Author Topic: Medicinal values of bee venom (Read 5891 times)

brydie · « **on:** March 26, 2007, 09:27:55 pm »

Hi all,

I'm not sure if this has been discussed before, but I am interested in finding out the medicinal values/properties of bee venom. I have read in a few books now that bee stings can assist in relieving athritis.

Can it actually do this?

Does the individual have to be stung at the site of the problem, or can they just get stung and let it build up in their system?

Can the venom assist in other inflammatory problems such as a sore back or knee due to injury?

:) Hi Cindi, I know you mentioned in another thread that you were experimenting with BVT (bee venom therapy I am assuming). How did this work out for you?

Any info would be much appreciated! Thanks so much.

Kind regards Brydie :)

PS My husband got stung last night for the very first time...he was mowing (and I have told him a hundred times to lightly smoke the hives before he goes past on the ride-on mower....MEN :roll:) Anyhow I told him it was ok, that bee sting might just help with his sore knees...he went off nursing his little sting all happy that at least it might be good for him...hehehe ;)

buzzbee · « **Reply #1 on:** March 26, 2007, 09:44:21 pm »

Since we started keeping bees last year,I have been eating quite a bit of honey.I have also been stung a few times by the honeybees.Before this I don't think I've been stung by a honeybee since I was about 6 years old(37 years ago). I honestly have not seen many honeybees in all those years.Anyhow ,the past few years my shoulders would ache bad enough at night that it was hard to get a good nights sleep.I think either the honey or the stings have helped considerably because I would no longer call it a chronic pain.
I could give up the honey to see if it's the stings or not,but not much chance of that happening.
Hope the stings help your husbands knees.

Michael Bush · « **Reply #2 on:** March 26, 2007, 10:03:09 pm »

I have noticed my aching knees will hurt less for a few days after a sting. The knot in my shoulder blade went away for a few days after a direct sting on it. The results are not permanent, that I can tell, but there is some relief.

brydie · « **Reply #3 on:** March 26, 2007, 10:23:48 pm »

That's very interesting, thanks guys. I will ask my husband how his knees feel after work this afternoon.

Ivan · « **Reply #4 on:** March 27, 2007, 12:11:32 am »

I read in one beekeeping book that it does help with athritis and other joint problems. In order for it to work people have been stung in efected areas starting with a few to 200 stings and it completely eliminated the problem. It might wary from person to person but it worked for me.

BEE C · « **Reply #5 on:** March 27, 2007, 05:10:33 am »

One older gentleman in my beekeeping course got stung about twenty times last year at one time. He opened the hive to show someone without a veil...saw him this spring and he was extremely happy to report his arthritis has been gone for the whole year. Hes in his early seventies.

I'm only 32 but I had the start of arthritis in my hands before I started beekeeping. Gone. Don't know where along the way it disappeared but its completely gone. Only got stung on the wrists a few times.

Jerrymac · « **Reply #6 on:** March 27, 2007, 07:27:14 am »

Do a google search on apitherapy. Lots of stuff on it.

KONASDAD · « **Reply #7 on:** March 27, 2007, 11:40:58 am »

I have no ACL in left knee, and no LCL in right. I have viscious knee pain that even percocets dont cut through. When I have been stung, my knee pain is gone for about 4 or five days. It comes back, but it does feel good while it lasts. I am conmtemplating apitherapy for more lasting relief.

jimmyo · « **Reply #8 on:** March 27, 2007, 09:06:30 pm »

Is there a "how to" book on this subject? bee venom for dummies maybe? I know it works, but there should be a book for beekeeepers on this subject.

brydie · « **Reply #9 on:** March 27, 2007, 09:33:13 pm »

:) Thanks for the personal accounts on the effects of bee stings. I am really happy to hear that the venom has helped to relieve your pain (even if it's only for a short period of time).

I had a car accident about 7 years ago and fractured my back. This has allowed one of my discs to de-stabilise and so it gives me a fair bit of pain and inflammation in that area on occasions (usually when I do something silly like lift something the wrong way etc). I am very fit though and would like to keep it that way (I believe this helps keep my back muscles strong, therefore helping the overall core strength). I have been stung a few times now, I am hoping it might help. So far I have had no pain for about 2 months...don't know if it's the stings or me just being careful!!).

Thanks for all the info, I will search apitherapy and read up a bit more.

Greg Peck · « **Reply #10 on:** March 29, 2007, 12:24:05 am »

I had tendinitis in my wrist from carrying my son around. Last year when it started I stung myself 2 or 3 times right on the painful area. Within a few hours the pain was gone. It still hurt if I put any strain on the wrist but the constant pain was gone. After a few days the pain came back but much less then before a few weeks after the pain was gone completely. When I stung myself or got stung last year I had very little swelling and no problems

About 5 months later the pain returned. A week or two ago I stung myself once I swelled up near the sting pretty good and it itched like crazy. The pain was reduced to a few days but then returned. A week later I stung myself 2 times it again helped with the pain but has not taken it away. Right away after these 2 stings on the wrist my forearm began to swell and itch pretty bad. this lasted for about 5 days. I had to remove my wedding ring and at one point I measured my arms and found that the swollen one was 1 1/2 inches bigger around then the other one. So I am a little leery about stinging myself again for a while.

Zoot · « **Reply #11 on:** March 29, 2007, 12:29:59 am »

Greg,

That's interesting. Prior to my recent foray back into beekeeping stings did not affect me at all. Now, after last years experiences (maybe 40 to 50 stings total, most in a single unfortunate incident) I now have similar symptoms: initial sting, then nothing for a day or so, then some swelling and itching for several days. I am going to be a bit more cautious now.

