From the article: Scorpion Stings Can Be Painful and Serious
In Arizona we have scorpions and sometimes they sting. Scorpion stings can vary from being mildly annoying to downright unpleasant and painful. Share your story! How were you stung? What was it like? What did you do? What Happened To You?
Not too bad
- Little bark scorpion stung me on the outside edge of my big toe. Felt like a bee sting. Localized pain at first, but it is subsiding. My husband washed my foot with soap and water then put a cold compress on the toe. I took a Benedryl and I feel fine. I have a slight ache in my left foot, ankle and leg, but nothing too severe. I feel a little bit of the "pins and needles" feeling other posters have described in my foot, but it's not too annoying. No blurred vision or nausea. Haven't felt the need to call poison control. Will post more if symptoms change.
- —Guest Erica
Self Treated
- I was stung by a scorpion laying in my own bed. After my daughter previously got stung in the foot, we started keeping Benadryl on hand. It did the trick. She went to the emergency room and after paying the tab they told her to buy some Benadryl. Benadryl tabs are a good first aid kit item, just because of scorpions.
- —Guest Deadeye
What a way to wake up!
- Woke up in bed around 1:00 AM to sensation of something creeping up my thigh. Experienced three separate stings three or four inches apart on my upper thigh, and they really HURT. Ran into bathroom, threw on light-- de-pants myself quickly, and small bark scorpion fell to floor. Killed him by stepping on him hard with my bare foot-- probably not too smart, but instinctual on my part. It's about 7 hours later, and my thigh is throbbing and the sting sites hurt and I feel like I'm running a low fever. Other than that, no memorable symptoms. Now, how I'm going to be able to sleep tonight is the real challenge! I asked my partner to go to Lowe's during the day while I'm at work and buy some scorpion-specific insecticide and spray the bejesus out of our bedroom...
- —Guest Cindy
stung by a bark scorpion 1030pm
- It was painful, stung in rt toe next to baby toe, in between. Toe to head, shoulders, arms numb 15 hours later. Can finally see, not twitching, can walk better bit still off kilter. Feels like spiders are crawling out of my neck and shoulder, awful feeling. Couldn't swallow. VA doesn't have anitivenom, hospital does for 12 thousand dollars, and given only if life threatening. Poison control called me every 2 hours for 6 hours. Still can't function much. Don't drink too many fluids, take antihistamine like claritan D 12 hour, 1 only every 12. Soaked foot in Braggs apple cider vinegar yo neutralize venom. Still hurts really bad. Twitching was horrible with convulsive shots of pain. Numbness moves around body. Don't take hot shower, take a cool one. Wash with soap and water, get tetanus shot soon as you can.
- —Guest michelle
it's sucks
- got stung on the finger getting back into bed. I felt it running through my fingers and then a hot sharp pain. I think I scared my husband more by screaming "get out of the Bed" in the middle of the night. Experienced sharp pain and numbness, not unlike a bee sting but more intense. I took 4 advil and two Benadryl, can't say that they were very helpful for the pain but made me sleepy enough to go back to bed after about an hour. Ice pack was the most comforting, but I will caution that as it goes numb be careful not to leave it on too long. This is the next morning and my finger and arm are numb and tingly. Glad my experience wasn't any worse.
- —Guest Gina
Stung by bark scorpion
- I was at work and it was hiding in a damp towel. Stung my ring finger. Someone put lavender oil on it and a little ice. The worst part was the initial sting after that just my finger was numb for about a day. I reccommend getting lavender oil because they experiences are way worse than anything I had!
- —Guest Kendall
2 encounters in 2 days
- Two nights ago I awoke feeling itching all across my neck and on my ears. I got up and walked into the bathroom. I then felt a pinch on my ear. I flicked it and a scorpion about a half inch fell in the sink. Last night and tonight I searched my bed thoroughly before bedding down. Tonight I was laying in bed and felt something hit my shorts. I brushed it and felt a searing pain. I swatted at my shorts and a scorpion fell on the floor. My ear is still numb from 2 days ago, but there was never very much pain. The pain in my arm is already worse than when I got stung several times. My lips are tingling and when I tried talking to my wife a bit ago, I had a little difficulty completing my sentences. I think I got stung the other night by a desert scorpion and tonight by a bark. My three year old daughter got stung about a month ago and after crying for about 2 minutes, was laughing and playing. There was no further effect to her.
