Rabies immunoglobulin Puns

because i know you only need to get shot by it once in ur lfie after the very first time u got bitten. wont something happen to you if repeated?

30F, 5ft, 110lbs, Caucasian. History of anxiety attacks, no currently known health issues but I do have diabetes in my family.

On December 25th I fell down in a cave filled with bats and got several bleeding abrasions which were contaminated with dirt (and presumably bat feces) from the cave floor. I went that night to the hospital about rabies shots, and because I hadn't actually been bitten the doctor on duty didn't feel I was particularly at risk. Nonetheless he agreed to give me the vaccine anyway on account of my anxiety about the situation. I had never been vaccinated for rabies before and I was given 1 shot. I was then told to follow up with 4 more shots at another hospital when I left, and the doctor I saw at the next hospital also didn't seem to think my risk was high and we proceeded with scheduled injections. Injections were on Dec 28 + January 1, 8, and 24. Since I only received 1 injection each time (including day 0), and because rabies immunoglobulin is expensive and in short supply compared to the vaccine, and since neither doctor seemed overly concerned about my risk, I assume I wasn't given immunoglobulin at any point and was just given the vaccine. It has been a very stressful 2 months and the (probable) lack of immunoglobulin has been one more thing festering in the back of my mind.

Last week, approx 2 weeks after my final dose, I started experiencing all kinds of symptoms that are new to me but are probably well within the realm of anxiety attacks. It started with a sore swollen lymph node (that has since gone away) and progressed from there. I haven't had anxiety attacks since 2009 so I don't remember everything I used to feel, but the symptoms I don't recognize are brain fog, dizzy fatigue, sharp little needle-like pains in various parts of my body, pain in my fingers, weird prickly feelings on the inside of my mouth on my gums and tongue. And since anxiety is very persuasive I also imagine I am experiencing mild versions of the unique rabies symptoms that I happen to know about. I've tried not to read about it in order to not give my anxiety any more symptoms it could mimic. (I sure do love staring directly at my bright ceiling lights and chugging ungodly amounts of water to try and prove to myself I don't have hydrophobia.) There's the usual headaches and trembling and hyperawareness of all minor body sensations. I have progressed to daily panic attacks and I tell myself to trust the medical professionals that treated me when

Rabies PEP (post exposure prophylaxis) comprises of an immunoglobulin for immediate immunity (which I assume has antibodies for rabies virus), followed by a series of doses of actual vaccine so the immune system can develop immunity. Since an immunoglobulin is able to give immediate immunity, how come it doesn’t work once a patient already has rabies? Why can’t the injected antibodies kill the virus at this stage? I was reading about Milwaukee protocol which got me curious - in that case the patient with rabies was put into a coma until the immune system fought of the virus by itself. Surely injecting antibodies should have a similar effect to immune system producing the antibodies by itself ?

EDIT: Also, why does immunoglobulin not work for other diseases as well once you have the disease ?

I know that the immunoglobulins are used as a hold-over until the rabies vaccine is finished and can do it's job properly over the 14-28 day period.

Immunoglobulins are injected into the site of the wound(s) but what if they can't find a wound? And what if you've already been vaccinated for rabies? I've read they don't have to give you the immunoglob shots, but I've also heard that some people who have gotten post exposure shots get it each time they get the rabies shot. Is this a bad thing or just dependant on who is doing the procedure?

Got a pretty minor bite at the Ubud Monkey Forest today, but hoping to minimize risk of Rabies. Had first dose of Verorab today. Never had the vaccine before afaik. Waiting to hear from Dr. back in US, but it sounds like including RIG is standard treatment for a bite. Hoping to avoid ditching my trip to fly and get some. Called BIMC and SOS clinic with no luck. Any other places I should try? Thanks!

Seems like someone asked about this 7 years ago but there wasn’t a lot of activity. Looking to see if anyone has gotten the pre-exposure rabies vaccine and about how much it cost you. Hoping to travel in 2022 and now seems like a good a time as any to get vaccinated.

My wife was out walking our dog to the park around 2pm today. When she was approaching the baseball field from the woods she let me dog off leash and a cat came up from behind her and latched onto her ankle, drawing blood. She shook it off and kicked it. My dog got in between them growling and it started chasing him, but my wife yelled for him to come and he circled back. She had to hit the cat with the metal end of the dog leash repeatedly to get it to stop coming at her. When she was able to back away the cat didn’t back off but sat there staring. We called animal control, but they haven’t gotten back to us to let us know that the animal was caught. My wife is okay, she got 6 shots of immunoglobulin and a rabies vaccine so she’ll be fine. My dog had his yearly shot in November and will be getting a booster tomorrow.

