Scorpion stings & INR

[Bionic Valve Tim]

The other night I got stung by a scorpion while I was sleeping. I pretty much slept through it, but a few minutes later we found a scorpion in the bed and it looks like it got me twice on the back side of my knee. My wife happened to have an appointment with her PCP that day so she asked him about my situation. He said to be careful because it could raise my INR. I assumed he was just saying that--it's also good advice to "be careful!"

However, I had a couple of shaving cuts that bled for a long time, and while I slept last night a small cut on my ear must have bled for a really long time, because my ear was covered with dried blood this morning.

So, I called the cardio office and the nurse had me come in for an INR test. Sure enough, I was 4.7. The doctor was out and the nurse said she wasn't sure about the stings. Of course there are any number of other factors that could have raised my INR...

Anyway, does anybody know of a connection between scorpion stings and INR? If not scorpions, what about similar events (bee stings, spider bites, etc)?

Tim

 

[Ross]

I think this one is best left for Al or a biologist. I'm not sure how scorpion venom works, but if it's like some others, it is an anticoagulant in itself, so that would explain the rise. I have no idea. I'm just guessing.

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Wow, sorry to hear it. There is always a first. I beleive this may be the first post on a sting of that nature. Being novice....what about the effects of the sting overall, i.e. posining, infection?

 

[Bionic Valve Tim]

Wow, sorry to hear it. There is always a first. I beleive this may be the first post on a sting of that nature. Being novice....what about the effects of the sting overall, i.e. posining, infection?

I did a few searches and couldn't turn up any similar situations.

Being from Denver, I had never seen a scorpion until I moved here. As it happens, we've had maybe 8-10 since we moved into this house about 2.5 years ago; most of them were dead at the hands (paws!) of our cat, who likes to smash them. Being ignorant of scorpions, I asked our pharmacist about stings many months ago, and she said they are similar to bee stings--very minor unless you happen to be allergic.

For the curious, my symptoms: no swelling, very little redness or pain, just a tingling/numbness around the sting. It was actually not a big deal at all.

Even though it wasn't a big deal, I don't plan on getting stung again--just curious about the INR impact...

Tim

 

[Guest]

I'm not sure how scorpion venom works but anything out of the ordinary might have an effect on the INR, so it is a good idea to get it checked out. In AZ it is the little scorpions that pack the most wallop. They have a more potent venom that their bigger relatives. I've seen several bee sting people and one scorpion sting, but that is not enough to establish a pattern as to what happens. I'm never saw scorpions or tarantulas when I lived in Denver either but people say that we have scorpions and I've seen tarantulas in my front yard. Maybe the Palmer Ridge (Monument Hill) is high enough to divide the ecosystems.

 

[Bionic Valve Tim]

I'm not sure how scorpion venom works but anything out of the ordinary might have an effect on the INR, so it is a good idea to get it checked out. In AZ it is the little scorpions that pack the most wallop. They have a more potent venom that their bigger relatives. I've seen several bee sting people and one scorpion sting, but that is not enough to establish a pattern as to what happens. I'm never saw scorpions or tarantulas when I lived in Denver either but people say that we have scorpions and I've seen tarantulas in my front yard. Maybe the Palmer Ridge (Monument Hill) is high enough to divide the ecosystems.

You're right about the little ones. The smaller species (of the two common ones here in central AZ) are supposed to be the more venomous of the two (the venomouser?!? ) My students tell me that younger ones are stronger two: they are born with a fixed amount of venom to use over their lifetime, so their stings get weaker as they get older. No idea if that's true, but it's a cool theory!

Thanks for the input. I mentioned the sting to my father and he said he never saw one growing up in La Junta, but had always heard they were around.

On a personal note, I'd be curious to know how you ended up in Pueblo. My father's side of the family is scattered all over that part of the state. We had a few reunions at Pueblo Reservoir, in fact...

Tim

 

[Guest]

There isn't enough time left in the year to tell how I wound up in Pueblo. Next year will be my 40th Anniversary as a pharmacist.

I've been licensed in Iowa, Texas, Illinois, Colorado, Arizona and Hawaii. I was the pharmacy director of the hospital in Payson back in the 80s. We stocked scorpion antivenin there. I was also in Ganado, on the Navajo Reservation for about six years. I laso worked at The Queen's Medical Center in Honolulu, before moving to St. Mary-Corwin in Pueblo.