What's your best jellyfish sting solution?

Gogstad

Member
Aug 27, 2007
67
Severn River, MD
Boat Info
2007 205 Sport
Monster MT2
Engines
220 Mercruiser
4.3L MPI
Alpha Drive
Towed by 1997 F-250 HD
5.8L V8
Now that the jellyfish/sea nettles have invaded here around the Chesapeake, what do you use to treat stings? My niece got stung pretty good over the weekend and every boat had a different fix. Baking soda, vinegar, gold bond spray. We went with the baking soda but I wonder what is the best fix?
 
Vinegar works for us.
 
Avoiding them is the best. I've never been stung in 42 years!

That being said, we've found that a paste made with meat tenderizer (MSG) and water works well. So does toothpaste in a pinch. Seriously.
 
You mean the tv folks were wrong again? They make it seem like all you have to do when your friend is stung is whip it out and pee on him/her....:wow:

Urinating on a sting is an old wives tale and is not effective. However, I think we should run our own tests here with some of the more special CSR members. How about if we see anyone with a last name starting with "K" around, we go urinate on them? They can then report back on the results.
 
Anything that drying is supposed to work. Alcohol is very drying, so we keep isopropanol aboard. When we didn't have any 2-propanol, we used liquid soap, liquid laundry detergent, vinegar, etc.

Now I just don't bother to get into the water to clean the waterline on the boat. I leave it dirty or wait until I'm anchored somewhere without jellies.

Best regards,
Frank
 
Urinating on a sting is an old wives tale and is not effective. However, I think we should run our own tests here with some of the more special CSR members. How about if we see anyone with a last name starting with "K" around, we go urinate on them? They can then report back on the results.

Would you trust his answers to be acurate? Plus, I think he may like it... Well, he seems to so far anyway...
 
I think the urinating treatment "wives' tale" comes from the fact that pee is warm and it is a fact that immersing a sting in hot water breaks up the venom and thus helps alleviate the sting..... plus pee is sterile (a little-known fact that may come in handy one day if you find yourself wounded in a primitive survival situation). :grin:

I've always heard that meat tenderizer makes a great jellyfish sting treatment. I've yet to have had to personally test it though, thank goodness.
 
pee'ing works. I was stabbed in the toe by a sea urchin and it stung like hell. I pee'd on my toe and the pain went away. Then I whipped out my knife and ate the little stinging sucker.
 
Vinegar (3 to 10% aqueous acetic acid) should be applied for box jellyfish stings.[18][19] Vinegar, however, is not recommended for Portuguese Man o' War stings.[18] In the case of stings on or around the eyes, vinegar may be placed on a towel and dabbed around the eyes, but not in them. Salt water may also be used in case vinegar is not readily available.[18][20] Fresh water should not be used if the sting occurred in salt water, as a change in tonicity[21]can cause the release of additional venom. Rubbing the wound, or using alcohol, spirits, ammonia, or urine will encourage the release of venom and should be avoided.[22] A strange but effective method of treatment of stings is meat tenderizer which efficiently removes the nematocysts. Though often not available, a shower or bath as hot as can be tolerated can neutralize stings. However, if hypothermia is suspected this method may cause other serious complications.
A species of Mediterranean jellyfish, Cotylorhiza tuberculata, on display at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
A species of Mediterranean jellyfish, Cotylorhiza tuberculata, on display at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Once deactivated, the stinging cells must be removed. This can be accomplished by picking off tentacles left on the body.[22] First aid providers should be careful to use gloves or another readily available barrier device to prevent personal injury, and to follow standard universal precautions. After large pieces of the jellyfish are removed, shaving cream may be applied to the area and a knife edge, safety razor, or credit card may be used to take away any remaining nematocysts.[23]
 
Typically rubbing alcohol, Vodka, vinegar, an ammonia solution, diluted acetic acid 5-10%, male urine

I have not tired it but I have heard a diluted ammonia solution works well, just wipe some over the affected location. Some sites even say urine as a last resort, but not from a woman, and also not to use fresh water either

NOTE: ( Eight Comment down) If no vinegar is handy, then human urine will do in a pinch. If you have a choice in the matter, use a man's urine rather than a woman's urine. :huh: This is because females are more prone to occult urinary tract infections, thus introducing bacteria. Male urine is considered sterile, since men are much less likely to have a urinary tract infection.

:thumbsup:
 
I don't know. I bet if Shania Twain was on the beach and came over and offered to pee on your leg, you'd probably say "OK"....
 
Shania Twain? I'm more the young Sophia Loren type myself.
 
here she is demonstrating the toe pee technique

sophia-loren-004.jpg
 
In addition to taking the Sea Ray out often, I am also an avid windsurfer. I windsurf quite a bit in areas where jellyfish are prevalent and have been stung several times. I read on a windsurfing blog the benefits of fresh Papaya for stings. I tried it the last two times I was stung and it worked really well. Researching further I found that Papaine, papaya enzyme neutralizes the venom.
 
Meat tenderizer contains enzymes that break the protein chains (JFP) that cause the stings. You must also clean the affacted area to remove nematocysts; fresh water triggers nematocysts to release more proteins and therefore make the pain worse, but sea water works for this purpose. I was stung this week in the Chesapeake and it can hurt, but having been stung in the past by a Portuguese Man of War (in Papua New Guinea) I would say that the ones in the Bay are more irritating than anything, unless one has a reaction to the sting.

Now, if you have a Shania or a young Sophia to relieve the pain, there's no need to bother them with those subtleties....
 
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pee'ing works. I was stabbed in the toe by a sea urchin and it stung like hell. I pee'd on my toe and the pain went away. Then I whipped out my knife and ate the little stinging sucker.

I had a visual while reading this...

"ate the little stinging sucker"

I hope you were referring to the sea urchin.
 

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