I am exhausted so this may be rambling, but I thought I should post in case any of y’all head out there in the morning.

Edit: the cat was a mostly gray long-haired tabby with orange colors around whiskers and belly

Hi, I was in Wisconsin last weekend at Lake Koshkonong. Friday night (6/18), something bit my leg while I was sitting by a fire. I was sitting down on a white plastic lawn chair with holes in the bottom. I assumed it was a bug but it was two holes, fairly large. It wasn’t till last night (6/24) that someone I talked to about it suggested I go to a hospital in case it was a rabid bat. I’m in St. Louis currently. I went and the staff at the ER didn’t seem worried at all. They injected immunoglobulin around the wound and also gave me my first vaccine. My fear is that I waited too long for treatment and that I will develop rabies. Does anyone know how long you can wait before seeking medical treatment for rabies? I can’t find any information online about it. If I’m fearful and want further treatment/a second opinion, where should I go? I’m willing to drive anywhere for treatment before I develop symptoms and it’s too late.

Please help. I can’t live like this, fearing for my life till I either die or live long enough that’s it unlikely I’ll develop it.

If anyone knows any doctors I can contact or hospitals that specialize in more radical treatments to potentially cure it, please post.

I’m sorry if this is disjointed, I’m just really afraid.

I’m a 21 year old female by the way.

Does anyone have any reputable studies or sources that discuss the timing between when rabies vaccination kicks in and the incubation period? I've read a few sites where they say vague statements like "Vaccination before symptoms show up is highly effective." Since it takes an estimated 10-14 days for the vaccine to kick in, does this mean that if someone doesn't have symptoms within a month after being vaccinated they're likely in the clear? Any studies or info to confirm this?

I ask because this idiot doctor I went to at a hospital here in Thailand did not give me the RIG (immunoglobulin) on day 0 of my vaccination and didn't even mention that I need this for a Grade 3 dog bite (wild aggressive dog). I ended up getting it on day 3 at a different hospital with my second vaccine shot.I'm wondering if I can relax a bit after a month or if I'll have to remain nervous about this for years as I read it can take years for symptoms to sometimes show up.

I read a study where 5.8% of people who died from rabies over a two year period did receive vaccination on day 0 but not RIG. I'm wondering how it's possible for a vaccine to be "highly effective when given before symptoms" if such a high percentage of those who died most likely received it well before symptoms showed up. I highly doubt all 5.8% had symptoms show up within the first month.

Last Friday May 7, around 11:45pm, my wife and I were out on our nighttime walk with our dog. We got about half a block from our apartment when we saw a pitbull/American Bully type dog charge at our dog and attack it. The attacking dog had a leash on, but the owner was not holding it. I tried desperately to pull my dog up and hold her, running around trying to avoid the attacking dog. I shouted at the owners, standing probably 10 feet away watching the action, to control their dog, and eventually they did. The owners were not in control of their dog, made no initial attempt to restrain their dog, and offered no apology, remorse, or cooperation afterwards.

Our dog is a small (18 lb) poodle mix. She was bleeding profusely and my hysterical wife carried her in her arms and jumped in a cab to bring her to an emergency vet. She left me to get the attacking dog owner’s information. When I asked for her information, she was uncooperative, said something along the lines of she “just found this dog on the street a few minutes ago” and walked away. I started to dial 911 and I followed her for a bit and saw they stopped at a hotel. I told 911 the location of the hotel at which point they disconnected. I then flagged down a hotel security personnel standing in front of the hotel to let him know this guest’s dog just attacked mine, and was not cooperating when I asked for her info. They asked if this attack happened on hotel property (it did not), and so they said they could not do anything about it. I spoke to a hotel manager inside the hotel, got a similar response, at which point I noticed the dog owner had walked away and was turning the corner. Her friend stayed at the hotel, and I believe entered and went to the room shortly thereafter.

The police arrived and asked me the story, and basically told me there was no crime committed since dogs are property. I was not physically harmed and at this point, I did not know my wife had also sustained a bite to her hand while protecting our dog. I called my wife and she told me she was bit on her hand, at which point I informed the officers. They still did not do anything, and said if she wanted to file a report to go down to the station. They eventually left about 10 minutes later, without even asking my name or filing any report.

