I just went to visit St. Maarten and went snuba diving. While down there, I must have leaned into or been really close next to a dock. But now i have huge welts on my arm and back that burn and itch like there is no tomorrow. I didn't touch anything else. Has anyone else ever experienced anything like this? The rash was defined when it first started but now it's all "melted" together. It is also extremely warm to the touch. I have been using hydrocortisone cream and it helps for a little while. It's been 5 days and it isn't getting any better. Any ideas???

Try some Benadryl cream and/or pills. Maybe the antihistamine would help. 🙂

Silly, you should see a doctor. I would hate for that to be more than any of us expected.

I am sorry to read that so many of you experience this itching, like me. Now that the "inside suit" or arms and legs has been proposed, I am second-guessing myself. I think it was on arms and mostly legs.

I'll have to go back to test this scientific theory......

Can research be written-off per IRS?

I think this could definitely be written off as scientific research! Maybe you can even get the National Geographic to fund your expedition! 😛

Wait a minute here, how can I write it off?
From my experiences, I seem to remember, tho it's been a very long time, that it was under my suit as well as on my arms (don't remember legs). Little welts that went away after a short period of time and always at Megan's in the summer. Sounds like there is alot to be learned and rkurpiers article was interesting.
Silly, I hope you are better soon and sounds like it should be looked at as well. I have never had that experience.
Blu, when you come back to test the theory, I will go with you! 🙂

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for your thoughts on what I should do. I ended up getting some Vinegar and more cortizone cream last night. Seems to be helping a little. I was going to go to Urgent care, but I don't have insurance (getting it next month) and I dont think the dr's in AZ at Urgent Care would know what to do. If it doesn't continue to get better, I'll definitely go to the Dr.

Also, I did get the little bumps and stuff that you guys have been talking about. Sea Rash or whatever it's called. Mine are still here just a little. My skin is also super dry.

I think you should definitely go back to the islands to do research!!! ;o)

This article was posted not too long ago on the Abaco message board ( http://coconuttelegraph.net)

On Sep 17, 2006, at 6:21 PM, Gregory Rawling wrote:

Dear Sandy,

As a Scuba Dive Master, Resident of Florida since 1992, and Clinical Chemist & Biology Instructor our first experience with "Sea Lice" was 1993 as a result of 2 hrs. of snorkeling off Pompano Beach. My wife was wearing a two piece suit. I had the usual one piece (male version.) This is my story and you may use it on your site.

We trudged away from the surf and took a fresh water shower. We dried off and headed for home. Then the itching started. Pat wasn't talking as the itching, which was becoming increasingly sever was NOT in "lady like places"! She had a job interview the following Monday and conceded that it was the worst experience of her life in spite of numerous layers of cortisol creams. When examined in a mirror, the reactions on her breasts resembled ground beef and were severely augmented by the usual women's undergarments.

I went on a mission to figure out what caused this and was frustrated by how little was known at that time. I finally stumbled upon an article out of the U. of Miami, author escapes me, describing the jelly fish larvae. I then read a report from the State of Florida.

Here is the short version.

1. Jelly fish and their larvae contain toxins.

2. The larvae get trapped under garments in large numbers. Exposed skin is considerable less affected. The collars of wetsuits, loose fitting wetsuits, swim tops and bottoms and all manner of other garments.

3. The larvae release the most toxins when exposed to fresh water due to osmotic explosion. This means that the fresh water shower with a bathing suit tight against your body is NOT recommended at all. It just releases the toxins and holds them against your skin! I might add, this does ensure inflammation is in socially, highly uncomfortable and unacceptable places.

The State of Florida reported "Swimming without garments is the best method of avoiding serious "sea lice". (Really - that is what the article said and it is correct if not a bit illegal in most of Florida and the Bahamas!)

4. Removing the suit, drying it, and returning to your body does NOT remove the toxins. It simply reapplies them to your body in the above mentioned BAD places. It should be washed properly before additional uses.

5. The toxin is protein in nature and will respond to acid denaturation. This is the most highly kept secret in Florida. Hence, if you feel a few stings when 1st exiting the ocean, (usually in the neck area) grab a spray bottle that contains white vinegar. (Acetic Acid) It works on regular Jelly Fish stings as well. Soak your clothing and body under the suit and any place it comes in contact with clothing thoroughly. Do NOT be shy or try to conserve the vinegar. I mean everywhere!!! Get right down and in there! You might smell like a garden salad but it is far superior to having important female and male parts looking like uncooked ground beef and feeling like they are being cooked right on your body!

The cortisone only "sorta works" and the suffering can last a week to 10 days. Allergy medications help some and the itching will keep you awake allow you to operate machinery as long as you can do it with one hand because you are scratching with the other hand.

6. You may now rinse in fresh water and again remove the suits etc. immediately if not sooner. If you can shower without the garment, so much the better. (Hairy men do better than smooth skinned women. The Larvae are on the hairs.)

