Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: FRAMEshift on August 27, 2010, 01:33:15 am
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When I was stung on one occasion in May, I had a strange reaction and was unable to talk for a couple of minutes. I became suspicious that maybe I was hyper allergic to bee venom, and now I have been tested..... and yes I am strongly allergic. So for the next 6 months I will be getting shots to desensitize my immune system. After I've been through the course, I can continue with shots every month to 6 weeks.... OR.... I can just manage to get myself stung by a bee volunteer once a month. So the question is, if you had to be stung on a regular basis, where would you choose to get popped? Where would it hurt the least and do the least damage? This means once a month for life.
And yes, I know to some of you who get multiple stings every day, this seems like a minor issue, but I don't really like getting popped and would like to have the least pain and swelling.
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Well, I stung my right index finger deliberately three times the other day (last Saturday) because the joint had been stiff and aching for ten days straight.
It is fine now and the second I was stung I had relief in the joint, but it required three stings to make it right.
If you have any stiffness in your joints, hands or feet, start there. If not perhaps the knee is a good spot.
...JP
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In the muscle, outside of the upper arm, below the shoulder, same place doctors gave shots sometimes when I was a kid. Stings will bother you least there, I think.
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I feel the least discomfort (swelling, pain, itching) when I get stung on large muscle groups, like the thigh. I feel it the most when they get my face or hands.
Robert in the hills of Tennessee
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Well, I stung my right index finger deliberately three times the other day (last Saturday) because the joint had been stiff and aching for ten days straight.
It is fine now and the second I was stung I had relief in the joint, but it required three stings to make it right.
If you have any stiffness in your joints, hands or feet, start there. If not perhaps the knee is a good spot.
...JP
I do have arthritis in one finger.... I jammed it playing basketball when I was a kid. I have noticed that when I get stung on a finger it does not swell much, although it hasn't happened enough times to reach a conclusion. Sure does hurt there though.
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I don't know what it's called, but give a thumbs up motion. Then touch the bottom of that hand. After working my hives, I have found stingers there. I hadn't even realized I had been stung.
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I don't know what it's called, but give a thumbs up motion. Then touch the bottom of that hand. After working my hives, I have found stingers there. I hadn't even realized I had been stung.
Iddee, are you saying the edge of the palm below the little finger? The part of the hand you would use in a karate chop?
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Yes. Halfway between the little finger and the wrist.
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Thanks. I'll try that.
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JP
Said he took a few in the Finger for joint pain
I will do the same soon I have read the bee sting is one of
the best for Joint relief So too your question If you have any
Pain Knuckles Knees and .....??
I would start there If not as Iddee said the Fat Part of the
Hand would likely not sting very much
This may Eek a few but I've had shots in the Gut and they don't
Hurt but the thought will put shivers up your spine
Good Luck with the treatment hope it works well
Tommyt
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I was recently stung in the web between my thumb and forefinger, and while it didn't particularly hurt, my hand later swelled up like a baseball glove--couldn't close it, couldn't get my watch off, etc. Had to take some steroids.
I'd also heard that it wasn't good to get stung anywhere from about the heart up. My Dr. son said to be particularly careful if I get stung on the neck as it could swell and close off my windpipe.
The most painful place I have ever been stung is on the tip of my nose. OMG.
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The most painful place I have ever been stung is on the tip of my nose. OMG.
The ears suck. Apparently your ear cant swell, or at least mine didnt but sure as heck wanted to. Felt like my ear was trying to bust off the side of my head
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I can only think of one place I would want to get stung because of the swelling and taking care of the itch afterward, but we don't need to go into that now. How about the back of the hand? Easy to look after and swelling should not be a problem. I tend to get stung on the back of the knee when working the bees. They would be on leg and the shorts would rub them.
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My hip, which has been bothering me all spring and summer, but I Have No Bees Right Now!! :oops:
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What???!!! It's off-topic but why do you not have bees now?
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I think the problem here is everyone is different. I find getting stung on the backs of my fingers and on my knuckles are the ones that bother me the least. When I got stung on the calf it swelled and itched and drove me nuts. I do ditto that ears and noses are awful.
JC
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What???!!! It's off-topic but why do you not have bees now?
Bears. Blah.
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If I had to choose I would probably go with the top of my forearm. Or on my shin...seems I am always finding cuts and scrapes and flowing blood from my shins and never even knew I injured myself. I doubt a bee sting would cause much reaction there.
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Not trying to change the topic totally,,,,
I was working and got stung by a wasp on the hand. yeah, the first day is annoying and all, but I had relief from arthritis. Is bee venom the same as Wasp venom?
Me, If I had to take a controlled sting, as posted before, I would take it in a large muscle group, for me it would be a right shoulder.
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hardwood can tell ya where not to get stung YIKES
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Still can't talk about it much slacker :shock:
Scott
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I was working and got stung by a wasp on the hand. yeah, the first day is annoying and all, but I had relief from arthritis. Is bee venom the same as Wasp venom?
