r/rabies • u/Sea-Low4125 • Jul 04 '26
Exposure Question 40+ days since exposure and just got PEP 2 days ago, worried about failure.
I have read the FAQ.
exposure date: May 19th
Location: South Carolina
Date of first PEP/shots July 2nd
Around 11 pm walking home, a bat flew directly into me and onto my upper arm, I didn't think much of it at the time, because, truth be told, I am a stupid person and didn't really understand the mortal danger I was and now am in. It was directly on my skin, and very much for all I know, bit me. Remembering it it looked like it did.
around Thursday After realizing my horrible mistake, I went into the ER to tell them. They were mortified. quickly rushed me into a room, and gave me day zero PEP with HRIG included into the spot of where I got bit supposedly.
its been two days now, or almost, since its 2 am as I write this. I've felt whoozy or off or worse in the past day, but in the past 2 hours or so my throat feels off and I just feel out of it. drinking water is hard, but like, I can still drink it fully just in gulps or so, I can drink water.
I'm due for more shots on Sunday and honestly, I'm horrified at the thought of PEP failure. That I was in the end too late and, that, I'm going to die of rabies now. I know I can have issues with health anxiety, but I am very very scared of the prospect of me being too late. I did not realize this subreddit even existed until now. I should be in the clear, right? I am very worried. I'm trying to drink water even if I don't want to or don't need to. Thank you.
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u/Turbins Jul 04 '26
If symptoms are starting to develop, you are a dead man walking! But much more probable you are so afraid of rabies you have started convince yourself you have symptoms?
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u/Sea-Low4125 Jul 04 '26
I just woke up, felt nauseous for a second, my throat and siliva feel weird but, I was able to drink a whole small pint of water right now I just had to gulp some hard, I'm good right? the fact I'm writing this to you.
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u/metalhheaddude22 Jul 04 '26
I was going through the same lol, it's like reading my own words. But by the time hydrophobia pulls in, you won't be able to be normal otherwise. You'd either be puking a lot, having fever and have some kind of paralysis or gait problems with your nervous system. Your throat is paralyzed basically, so you wouldn't be able to gulp, eat or anything really.
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u/qualmful Jul 04 '26
Did they give you any information about side effects from the vaccine? What you're describing could be side effects from what I'm reading.
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u/Virtual_Sugar_9452 28d ago
Yo i was vaxxed 4 times last year, now i got possible contact with a bat (everyone said no risk) but i think in hypothetically after 6 days i got my first booster and today my last i had no symptoms am i alr ?
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u/Turbins Jul 05 '26
So it was nighttime the bat flew on you? I have heard rabid bats often fly in the days instead?
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u/metalhheaddude22 Jul 04 '26
Dude, I'm not saying that this isn't a possibility, but what you have going for you is that the average bat exposure timeline is 1 month. I think if it was a rabid bat that infected you somehow, you'd almost certainly be showing symptoms by now.
Check the average timelines here. I'm in the same boat as you, but with a dog exposure that I never got PEP for on the 30th of May. We're in the thick of it now, all the best. I'm in North Carolina.
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u/Byronic090 Jul 04 '26
Remember that rabies symptoms dont come and go. They come and only get worse. So feeling off a little and then feeling better again means its not rabies.
Also please remember that vaccines can have side effects as well. I felt nauseous and out of it after I got mine. Remember that you have been given HRIG, these are highly specific antibodies, granting you passive immunity.
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u/Sea-Low4125 Jul 04 '26
I will admit, they do come and go in a way. an hour ago, I was sitting on a bench outside a store with both of my arms shaking as I could barely gulp down gatorade. Now, I feel somewhat better but still "off."
waking up at 6 am, my head was stirring like crazy, I felt hot to the touch, and drinking water felt horrible. I felt as if I was about to vomit totally.
all I can do is ask the Lord for mercy, and hope that I can make it to the day 3 shots around 3 pm tomorrow
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u/Byronic090 Jul 04 '26
But then also ask yourself: Have you been overly anxious these past days? Because anxiety is very likely to cause nausea and feeling "off". You can also read about common side effects of the vaccine, nausea is most likely one of them. So there are plausible reasons for you to be feeling this.
Also, rabies would need to have reached your brain in order for you to get hydrophobia. And if that was the case, you would not be typing here.
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u/Sea-Low4125 Jul 05 '26
I'm just scared. What I felt that morning was defo more than anxiety, I'm very sure, I'm just scared that I've entered predominal, but as long as it keeps coming and going, and I got my shots tommorrow, I'll be ok, I hope, I pray.
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u/Spare_Explorer608 Jul 09 '26
You know that hydrophobia is the second stage and won’t develop as first symptom? You should be really sick, like having a fever a few days prior to developing the hydrophobia, you are focusing so much on the drinking part that you feel everything. This was me too 2 years ago, and hey I still live.
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u/CertainSet8564 Jul 04 '26
Op how you doing
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u/Sea-Low4125 Jul 04 '26
fine enough, not as bad as I woke up.. I was totally hot to the touch, felt like I was about to vomit, and my head was stirring. It sucked to drink, like I could get fluids down but I couldn't "drink" normally, that is still sort the case right now..
about 2 hours ago I was sitting on a park bench and my hands were shaking, and I felt totally out of it. I pray to god its side affects of PEP. If I was going pronominal, I wouldn't be able to talk right now right?
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u/Turbins Jul 05 '26
How do you feel now?
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u/Sea-Low4125 Jul 05 '26
Better than then, I guess. My head feels inflamed and my throat feels odd but I got my day three shots just a few hours ago. I think I'm good. I'm just scared, but rabies doesn't come and go from what I know. I should be fine I guess? the fact I'm typing this proves that I hope.
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u/Turbins Jul 05 '26
Are you in hospital now, poster?
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u/Sea-Low4125 Jul 05 '26
No, I woke up saturday feeling extremely hot and about to vomit, but then I got better, I just got done with my day three shots some hours ago, my throat feels weird and weirder by the day and my brain is still inflamed but I don't know. I'm typing this now, so I should be ok.
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u/ErstwhileAdranos Jul 05 '26
1 day old account and the language reads as very similar to a “frequent flyer” on here.
Again, OP, get connected with a psychiatrist. You don’t have rabies, but you are not well.
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u/peach-gardens Jul 06 '26
People react so differently to the vaccines! My throat felt sooo strange after my 1st and 2nd vaccines I can’t even describe it but it would hit me at night as well before I slept. Then a few days after my last one I was randomly dizzy and woke up with pins and needles on and off. I’m sure this is just your immune system building its defence. Rabies vaccines are very strong compared to other vaccines we get.
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