The Box.

Good luck!
Marcia (hoping you've already left to get help)

Here's what I found while we were looking up ftmgirls cat cocoons. This was her remedy to a stinging caterpillar.This was after she tried to remove the stinging hairs with tape.(I have never tried this.)

"I then called a friend, who is a pediatric nurse, and asked if she had any remedies I hadn't tried. She told me to make a poultice of fresh ginger root and potato and put it on the sting. I purchased fresh ginger root [available at most grocery stores in the produce section], chopped it up along with a piece of fresh potato, put the chopped mixture on my palm with a gauze pad over it and wrapped it with gauze tape [this can be improved upon by using plastic wrap, to prevent the poultice from drying out too quickly]. To secure things in place I placed a rubber glove over my hand and cut the finger tips out for more mobility and comfort. Within an hour the burning sensation started to ease up. With every hour that passed the burning and stinging lessened, instead of increasing as before. The potato and ginger drew out the toxins just as she said they would. Thank heaven, something was finally working! I was pleasantly surprised when I awoke the next morning and my hand was completely normal. I think this was a great remedy for stings and wanted to share it to help anyone from suffering from the pain that this can cause." Susan J., Norfolk Virginia

You don't need a regular doctor for something like this and at the ER you'll just wait for hours and hours. I would recommend one of the quick care clinics like Centra Care or Medero. I don't know where you are but there is probably a clinic close by. Many of the grocery stores and drug stores also have "minute clinics" now, where minor illnesses and injuries can be handled by registered nurses and physician assistants. If it's a situation in need of more critical care, they'll tell you and send you on to the ER.

Go see someone about this!
(BTW, it sounds like a wasp to me too, but I'm sure lots of nasty things in Florida could cause a bad bite/sting like this.)

Kate

A saddleback moth caterpillar stung like heck and made me feel nauseas. I'm always on the lookout for these guys now that I've been stung by them. It's horrible.

I do hope you get some relief soon.

Welcome to FL, where you are learning to live with the good, the bad and the ugly.

Walk-in clinics are good, so if you don't get any relief soon, you can go to one in your area.

FlowerLady

Thanks for all the info guys!!

I haven't gone to the doctor yet - will go to one of those Centra Care places tomorrow if it is not any better.

The waves of pain have stopped along with the nausea, so that is a BIG PLUS!!! The redness seems to be lightning as well, now a lovely pink. :)

There is only one bite mark, so I don't think it was a spider. It *looks* like a fire ant bite, only giant! I can't imagine what it could have been that I didn't see it.

It could be a million things - without seeing what it was, it's hard to tell.

You are definitely haveing some kind of reaction. I'd keep taking the Benadryll (get it if you haven't yet...). It will REALLY help and may even prevent you from having to go to the Dr. if $$ is tight.

I was bit by one of those Oak Ants one time. It was similar to what your experience is and it left a nice scar too. They are agressive ants even if you accidentally brush up on one, they will attack.

Good luck - take the Benadryll - try not to scratch.

Hope you feel better soon.

Please, Please, Please try the ammonia. I had a chemist/gardener tell me about this in great detail when I first moved to Fl. All I know now is it works! I have been bitten by the saddle back catapiller, wasps and all types of ants and I put on a compress of ammonia and it stops the reaction by half, if done immediately. With the saddle back I kept it on. Even mosquiote bites it stops the itch. Even afterwards it will stop the itch and counteract the reaction. I know it sounds weird, but it is in After Bite. I keep a bottle of ammonia in my gardening cart and just pour it on a bite when I'm outside.

Everyone just try it, you will be amazed on how it works. :o)

Yep, when I was bitten by an oak ant it was like when I was stung by a bee. Just waves of throbbing pain for hours! After a couple of days I had a bull's eye of color, and you could see the pinpoint bite mark right in the center. It was hot and swollen and rockhard. I don't know if everyone reacts that way to them, or if I'm just sensitive to them.

Yep, ammonia is probably good for all sorts of things. I know they recommend it to counter the venom of jellyfish, so it probably couldn't hurt with a lot of different bites and stings.

Heather

Katkin ~ Thanks for the info about ammonia. I will have to get a bottle for just such emergencies. Those dang fire ants and the ones that fall out of trees really can sting you good, not to mention that horrible saddle back catapillar.

FlowerLady

I was stung by a furry caterpillar in my oak tree, they come and red and green. It hurt bad and left a 2-3 inch rash that stung. No swelling.

Sounds like some kind of spider bite. Unless your allergic to bees / wasps. Possible brown recluse if in shaded area. My bet is a spider bite of some sort.

One thing to keep in mind: most "bites" are actually allergic reactions to the bite. The reason some people never seem to get bit by mosquitoes is simply they don't get the allergic reaction the vast majority of the population gets. But they still get malaria or dengue if they're in a zone where those diseases, which are carried by mosquitoes, are endemic.

Different people react differently and what a wasp or bee does to you may not look like what a wasp or bee does to me. Whatever bit you is most likely something you're allergic to.

And allergic reactions can be quite serious, but generally aren't. What I've been taught is: if within the first few minutes you don't start swelling up ALL over, or having trouble breathing, you'll be fine. That said, I once had an allergic reaction (to mangoes) that never would have killed me, but lasted for two weeks after I ate it. And the lack of sleep was going to make ME kill someone. I had to take steroids to finally get rid of the hives.

So they can definitely make you miserable.

If it looks better today, you're fine. Don't let it get infected, from scratching it, or from a home remedy. (Our grandmothers knew that any home remedy needed to be boiled first.) Benadryl helps (but didn't cure my hives.) Cortisone helps (but didn't cure my hives either.) You can get a reaction that just gets into your system somehow. That's much easier with a food allergy, however. The experts don't really understand allergies. Prednisone is a a miracle drug for long-term hives that don't respond to anything else. But that is really a last ditch solution, if the problem is spreading, getting worse, or causing you to want to kill someone.

Hope that helps. And hope you're feeling better.

Susannah

Hey everyone-

The bite is doing so much better! All the swelling is gone and there is just a faint pink coloring in the area that was swollen. No more pain, but lots of itching at night, like a fire ant bite.

If it was a fire ant that bit me, it must have been the Queen of All Fire Ants in the Universe, lol. I don't think it was a fire ant, but who knows.

Thanks again everyone for your info and help!!

Puss moth caterpillars are emerging at this time of the year Saddlebacks emerge only in the summer. They are the worst of the stinging caterpillars. I do know how much it hurts.
Katie