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BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: JP on June 27, 2007, 12:55:50 am

Title: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: JP on June 27, 2007, 12:55:50 am
My middle finger on my right hand has had joint pain for three days, so I gave myself apitherapy. It helped tremendously. This am I had trouble bending it and had throbbing pain, before the sting. Relief lasted the entire day, feeling some pain now. I stung myself square on the knuckle. I have also stung my right thigh in the past for syatic nerve (sp?) Anyone else sting themself ? I'm sorry that some may find this a cruel subject, but apitherapy is real. I have had arthritic pain in my hands for several yrs and thought that one day I may perform apitherapy on my hands but today I really needed some relief and it worked amazingly well.
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: SystemShark on June 27, 2007, 01:24:43 am
I havn't stung myself but a big reason I am so excited to start bee keeping is apitherapy. I saw a special on "rippliey's believe it or not" which showed it being used to help MS patients. My sister is doing something in the medical field; so I'm hoping when her schooling is done she will be able to help me set up a clinic of sorts.
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: indypartridge on June 27, 2007, 07:57:54 am
My beekeeping mentor tells me that when he started beekeeping his arthritis was so bad he couldn't hold a toothbrush. He always works his bees without gloves and considers the few stings he gets to be a great benefit as he hasn't been troubled by arthritis for years.
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: acbs on June 27, 2007, 11:32:58 pm
A man I work with has rheumatoid arthritis.  He has been taking medicine for it quite some time.  He'd been talking to me about apitherapy since last fall and decided to try it this spring.  We'd gotten a 3 video set that explained it pretty well.  After he'd watched that he was sure he wanted to do it.  Started out slow with a few stings once a week.  Now he's up to 8 stings and wanting to try twice a week.  After 3 weeks of stings he had an appointment with his doctor.  Dr. was so pleased with his improvement he was told he didn't have to come back for 3 months.  Dr. hasn't been told about the stings, yet.  Every time my friend comes out he always tells me how much better he feels and how much the swelling has gone down in his joints.  He told me today if I stopped stinging him he was going to shoot me!

Another man who works in one of the terminals we load at heard about him getting stung.  He told us he had back trouble until he was stung over a period of time a total of 70 stings and that took care of it.  They even used to sting his horses to help them with their bad legs.  Kinda hard to get a "placebo effect" with animals.

Stung my wife on her ankles and she now has total feeling in the front of her legs where she has had tingling for a long time.  (Please don't make any comment on how I referenced horse's legs and my wife's legs one right after the other.)

Can't argue with success!!

Arvin
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: Mici on June 28, 2007, 04:05:10 am
wow great storyes.
tnhe thing with horse really impresses me, i mean...how didyou keep him alive? a horse can withstand what? 3-4 stings.
yesterday i did an inspection and was about to put the last frame in and whuuuusssshhh, zap zap zap zap in the right arm.
i guess i'll probably never have arthritis :) but i'm still young.

but what do you thing about some real back issues (my dad has them, once, he was in bed and crippeled for a whole month, a kiropractic helped him) so...would stings help with it, or is this just to "physical"? what do you think.
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: Sean Kelly on June 28, 2007, 06:49:26 am
Maybe it's not the apitherapy that's helping, maybe the sting hurts so darn bad that you forget about the other pain.  lol
I have carpal tunnel and I got stung on the hand and all it did was hurt.  :-)

Sean Kelly
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: BMAC on June 28, 2007, 09:19:26 am
I sting myself every time I play with the hives.  Oh maybe once a week or so.  Them girls are just loving all over me by the time I am finished. :-P

On a serious note, no I have not.  I have often thought about it for my tendonitis but I am nnot sure it would help with the tendonitis.
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: JP on June 28, 2007, 10:53:53 am
Since my post the other day I have had to sting that same finger in the morning, every day now, with great relief. This morning was no exception, I couldn't tie my shoes. Got stung, on purpose, was able to tie my shoes and the finger is 95% better. I have pain throughout the joint of the middle finger on my right hand and have been administering stings, one only, to the top of the knuckle but am contemplating stinging the underside as well. Also, I have been removing the stinger pretty quickly, except fo today. The feeling of relief was instantaneous. I can't imagine how the word placebo effect would have any merit here, its about coping with real, physical, joint pain.