- —Guest Kelly
Scorpion sting
- Last night about 1:30 am I roller over in bed and felt a sting. I got up turned on the lights and didn't see anything. It started to burn right away so I knew something was up. Looked down the side of the bed and there was the scorpion. Have had a lot of pain and burning tingling feeling in my left leg. The pain was going up to my left thigh. I immediately took two Benadryl and put ice on the sting. It still hurts and its been 16 hours.
- —Guest Lee Anne
You won't believe this one...
- I've lived in Arizona 25 years and had as yet only feared roaches and spiders. Five years ago our neighborhood was infested because of a new building across the street. One night I couldn't sleep so finally took a warm bath and was so tired I lightly toweled off and, still damp, fell face-down on the bed--no covers on. I fell asleep but thought I might have felt something crawling on my leg. Next thing I know I'm waking up and screaming because a critter was in my ass, snuggling. Yep. Imagine that feeling. I woke, grabbed, screamed, jumped out of bed. Got two minor stings--one on my hand and one on my butt. Not a lot of pain but it was about a week before I returned home. Then, just six weeks ago, I was stung while sleeping on the couch. This time the critter had time to empty all its venom into my thumb. I went to Urgent Care and got an antibiotic and Tylenol 3. A week later the stinger fell out. It's six weeks later and it did get infected. My thumbnail is coming off.
- —Guest Felina
hate 'em
- hate bark scorpion they are so annoying not actually that deadly though,
- —Guest abby
It was my first stings too! Ouch!
- I was playing Terraria (if anyone knows it) on my PC and felt something brush my leg. I just brushed it off and continued playing. Well after maybe 10 mins I think, I felt it again only closer a tad and I brush it away again. And after a while, the next thing I know, I feel a sharp pain then burning sensations on me, and jump up and get on my aunt's bed (I was hanging out with her) and she sees the scorpion and traps it in a cup until she can find something to kill it. But when we lifted the cup, it's head was crushed. I thought maybe I landed on it when I got up sideways at first then got up. It hurts like crazy, but not as bad as it was earlier. I put neosporin on it to numb the pain and it kinda helps, but it still burns like someone is holding my leg and lighting a lighter and just burning my skin....I'll never forgive that scorpion for stinging me when I did nothing! The pain kinda spreads to different spots on the body. Hope I'll be alright...
- —Guest Briana Harley
bastards
- You'll be happy to know i was not stung. But i found 2 scorpions in one night while at my parents house. It made me paranoid to sleep since i found 2 scorpions 1 after the other. I flushed both the bastards down the toilet each with 2 flushes. I thought of letting them live but too bad , i dont want to wake up to a sting because that retard creature wants to sleep with me. Im telling my mother to call the chemical man and pay to have the nieghborhood gassed and have regular hunts for them. Im tired. Good night.
- —Guest sotang
Are they really that bad?
- I saw one in my house for the first time since I moved in 1.5 years ago. Killed it, think it was a bark scorpion. Reading these accounts are just making my anxiety worse about it, and I think I am doing a lot of needless worrying..it seems like nobody ever sees it coming anyway.
- —Guest HoboJim
Scorp inside my jeans; 4 stings
- Half an hour after, sting still hurts like hell...electrical jolts, intense pain, grown man nearly crying. Bark scorpion has no compassion for humans. Crawled up my jeans; never stripped so fast. He/she is dead now. Think I'm going to survive....
- —Guest Rick Bartlett
Ouch
- After living in AZ for 33 years I had my first scorpion sting. Ouch, it did hurt. Very similar to a bee sting. It was on my foot. Followed directions provided on this web page by cleaning the area with soap & water then applying a cold compress (washcloth) with ice. After about 10-15 minutes the pain subsided. Next morning I can tell I was stung but it is just a mild discomfort. Don't freak out if you are stung, a cold compress does the trick.
- —Guest Bruce
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