If no vinegar is available:

7. Remove the "larvae infested clothing" BEFORE taking the fresh water shower. Rinse with a lot of water and rinse of everywhere and under everything. Do NOT miss those more private areas out of some sort of modesty. Otherwise, your modesty will be reward in a matter of hours. Some careful trickery with a towel can permit this. Note: replacement with another garment is again, recommended for legal reasons. Again, wash the suit, wet suits and skins. Don't just rinse them.

8. Take a spray bottle of white vinegar on board or to the beach with your other gear. It does no good at home awaiting a gourmet salad.

I have been free of an major "sea lice" incidents since I figured out the Vinegar Solution. (15 years). I might add the price is right.

Gregory Rawling, Delray Beach Florida

Follow up: On Oct 12, 2006, at 6:21 PM:

My wife and I sorta laugh about it and then she recalls the experience. I do hope it helps some people. The local Dive boats all carry vinegar now.

Follow up: On Oct 18, 2006, at 6:21 PM:

There may be a preventative solution......

I have no personal experience with this idea but it fits from a medical and chemical standpoint. Mineral Oil or any kind of oil, (short of used motor oil) spread on the skin is non-polar. Most proteins are polar in nature and therefore the protein toxins will have great difficulty getting in contact with your skin due to the non-polar nature of the mineral oil. This is a good thing! It may be a bit messy, meaning, getting it off will require soap and not just a rinse in fresh water. (Read that sentence again and think about 10 days of itching.) Again, don't go modest here. It is under the garments that need it the most. Combine prevention with mineral oil (olive oil will do)....

Blu, Like you I only experienced this on my extremities, mostly on the fron of my legs with thighs being the most irritated places. Never had rash or welts just itchy/stingy and it quit when out of the water and rinsed off.

We have that same things in the lakes here....we call it "swimmers itch". The State parks here post the notice in early summer when it pops out the most. We usually just towel off real aggressive & go home to shower real good!

I just returned from St. John and am red and itchy ALL over. I think the under the bathing suit itch is caused from swimming, and the arms and legs is caused by being oversensitive to the sun, even though I was slathered with Water Babies 50 SPF.

Thanks Sherri,

It has FINALLY gone away. It took a long time. But I think I had more than just the "swimmers rash" you guys are talking about. I actually had huge welts on my arm that were bright red and wouldn't stop itching. I used Vinegar and cortezone cream and it took about 4 weeks to not hurt any longer. I don't have any scarring as far as I can tell either. Scary stuff though.

Thanks for the recommendations and the support. I really appreciate it!

Sillywomn

We just got back too...with ooddles & ooddles of bites all over!! They seem to be better now, but I've been almost bathing in itch cream!!

I am allergic to everything too except food. I am on allergy shots for grass, weeds, dust etc.. I have felt these stings while snorkeling the West Coast of Mexico on several trips and at different locations. The funny thing is I was at Sapphire Beach in April 2006 and never felt the stings. When I got out of the water my arm itched and it was red from the elbow down to my wrist . The welts lasted a few weeks on me. On my prior trips to Mexico when I had been stung it took over 2 months for all the redness to disappear. I had over 200 welts so now I wear a spring suit when I go in the water. I will be returning next April and will be bring my spring suit with me even though the water is warm enough without it. Even when my husband feels the stings he tries to show me where he was stung but there is never anything there. The difference of being allergic vs. not I guess.

I'm going to let my husband read this so I can prove I wasn't crazy! In 2004 after snorkeling I noticed a minor itching right between my shoulder blades while riding back to the condo. Irritating. By the time we got up to the condo I was racing for the shower. My suit had quite a bit of black short seaweed of some sort in it and I thought that was what was causing the problem. Never thought about jelly fish larvae or anything like that. Yuck! By that evening I was complaining so much about not being able reach that irritating itch between my shoulder blades except with my brush that my husband drove me to the grocery store for some Benedryl. It helped me sleep, but the ITCH drove me CRAZY when I woke up. It was small bumps and about inch long whelps. Finally went away after a couple of weeks, but..... and this is where my husband thinks I'm exaggerating--- if I just think about it, like right now--- my back starts itching and burning slightly! Hope I dont have any critters living on me after 2 years!(shudder) Is this possible?!
I'm off to find my hairbrush...

My mom and my daughter have recently experienced this but were not in any water. The doctor said it was an "idiopathic urticaria." If you look at the pics and can relate to the symptoms, it is very strange. We have found that heat, exercise(she is a gymnast and is very active) and stress will aggravate this condition. The welts are extremely itchy and painful when scratched. The good news is the doctor prescribed an antihistamine that seems to help very much. He also said it may take 3 months to get over it. It's been 6 weeks and even though it is not completely gone, it is manageable and I do believe she is improving. She is still taking the pills. I hope this helps. P.S. My moms condition lasted 3 months and her doctor didn't have a clue what was wrong, but my family doctor knew right away.