This is my own little deal, and its one finger. If its for broad areas, and multiple stings, common sense would tell me to consult with a doctor. Again, I take full responsibility for what I am doing, and I would advise anyone who asked me about apitherapy to consult with their doctor first.
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: JP on June 30, 2007, 07:25:18 am
Well, guys and girls it seems like the arthritis in my hands is catching up on me. I haven't needed to sting the middle finger on my right hand again, but the index finger on my left hand is now hurting at the joint for two days now. I believe I will be consulting with my doctor very soon. I may be reporting on apitherapy again if that is what this road leads me to, but I need to do some serious research and consult with the doctor, for now. I have a friend, whose son has rheumatoid arthritis and he takes medication for it, but I've heard the side affects are extreme, but he needs to take something because he is a musician. Can't describe the aching in my index finger, feels like someone hit the joint with a hammer, I feel very old today, and I'm only 42. Oh well, who said life was fair, right ? :(
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: Bennettoid on June 30, 2007, 12:44:18 pm
Hey, I had a hip replaced at 42.
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: beemaster on June 30, 2007, 03:04:31 pm
I've been meaning to post to this for a while - do some "Apitherapy" searching to full details, but I did it daily for two seasons: that's 30 stings on my neck each day after falling 20ft to an asphalt surface, fracturing my right arm, but messing up my neck long-term.

I learned quickly that the trick was to grab the bees by the heads out of the hive using tweasers and letting the reflex action do the stinging. I aalso learned to sting myself on opposit sides of the neck, after a few stings it really didn't matter how many stings I took, the pain level was about the same.

I used this high sting dosage, taking two weeks to get up to the 30+ sting rate. What was left on my neck looked like an over baked pizza, but under the skin and in my muscles it felt like a heating pad doing magic.

After season two I felt like I didn't need the theraphy again and my neck has been really good with few flare-ups in nearly ten years. In hindsight I would do it again, I really believe that IF I had not done it, then I would stiill be seeking pain meds and other therapy like chiropractic which is a 3 times a week obligation I never had much faith in - so of the two I'd take sting theraphy for certain things, but it surely is NOT for everyone.
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: bluegrass on June 30, 2007, 03:20:23 pm
CRAZY.....the whole lot of you
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: Cindi on June 30, 2007, 07:16:33 pm
Yeah, go, go go.  I do not mind one little bit to be stung, and yes, I have had good results with kind of achy muscles in my hands, this summer I am working on finding the oldest bees, I think that they pack the biggest punch :roll:  Have a wonderful day, great life.  Cindi
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: BBHJ on July 01, 2007, 03:25:59 pm
Maybe it's not the apitherapy that's helping, maybe the sting hurts so darn bad that you forget about the other pain.  lol
I have carpal tunnel and I got stung on the hand and all it did was hurt.  :-)

Sean Kelly


Sean , I also have CTS. I have it in both hands and it is starting to flare up again after getting injections back last year. Sorry to hear you have it as well. I may try some apitherapy to see what happens. It'll save me lots of money if it does help.
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: JP on July 01, 2007, 09:29:08 pm
Not too much pain in joints today. I started taking glucosamine/chondrotin mix and am rubbing emu oil on my hands. Will contact doctor tomorrow.
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: the kid on July 02, 2007, 01:32:32 am
>>>>>>>>>>  i guess i'll probably never have arthritis  but i'm still young <<<<<<<<<<<<
 remember this statement 10 to 15 years from now..