I just know that the venoms are not identical because treating with one does not provide tolerance to the other. If you are allergic to wasp and bee venom, you have to take shots for both. But there could be some components in common, perhaps the one that relieves your arthritis.
Here is a study on the subject: http://arthritis.about.com/b/2004/11/08/bee-venom-may-soothe-rheumatoid-arthritis.htm (http://arthritis.about.com/b/2004/11/08/bee-venom-may-soothe-rheumatoid-arthritis.htm)
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I sting my elbow now and then when the tennis "work" elbow gets bad.. but unless you got aproblem there I dont recomend it.... littel meat and lotsa nerves.. hurts like the dickens there.
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I am curious - how do you get a bees to sting you in a certain place (those who are doing it for arthritis relief)? Do you capture a bee in a jar and then take her out and place here where you want and she automatically stings you because she is so annoyed? Or do you force her stinger into your skin while holding her?
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Sara, tweezers work great for this. Some use a tube that has a plunger in it with mesh on the bottom thus forcing the bee downward to sting through to whatever jerk is aggravating them. ;)
...JP
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bee sting therapy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p245IE6_qf8#)
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My left shoulder blade always feels better for some time after a sting... unfortunately the bees don't seem to be helpful in that matter... they've only stung there once on their own.
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Chop Sticks Daniel-son :-D
then you must walk on the Rice Paper :ninja:
I am curious - how do you get a bees to sting you in a certain place (those who are doing it for arthritis relief)? Do you capture a bee in a jar and then take her out and place here where you want and she automatically stings you because she is so annoyed? Or do you force her stinger into your skin while holding her?
Tommyt
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The best place to get stung is in the finger nail bed underneath your finger nail :)
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I had a very serious reaction to a bee sting on my hand a few weeks back. Got an epi pen as a result. Saturday I got stung on the forearm by a wasp while mowing the lawn. Hurt like hell, more so than the bee sting, but I had no other reaction at all. I was expecting the worst, came in and drunk 1/4 a bottle of liquid benedryl, put ice on the sting and waited for hives/swelling to start, but nothing. The bee sting broke me out in hives from head to toe and my hand was swollen for a couple of days. Weird. I know you don't always get the same amount of venom with each sting but I thought the wasp actually got a better shot at me than the bee. (And yes, I am sure it was a wasp. I saw it. It was a big one.)
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wow after that much benedryl, you must have slept a very long time.
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Idaxon, as I mentioned, I am allergic at the systemic level to bee venom... and from your description of symptoms you are also. What I have learned from my allergist is that there are distinct types of reactions to bee stings. I have very mild local reaction but a systemic reaction involving my throat. Your full body hives are a very serious symptom and you may want to see an allergist about it. You can have a serious systemic reaction but not much local reaction.... because there is more than one mechanism going on.
From what I know, the main allergic component of bee venom is not the same as wasp venom. The shots the allergist gives for the two insect reactions are not identical.
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Any problem bone joint sounds like a good place. having been 'lit on fire' once or twice by more bees than i can count i recommend the top of the shoulder where the skin is thinnest.
1) - it's a joint
2) - doesn't seem to swell as much
3) - Seems to be a less sensitive area pain-wise
4) - it make getting shoulder rubs, from those who are sympathetic, a lot easier
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FRAMEshift: Well wouldn't you know, yesterday I was walking by the hive barefoot and got stung on the ball of my foot. (I know; stupid thing to do). I immediately hit the sting area with some bee sting ointment, applied an ice pack and drank 1/2 a bottle of benedryl. And to my suprise, I had absolutely no reaction. Haven't even had an itch today. I don't know why I would have reacted so strongly to the sting on my hand, to the point of needing=steroids, and then have no reaction to the wasp sting or the bee sting yesterday. Years ago when I kept bees and would get stung (usually only once or twice a year) I would get localized redness and swelling (maybe in a circle about 4-6 inches in diameter) but I never broke out in hives head-to-toe like earlier this summer. Fortunately stings have never affected my breathing. But I am thinking about going to see an allergist to see if I need to be "desensitized". I certainly don't want to give up beekeeping. It is too much fun. I do have an eip-pen now if I ever thought I needed to use it, and I live barely a mile from a fire station where I could certainly get some quick emergency medical help if I needed it.
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Idaxon, you may not have been stung by a honey bee on the foot. Maybe it was something else... so you would not necessarily expect a systemic reaction. The hives that you had are indicative of systemic hypersensitivity. You may not have had breathing problems before, but if you are hypersensitive, life threatening reactions could happen anytime you are stung by a honey bee. I'm glad you have an epipen, but you might not have time to use it or to get to even a nearby fire station. I hope you will get tested by an allergist to see if you are hypersensitive. The shots to desensitize yourself are not that bad, although they are time consuming. Also consider better protection including a bee jacket, tight fitting veil, and gloves. Good luck to both of us. :-D
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It's coming back to me why I've been offline for so long.
Ya'll scare the bajeebers out of me. :shock:
That video...while impressive..in practice in my home..
I see my family running for the hills.
All in good health I guess.
And I hope everyone is well.
Warm regards,
Sarita