My wife had dropped the dog off at the emergency vet and went to the hospital herself to seek medical attention. I met up with her around 12:30am, and stayed with her until she was discharged

20y male 162lbs. Went camping early December, woke up one morning and noticed a small bat crawling on the floor next to one of the logs. Me being the dumb*** I was picked it up, and it bit the tip of my finger. At the time i had not registered that I was at risk of rabies and washed off the quarter drop of blood from my finger with clean water and soap as to not risk infection.

Fast forward to today, Was watching a YouTube video and saw that once infected with rabies and symptoms had started death was inevitable. About an hour of research later found out it was true and now I am freaking the fuck out. The cut was so small that Its healed and I can't remember which finger I was bit on. What to I do? Any information is helpful. Thank you.

TL:DR - got bit by a small bat so long ago that the wound has healed and I don't remember which finger I got bit on. What do I do?

I live in Laos and we have access to the AstraZeneca and Sinopharm COVID vaccines.

It was unclear, but our chief medical officer said that having had the rabies vaccine (unclear if referring to recently or ever in your life) actually disqualifies a person from getting the COVID vaccine (it may just be referring to AstraZeneca, but again, unclear).

I'm seeking to understand why but I'm unable to find a clear reasoning for the decision on official announcements in my online searches.

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The AstraZeneca vaccine has an added, small risk of thrombosis. There seems to be some added thrombosis risk to rabies immunoglobulin treatments mentioned here , but that's immunoglobulin injections, not vaccines. Immunoglobulin treatments in general seem to have an added risk of thrombosis.

There is a paywalled study that seems to say there is increased thrombosis risk with rabies vaccines here.

Could this be the reason?

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I also thought that perhaps it has to deal with the uncertainty of having had a rabies vaccine and shortly afterwards getting a COVID vaccine. Having the two together within a short amount of time doesn't appear to be studied, but at the same time it's generally understood that getting multiple vaccinations for other diseases at the same time is safe and doesn't affect efficacy, although this would be the first time an adenovirus vector vaccine (AZ) would be used in close proximity to another vaccine.

Again, I'm unclear as to the reasoning.

Hey all. I’m a 29 year old female in the US. I have well controlled Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, bulging C5 and C6 disks and mild arthritis in my c-spine. This typically only leads to neck pain and headaches, but I am improving.

On 3/19 I received my first Pfizer covid vaccine. Later that day I was badly bitten and scratched by a sick feral cat I was attempting to rescue (I run a nonprofit cat rescue.) The injuries were deep enough that I went to an ER for a rabies vaccine, which the doctors immediately agreed I needed. As I got the shot (right arm) I began to flush, which was very deep and very hot. This happens to me for various reasons so I didn’t think much of it. I noticed the vaccine site was a bit numb, but the nurse said it was normal. The doctor also made a point to tell me that he couldn’t tell me how the rabies vaccine would react with the covid vaccine. I didn’t notice any odd reactions to the immunoglobulin injections.

On 3/23 I had to go for my second rabies vaccine, which I also got in my right arm. After I got this shot I flushed again from the chest up. My skin was very hot and burned, but also itched. This subsided after an hour or so. I went to PT after this and didn’t think about it too much more while I was there. An hour later (2 hours after vaccine) I noticed the right side of my face felt odd, like I had gotten a shot of novocaine. I am numb from my brow down to just above my clavicle. I can feel sensation deeper down if I press/pinch but not on the surface of my skin. My right ear and the tip of my tongue are also numb. I get occasional burning-tingling sensations. The area around the vaccine site on my right arm is completely numb as well.

My PCP hasn’t called me back and I left a message for the infusion nurse who gave me my second vaccine at the Critical Decision Unit in the hospital. I called my PT to make absolutely sure nothing we did could mess with facial nerves. I do strength building exercises and get dry needling in my trapezius muscles to help with issues with my c-spine. We had a long conversation and went over anatomical maps to be certain.

The numbness and tingling aren’t lessening at all and my next rabies vaccine is scheduled for this Saturday morning. I am VERY hesitant to go for my last 2 shots. I’ve seen online that numbness and tingling can be side effects of the rabies vaccine, but the extent to which I’m experiencing this is very concerning.