Cindi · « **Reply #12 on:** March 29, 2007, 10:43:42 am »

Brydie. There is much anecdotal stuff on bee venom therapy. I have only delved slightly into it. Evidently, though, if you have an acute problem, the regimen is a 6-week stint of bee stings. This reportedly is a great reliever of arthritis type stuff.

I began to give my sister a sting on her knee and elbow every day late last summer. We thought that we would try this out. We ran out of bee stinging time, as the fall days were upon us, so we did not even get a chance to run the entire 6 weeks. I can't honestly say that the couple of weeks that we performed the therapy that it helped. I do know that she got to the point where she would run away screaming when she saw me coming with bee inbetween my fingers (LOL). Especially if she knew that the bee was of the darker colour. The venom from the Carniolan seemed to be much more intense than the lighter coloured Italians. Well, in her mind anyways.

My hives had started out as all dark bees. But by the end of summer, I know that at least one of the colonies had now become a lighter coloured bee. Supercedure I am sure.

I know for a fact that I have been stung many times and I have had relief from certain pains in my hand or knees. Temporary, but no doubt from the bee stings. I can't wait until the bees get drinking water from the water ditch that I have made for them. That is where I catch them and they are very vulnerable as they nochalently drink from the side of the ditch, where the fresh water dribbles down and creates a bank of luscious clear water. It seems rather brutal, and not a very nice thing to do when they are not looking, but oh, well, such is life. Enjoy the day. Cindi

Eve Sylvia · « **Reply #13 on:** March 30, 2007, 02:33:14 pm »

I met a beekeeper who practiced it this way: A bee in a glass, put the glass over your sore spot and wait until it stings there. I tried it once, and it never did sting! But I do think it helps, from my experience with accidental stings. And from all the other reports.

Understudy · « **Reply #14 on:** March 30, 2007, 02:43:14 pm »

Quote from: Eve Sylvia on March 30, 2007, 02:33:14 pm

I met a beekeeper who practiced it this way: A bee in a glass, put the glass over your sore spot and wait until it stings there. I tried it once, and it never did sting! But I do think it helps, from my experience with accidental stings. And from all the other reports.

We did Apitherapy at the our last meeting. He put the bees in some special hemostats and cuased the bee to put out it's stinger. he would sting the effected area directly.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

Mici · « **Reply #15 on:** March 30, 2007, 02:55:18 pm »

beh, if you pick the bee by its wings and press her against the skin she's bound to sting

Cindi · « **Reply #16 on:** March 31, 2007, 10:53:12 am »

We had an apitherapy class I went to as well. But we would pick up the bee by the wing, place the abdomen on the area requiring intense pain, also ensuring that the back legs would be able to grip properly and whoah!!! The sting everted and was thrust within the flesh with all its glory of the power of the bee.

I tried some BVT upon a big wart that my nephew had. It was quite a big one so I gave him three good whammies with the bees. It did disappear. Guess it works.

BUT, now garlic is a powerful healer. One healing incident that I can recite was when my oldest grandson had a cluster of plantars warts on his grand-daddy toe. To the tune of about 12-13. For three consecutive nights I placed a poultice of crushed garlic (only a tiny bit actually, because his toe is quite small) that I put on a bandaid on his big toe. Removed the bandaid in the morning and repeated the next night. The cluster of plantars warts was gone in a few days after the treatment. I ensured that the bandaid stayed in place by putting a sock on at night. It works, not a doubt in my mind. No compound W, no trips to the doctor to apply the liquid nitrogen. Garlic. Warts are a fungus and garlic has anti-fungal properties. Think of the possibilities, honey, garlic, BVT. Have a beautiful and great day. Cindi

brydie · « **Reply #17 on:** April 04, 2007, 11:58:19 pm »

I did not know garlic had anti-fungal properties when applied topically! I know it's great for preventing colds/flu but you have to eat it (my husband and I personally love it, but not so great if you have to work in close proximity to others :-P ..haha).

I did try some pure honey on a blister which turned nasty when I first moved to the tropics. It got quite sore and infected so I popped a blob of honey on it, made sure it was fully covered under a few bandaids and went to bed. Within 2 nights the redness had gone away and it had dried out, and after about 3 goes it started to close up. I like the idea of putting honey on instead of antibiotic powder/cream.

mmm maybe we could devise a capsule containing honey, garlic and a bee sting...you'd live to a ripe old age with no aches and pains, never catch a cold or get an infection and never get a wart. Sounds good! :-D

Have a great day :) Brydie

tig · « **Reply #18 on:** April 05, 2007, 01:00:50 am »

the arthritis in my hands have all but dissapeared since i started bee keeping and getting stung. whats interesting is yesterday i got stung in the back thru my tee shirt. last night my sciatica didnt bother me when i layed down in bed. first time this happened since it usually bothers me the most when i try to lie down.

what i've noticed though, some days the stings hurt more and i call it a bad sting day. anyone ever notice this?

jimmyo · « **Reply #19 on:** April 05, 2007, 06:19:06 pm »

Quote from: tig on April 05, 2007, 01:00:50 am

the arthritis in my hands have all but dissapeared since i started bee keeping and getting stung. whats interesting is yesterday i got stung in the back thru my tee shirt. last night my sciatica didnt bother me when i layed down in bed. first time this happened since it usually bothers me the most when i try to lie down.

what i've noticed though, some days the stings hurt more and i call it a bad sting day. anyone ever notice this?

I think placement has alot to do with how much I swell up. It seems a 1/2 inch one way or the other makes a difference.
jim