Mild Palytoxin Exposure

[Chikpeas]

I just wanted to post this because…. I am new to the hobby and had No idea.

I picked up a tank from the lady and it had Paly corals- I thought you could only get sick if you got cut or boiled payhtoas. They were the green and brown ones. I was wearing gloves and being careful.

After tank tear down, four hours later, I opened a cooler with half water and most of the polyps exposed— they were all about dead. Condensation from the heat and cold- had collected. I poked them around to see if there was any reaction. Five minutes after I closed the lid my throat got swollen, and it was hard to breathe.

I got dizzy, my arms and legs felt weird, my body painful. I was so tired I just went right to sleep. Woke up and felt so much worse. I couldn’t talk- my body was aching, bad headache, dizziness, I had a fever, chills, felt like the whole body flu.

Went into the ER clinic and the first thing the doctor told me was;
“You just Think you have it because you had them. If you had it you’d be in ICU.”
Thankfully, because I couldn’t talk, mom was there: she destroyed him.
- Tests returned normal
- EKG was off but they wouldn’t tell me where it was.
- Blood results were normal.

I’m feeling better now- but I will never
A. Have Palythoa corals
B. Won’t keep my Zoas out of water.


He still thinks I’m sick from strep or something else.

 

[mdpitts]

That's crazy. Some doctors are the most doubting people I've ever heard of. I'm glad you are feeling better.

 

[TheMetalReefs]

wow, thats rough. zoas and palys are what i lean to being how colorful amd easy they are to grow. i got 2 years in the hobby and started with zoas, so im still pretty new. ive fragged them with no problem with health, but of course, taking precautions such as face mask, eye googles, gloves and i wash my hands after. i think maybe what got you were "fumes" from the dead palys in the cooler. good to hear you recovered though!

 

[Chikpeas]

wow, thats rough. zoas and palys are what i lean to being how colorful amd easy they are to grow. i got 2 years in the hobby and started with zoas, so im still pretty new. ive fragged them with no problem with health, but of course, taking precautions such as face mask, eye googles, gloves and i wash my hands after. i think maybe what got you were "fumes" from the dead palys in the cooler. good to hear you recovered though!

I’m thinking that too!! I didn’t know that could even happen, but here we are. It was nuts…

I’m definitely getting a Stupid amount of Zoas with very hazard safe plans- but I trust the Zoas way more than I trust Palys. I guess you just have to be careful- even if they’re dead.