Can I expect this to eventually fade? Is it safe to assume I

In october of 2019 I had an encounter with a racoon that caused the county health department to recommend I get the rabies vaccine. In case you didn't know rabies is 99% fatal if not treated before symptoms. I have ACA insurance which is crap, but how much would a few shots be right? Receiving the shots involved one completely unnecessary visit to the ER, and 3 visits to an outpatient facility to receive a single shot a week apart each. Atrium health charged my insurance $20,000, for which they “negotiated” down to them (insurance) paying $2,000 and me owing $5,500. One might say, “wow you only have to pay $5,500 of a $20,000 bill”, and that was the line the Atrium and BCBSNC both told me, it made me furious!

The rabies treatment is essentially the same since the 1800’s, there are 2 parts the vaccine itself and the immunoglobulin (RIG) which is a blood product from someone that has already had the vaccine to kick start your immune response. This treatment used to be about $1000 totally and health departments gave it for free, that was only like 10 years ago. The wholesale cost of RIG in the US has gone up 3000% in the last 8 years. In Cambodia the cost for the treatment is literally $100, that’s not subsidized, that is the cost.

I know this all seems like a pointless discussion about healthcare costs, but I just wanted to make the point that what is being charged for the service has absolutely no connection to it’s cost in even the most basic way.

The questions I have is how is it legal to be obligated to pay a theoretically infinite amount for a service which your life depends on. I can find nothing that would have stopped them from charging me a million dollars. Also at no point are they or my insurance company able to or obligated to provide pricing. You may get some numbers if you beg, but they are not bound to them.

Also in several articles the manufacturer of the RIG was asked why it was so expensive, and they said part of the expense was because of the “life saving nature” of RIG.

So how is legal to become obligated to infinite debt over threat of death?

Phil

Go post NSFW jokes somewhere else. If I can't tell my kids this joke, then it is not a DAD JOKE.

If you feel it's appropriate to share NSFW jokes with your kids, that's on you. But a real, true dad joke should work for anyone's kid.

Mods... If you exist... Please, stop this madness. Rule #6 should simply not allow NSFW or (wtf) NSFL tags. Also, remember that MINORS browse this subreddit too? Why put that in rule #6, then allow NSFW???

Please consider changing rule #6. I love this sub, but the recent influx of NSFW tagged posts that get all the upvotes, just seem wrong when there are good solid DAD jokes being overlooked because of them.

Thank you,

A Dad.

Well, toucan play at that game.

Martin Freeman, and Andy Serkis.

They also play roles in Lord of the Rings.

I guess that makes them the Tolkien white guys.

She said apple-lutely

Rabies. It's exceptionally common, but people just don't run into the animals that carry it often. Skunks especially, and bats.

Let me paint you a picture.

You go camping, and at midday you decide to take a nap in a nice little hammock. While sleeping, a tiny brown bat, in the "rage" stages of infection is fidgeting in broad daylight, uncomfortable, and thirsty (due to the hydrophobia) and you snort, startling him. He goes into attack mode.

Except you're asleep, and he's a little brown bat, so weighs around 6 grams. You don't even feel him land on your bare knee, and he starts to bite. His teeth are tiny. Hardly enough to even break the skin, but he does manage to give you the equivalent of a tiny scrape that goes completely unnoticed.

Rabies does not travel in your blood. In fact, a blood test won't even tell you if you've got it. (Antibody tests may be done, but are useless if you've ever been vaccinated.)

You wake up, none the wiser. If you notice anything at the bite site at all, you assume you just lightly scraped it on something.

The bomb has been lit, and your nervous system is the wick. The rabies will multiply along your nervous system, doing virtually no damage, and completely undetectable. You literally have NO symptoms.

It may be four days, it may be a year, but the camping trip is most likely long forgotten. Then one day your back starts to ache... Or maybe you get a slight headache?

At this point, you're already dead. There is no cure.

(The sole caveat to this is the Milwaukee Protocol, which leaves most patients dead anyway, and the survivors mentally disabled, and is seldom done - see below).

There's no treatment. It has a 100% kill rate.

Absorb that. Not a single other virus on the planet has a 100% kill rate. Only rabies. And once you're symptomatic, it's over. You're dead.

So what does that look like?

Your headache turns into a fever, and a general feeling of being unwell. You're fidgety. Uncomfortable. And scared. As the virus that has taken its time getting into your brain finds a vast network of nerve endings, it begins to rapidly reproduce, starting at the base of your brain... Where your "pons" is located. This is the part of the brain that controls communication between the rest of the brain and body, as well as sleep cycles.

Next you become anxious. You still think you have only a mild fever, but suddenly you find yours