Hi there,
I just got back from the 5-mile St. Croix Coral Reef Swim--a terrific race for anyone considering it. I've done this 4 times, and despite what I am going to ask about, I highly recommend the race. I saw tons of turtles, rays, and had a great 5 days in the sun.
Given all of that, during last year's race, I was stung by a man-of-war, and "sea lice." The man-of-war sting was extreme, and required a hospital visit as I developed a systemic reaction. (This kind of sting is almost unheard of in St. Croix so don't let it put you off the race!)
This year, I seem to have been attacked by sea lice again. The last two days, in addition to the bumps and itching, I have had a headache, felt feverish, had the chills, and generally felt like I have light flu symptoms. I am also sleeping really badly. I've been up since 4, totally unable to get back to sleep. I didn't equate the other symptoms with the reaction until I did some reading. Now, I'm pretty certain they're related.
Has anyone confronted this? My concern, based on looking at some things online, is that now that I've started these kind of reactions, they will continue to get worse the more times I encounter the little beasties. I hesitate to use the prednisone I have leftover from last year's man-of-war sting, but I'm feeling pretty lousy. (No pun intended!)
What have you done in the past? And have you tried Safe Sea, the supposed prevention lotion? I love the sport, but I'm paying for it dearly in terms of how I feel!
Thanks for any advice.
Parents
Former Member
March/April through May... Hmmm, I'm going to Cuba in April for a wedding. Does anyone have any experience of swimming there in the spring? Specifically the Varadero peninsula area?
My brother is into scuba diving and he mentioned a one-piece lycra bodysuit that he had to wear for the reefs off the Australian coast, not for warmth but to prevent jellyfish and coral stings. I suppose it could be awfully warm to swim in, but if the cuffs and neck piece sealed enough maybe it would offer some protection? Or would that just trap even more of the little beggers.
Maybe the only solution is to dispence with clothing of any kind? :eek:
Any kind of wet suit traps the little buggers; divers here have a big problem with this. I'm telling all of you this: the Safe Sea product works very well; just put on a ton of it. Instead of getting hundreds of stings, I only get a dozen and they don't go to the festering stage. The only true thing to do would be to not get in the water, but I can't do that as I am training for something very big. Unless a doctor can give you prednisone as a preventative (?). And I know nothing about Cuba's waters relating to sea lice. Sorry I'm not much more help, but I have found that a loose 2-piece swim suits works better because the sea lice flow through it rather than a one piece that fits snugly.
donna
March/April through May... Hmmm, I'm going to Cuba in April for a wedding. Does anyone have any experience of swimming there in the spring? Specifically the Varadero peninsula area?
My brother is into scuba diving and he mentioned a one-piece lycra bodysuit that he had to wear for the reefs off the Australian coast, not for warmth but to prevent jellyfish and coral stings. I suppose it could be awfully warm to swim in, but if the cuffs and neck piece sealed enough maybe it would offer some protection? Or would that just trap even more of the little beggers.
Maybe the only solution is to dispence with clothing of any kind? :eek:
Any kind of wet suit traps the little buggers; divers here have a big problem with this. I'm telling all of you this: the Safe Sea product works very well; just put on a ton of it. Instead of getting hundreds of stings, I only get a dozen and they don't go to the festering stage. The only true thing to do would be to not get in the water, but I can't do that as I am training for something very big. Unless a doctor can give you prednisone as a preventative (?). And I know nothing about Cuba's waters relating to sea lice. Sorry I'm not much more help, but I have found that a loose 2-piece swim suits works better because the sea lice flow through it rather than a one piece that fits snugly.
donna