My hands hurt so bad ,that I had a hard time driving ,,,,  I dont use gloves or any thing ,,but was lucky to get a few stings on my hands .. now my hands don't hurt ,,, hope the girls keep giveing me a few treatments    ..     the stings hurt less then the pain in my hands and the sting only last for 5 min ,, the hand pain is 24 / 7  >>
the kid
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: JP on July 03, 2007, 07:45:19 am
We think we are invincible when we are young.
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: Mici on July 03, 2007, 08:03:14 am
heyy, i said it in a joke-as to opose all the stings i get
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: JP on July 03, 2007, 09:41:35 am
Thought I'd relate a quick story. About three yrs ago, I removed a hive from an alligator nuisance control guys utility room wall. He and his wife told me that they had had a dog that had bad arthritis and one day was stung by the bees, which, incidentally had been in the utility room wall for more than 5yrs. They said the results for amazing, that it was like a brand new dog for a time. Well, and they both attested to this, that they caught the dog at the entrance of the hive quite a few times over the yrs getting stung, because, afterwards the dog would get fantastic relief from the stings. Hard to believe a dog could be that smart or desperate or whatever you want to call it, but they both attested to it and I have no reason to doubt what they were tellin' me.
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: jl on July 03, 2007, 10:20:04 am
I have allergies and when my hive got attacked by bear I ended up getting stung about 20 times, I don't know if it was the adrenaline or if it was the stings but my allergies have been cleared up since.  Not scientific enough for proof but it sure has felt good to be able to breath.

Jeff
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: SystemShark on July 03, 2007, 05:53:58 pm
I'm at the beach with some friends. I got stung by a jellyfish I wonder if there are reasons to get stung by these guys as well as bees. Whats in honey bee venom that makes it good for some medical things?
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: Greg Peck on July 03, 2007, 11:05:49 pm
I got stung by a jellyfish I wonder if there are reasons to get stung by these guys as well as bees. Whats in honey bee venom that makes it good for some medical things?

Here are some articles I found when I was researching apitherapy for myself. I guess you would have to see what is in the jellyfish venom to see if it would have any "good" properties.

"Bee venom contains more than 40 pharmacologically active substances, many of which have yet to be studied. For centuries bee stings have been used to cure diseases such as Arthritis, Rheumatism, Gout, and many other painful joint conditions. Venom contains the protein 'Melittin' which stimulates Cortisol production from our adrenal glands. Cortisol is a natural anti-inflammatory and does not have the dangerous side effects of artificial steroids.Venom also contains 'Peptide 401' which is believed to be 100 times more powerful than cortico-steroids."  This article came from http://www.beelief.com/content.asp?sectionID=35

Another article.
"Bee venom is a unique multi-component complex, which contains about 30 biologically active compounds, some of which are practically impossible to get synthesized by chemical methods.

The main anti-inflammatory pharmacological components are peptides: melittin, apamin, peptide 401, adolapin, and protease inhibitors.


1) Melittin has strong antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Destabilizes all the membrane structures at the level of the phospholipids. Stimulates ACTH-secretion in the pituitary gland and produces cortisone. It is 100 times more potent than hydrocortisone (Couch, 1972; Knepel et al., 1987; Vick et al., 1972, 1975). Melittin also stabilizes the lysosome cell membrane to protect against inflammation (Shkenderov et al., 1986).

2) Apamin works like melittin to produce cortisone (Vick and Shipman, 1972), and inhibits the complement system, C3, which is involved in inflammation (Gencheva et al., 1986). Apamin stimulates central and peripheral effects on the nervous system. Stimulates secretion of serotonin and dopamine; has anti-arrhythmic effect.

3) Peptide 401, or MDC peptide, blocks the arachidonic acid and inhibits prostaglandin synthesis (Hanson et al., 1974; Neubould, 1963; Surfer et al., 1973).

4) Adolapin inhibits the microsomal cyclooxygenase. It is 70 times stronger than Indomethacin in animal models (Shkenderov et al., 1986). It also inhibits platelet lipoxygenase, which involves hydroperoxyeicotetranonic acid (HPETE) and leukotriens (Koburova et al., 1985), as well as inhibiting thromboxane (TXA2) and prostacycline (PGI2), which are activated during inflammation (Shkenderov et al, 1986).

5) Protease inhibitors inhibit carrageenin, prostaglandin E1, bradykinin, and histamine induced inflammations; they also inhibit chymotrypsin and leucine-aminopeptidase (Shkenderov, 1986).

6) Schmidt-Lange (1941), Ortel (1955), and Fennell et al. (1968) reported that bee venom has a strong anti-bacterial and anti-fungal effect as well as a radioprotection effect (Ginsberg et al., 1968; Kanno et al., 1970; Shipman et al, 1967, 1968)."
 
This article came from http://www.apihealth.com/bee-venom-apitherapy.html
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: Cindi on July 03, 2007, 11:43:30 pm
Greg, some very nice work on research you have done.  I have looked at both sites and they are now in my favourites, I will be doing research myself through these two sites.  Awesome, good job and thanks.  Have a wonderful day, great life, love this life you're livin'.  Cindi
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: JP on July 04, 2007, 11:28:54 am
Yeah Greg, great research. Didn't contact my doctor yet, did talk with one yesterday, and he said do a wait and see, but my fingers are still kind of achy, the middle finger on right hand the most. This doctor said they desensitize people to bee stings. He said an ounce of bee venom goes for 10,000.00.
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: Cindi on July 04, 2007, 05:59:59 pm
Bee venom is gathered by using some kind of electric shock system, they discharge their venon and it is dried and collected, something along those lines, this information was recollected through those cobwebs in my mind.  ;) Have a wonderful day, great life, Cindi
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: acbs on July 04, 2007, 07:03:12 pm
Greg,

Thanks for the excellent information.  Will have to pass this on to my "patient".  He doesn't know the scientific reasons why, he just knows it works.  He's up to 10 stings each time now for his rheumatoid arthritis and can't stop telling everyone how much better he feels.  My wife was talking to someone he knew the other day and they were commenting on how much better he was doing.  They put things together when she told them about his bee stings.

Arvin
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: JP on July 04, 2007, 08:13:04 pm
Cindi, the doctor I spoke with yesterday did mention that electricity was used in some fashion to extract the bee venom, but we didn't talk about details. This doctor does give patients shots to de-sensitize against bee stings.
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: Sean Kelly on July 05, 2007, 03:13:54 am
Yeah, check out ABC's & XYZ's of Bee Culture.  I can't remember what page it was on but they go into great detail about the venom extraction.  Just read it last week, very fasinating.

Ok, I was a skeptic, but I think I have another success story here.  My hands have been really hurting due to a cyst in my wrist and carpal tunnel.  The pain comes and goes depending on how much abuse I give my hands at work.  But today while delivering at a gas station a freakin bee flys out of nowhere and goes right down my shirt.  BAMMM, got me right on the chest!  Still hurts like a mother!  I left that station and headed for Portland, Or to pick up another load due for BC, Canada tomorrow.  Half way there like magic, my right hand went back to normal.  30 min later my left hand does the same!!!

I'm starting to think maybe I should start a regiment here with my bees.  My only problem is I'm allergic to pain and dont think I could administer it myself.  I guess I could take my glove off and jam my hand real quick inbetween some frames during my next inspection, but that would take some real courage... like Jack Daniels courage...

Sean Kelly
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: Cindi on July 05, 2007, 06:24:28 am
Sean, see, the venom works well for you too, I would just go ahead and do something to annoy just one bee at a time (possible or not?  hmmm).

I knees have been bugging me quite a bit the past couple of weeks.  Tried to do too much weeding in too short of a time.  When I get back to my home town I am definitely going to get some BVT going on in the area.  My sister would willingly catch a bee and give me a whollop with her.  After me giving her so many stings last summer on her knees, she would gladly assist, think there is a little revenge that might be enacted  :evil:  Back to B.C. this morning, yeah!!!  Can't wait to see how the rain and sun (in my hometown it has been sunny now since Saturday) have done to the bees, flowers and vegie gardens!!!  We grow things like aliens from outer space in our rainforest.

I'm going to post a picture of the gunnera maniculata, it grows like a monster, it has a huge red flower cone and I think that it must have some use for the bees, but it is hidden by the monster foliage, but I am going to keep a good eye on it this year and watch, with my eagle eyes!!!!  Have a wonderful day, great life, Cindi.
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: JP on July 05, 2007, 02:49:17 pm
Hey Sean, the bee sting pain hurts so good, a good kind of pain that gives you great relief. Its worth the pain of the sting, actually, the pain from the sting doesn't last that long because the feeling of relief kicks in so quickly.
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: Cindi on July 06, 2007, 09:43:47 am
JP, he haw!!!!  Now that is something worth thinking about.  Have a wonderful day, beautiful life.  Cindi
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: JP on July 06, 2007, 11:38:15 am
Cindi, of course I am referring to the relief from the pain that makes one seek the bee sting venom in the first place. My fingers are starting to act up again, and I put a call in to the doctor, but he hasn't called back yet. So, the journey begins to find the cause of my arthritic problem. Let me be clear, I am not in to s & m, trust me, I'm not. :-D
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: beemaster on July 06, 2007, 04:04:20 pm
JP:

As I mentioned, I did 2 seasons of Apitherapy on my neck, 30+ stings per day. The good and bad "WEIGHED" in the favor of good for me - again, it felt like heating pad nicely working under my skin. It brough me relief in knots in my neck muscles, extended mobility and over all relief from the pain I suffered post accidentally.

In the hands though, stings are surely going to cause some swelling around the fleshier parts of the joints, making it feel numb and restricted until you get use to the feelings. But the first exposure to sting theraphy was a 60+ year old fellow who was stung about 10 stings a day in his OBVIOUSLY mangled hand from severe arthritis. It took him about a month to really see flexibility and reduced pain, but after that he was able to regain strength in his grip without "lighteninglike pain" and he was a car mechanic by trade, it gave him both grip and agility in his proffession, something he lost to the joint disease.

So besides each person's individual pain levels and obviously their reactions to sting theraphy, results sure can differ. I wouldn't think twice about restarting sting therapy if something was causing me great pain or chronic joint ailments, I just think it a shame that traditional medicine has such issues with holistic medicines and treatments. Look how long it took MDs to accept Chriopractics as an alternative - today PAIN MANGEMENT GROUP enlist acupuncture and acupressure as well as Raiki and other non-tradional Western treatments: mainly because no one want to dish out meds like Oxycontin, Percocet, Mophine and other meds (which in the big scheme of real pain do very little anyways) our society has a huge issue with opiates.

I'm just a big believer that if we can treat the scum of the planet (the killers and rapists and molesters)with ethical and lethal doses of meds to end their suffering, we should NOT be hypocritical and leave those good and respectible citizens with years and decades of suffering. If ANYTHING helps you through chronic or accute pain, depression, anxiety, etc., then I don't see the harm in trying to solve your torture - we can always deal with the issue of addictive medications, but to the terminally ill and constant pain sufferers, I don't think dependence on drugs should be the issue, quality of life should be the only issue in a humane society.
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: JP on July 07, 2007, 12:48:34 am
Well put John. We have to look out for ourselves as I've stated before. There are some really good , knowledgeable doctors out there who truly care about what goes into anyone's body, but I have friends and family with enough horror stories about side affects of drugs that just have not been tested enough, to make me skeptical and I will do research before I take some drug, that anyone says is good for me.
 As for as the scum of the planet goes, I hear you loud and clear on that issue. We are here for a short time in the scheme of things and we should give it our best, enjoying life, and making others feel and share in how good things can be. If you want to take advantage of others and waste your life on evil, I say you should be omitted. Life is a gift, and noone owes anyone anything, to those who can't handle that concept, grow up or leave. You got me all philosophical with your post John, ahhh, I feel better now.
Title: Re: Stung myself on purpose today.
Post by: Cindi on July 07, 2007, 10:33:52 am
John, well said for sure.  I love the way you think and back you up 100%.  Have a wonderful day, great life.  Cindi