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Author Topic: Long Term Affects of Bee Venom on Joints?  (Read 3885 times)

Offline Bee Busters

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Long Term Affects of Bee Venom on Joints?
« on: June 19, 2013, 02:37:45 am »
[/b]Has anyone else had or know of anyone that has ever had an adverse reaction to bee stings like this?

I've been keeping bees for about 3 years.  About 8 months ago I began having minor joint pain and swelling in one knee.  Over the past 3 months the pain has gotten worse and began to spread to other joints.  First my fingers on my left hand, then the fingers on my right hand.  Pain got really bad about two months ago, so I went to the Doctor.  He didn't know what is happening.  They tested blood & urine for gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and Lupus; all came back negative.  X-ray showed swelling, but nothing else.  He sent me home without any treatment.
I went back to the Doctor about a month later because pain and swelling was getting worse still and spreading; now into my back and right foot.  They ran some additional test and still found nothing.  So they put me on a steroid pill to see what happened.  Within two days the swelling started to go down and the pain was mostly relieved.  The steroid treatment lasted about 13 days, and I continued to improve.  After that the symptoms began to return.  I called the Doctor and he gave me another Rx for the steroid pill.  I'm about half way through the second steriod treatment and things are getting better again. 

Has anyone else had or know of anyone that has ever had an adverse reaction to bee stings like this? 
I don't know that it is being caused by bee stings, but bee keeping is the only thing that has really changed in my activities in the past few years.  I probably get stung 3-4-5 times a week on average, and don't have any unusual immediate reactions.  No abnormal swelling or itching.  No breathing problems.  No other known allergies.
I have always heard and read that bee stings would not cause problems, but were good for treatment of such problems. 

Offline deknow

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Re: Long Term Affects of Bee Venom on Joints?
« Reply #1 on: June 19, 2013, 08:22:27 am »
...to my amature ears, sounds like a tick borne disease (lyme, rocky mountain spotted fever, etc.)   Id look for a specialist in this area.

Deknow

Offline Finski

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Re: Long Term Affects of Bee Venom on Joints?
« Reply #2 on: June 19, 2013, 09:59:01 am »
.
I have that kind of symptoms but the reason is gout. My blood values say no to gout but gout medicine helps.

Gout is inheriting trouple which emerge after 50 age. I cannot say more about joint pains.
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Offline blanc

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Re: Long Term Affects of Bee Venom on Joints?
« Reply #3 on: June 19, 2013, 10:28:47 am »
I would be careful taking todays meds because the side affects can be worse than what you are experiencing now. Some can severely damage your heart and liver. I have elbow joint pains and have been stinging myself in the joints and seems to help somewhat but could be an underlying deficiency of vitamins or minerals.
Blanc
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Offline Kathyp

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Re: Long Term Affects of Bee Venom on Joints?
« Reply #4 on: June 19, 2013, 10:56:57 am »
when the doc you are seeing can't help, it's time to get a referral.  never take "i don't know" as an answer.
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline Satch

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Re: Long Term Affects of Bee Venom on Joints?
« Reply #5 on: June 19, 2013, 11:37:41 am »
Your symptoms are not from bee stings.  Sounds like my life with borrealis/lymes disease.  In the south tick born infections can cause more problems than you would ever want to know about.  send me a message and I'll get some more information out to you by email or phone call.

Offline Sunnyboy2

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Re: Long Term Affects of Bee Venom on Joints?
« Reply #6 on: June 19, 2013, 12:59:29 pm »
i have never heard of such symptoms from bee stings.  (i have heard of stings used to treat such symptoms, so there may be more than a purely coincidental connection).  i would keep looking and not be satisfied that bee venom is the problem.  best of luck.

Offline don2

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Re: Long Term Affects of Bee Venom on Joints?
« Reply #7 on: June 19, 2013, 05:59:41 pm »
Hospitals can also do an expensive "NO" diagnosis 5 day run. $35,000. Then I diagnosed myself at home. Never heard of bee stings causing joint pain. Some take the stings for treatment for such as arthritis. :) d2

Offline Just5398

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Re: Long Term Affects of Bee Venom on Joints?
« Reply #8 on: June 19, 2013, 06:05:43 pm »
I have to agree with the others about possibly being lymes disease.  I believe a simple blood test will tell you if that's what it is.  I hope whatever it is is easily treated and soon.
Sally

Offline Palouse

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Re: Long Term Affects of Bee Venom on Joints?
« Reply #9 on: June 19, 2013, 08:54:02 pm »
when the doc you are seeing can't help, it's time to get a referral.  never take "i don't know" as an answer.

QFT.

Offline ggileau

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Re: Long Term Affects of Bee Venom on Joints?
« Reply #10 on: June 19, 2013, 10:41:05 pm »
I am not a doctor but if I were you I would be checked for Lyme Disease . I have been infected three times and I now have pain in my joints. Mostly in the elbows and knees. To make matters worse, two days ago I pulled another deer tick! They're watching me closely now as I have developed heart problems. My point is, just be persistent!!! DO NOT ACCEPT "I DON"T KNOW" If this doctor doesn't know, look for one that does.

Good luck and keep us posted. Gary
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Offline capt44

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Re: Long Term Affects of Bee Venom on Joints?
« Reply #11 on: June 19, 2013, 11:58:16 pm »
Here in Central Arkansas we have more ticks this year than Carters got liver pills.
I remove around 6 or so ticks a day off myself.
They are worse this year than in previous years.
Richard Vardaman (capt44)

Offline Kathyp

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Re: Long Term Affects of Bee Venom on Joints?
« Reply #12 on: June 20, 2013, 12:15:18 am »
and be aware that false negatives for lyme disease are common.  the disease is not so common in most of the country, but if you live in a lyme area, it's well worth checking it out.  read up on it and know about the tests before you go.  certain meds can cause false negatives and you will need more intensive testing to get accurate results. 
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline Bee Busters

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Re: Long Term Affects of Bee Venom on Joints?
« Reply #13 on: June 20, 2013, 01:23:59 am »
Thanks for all the replies.
Gout was the first thing that I thought of so I started checking the symptoms.  Gout usually, but not always, starts in the feet particularly the big toes.  The skin becomes very sensitive to touch, red, irritated, feverish, and dry.  I don't have any of these symptoms.  The pain in my joints feels more like a bruise, or the localized pain that is felt a few hours after a bee sting, but the skin is not sensitive or irritated.  Also, I am not having problems with toes, only near the rear of the arch in front of the right heel.
I haven't researched Lymes disease in quite a while, but I don't recall any tick bites.  Not that we don't have ticks in south Mississippi, but I don't recall any bites.
I found a book that was originally published in the 1930's,  The Bible of Bee Venom Therapy: Bee Venom, Its Nature, and Its Effect on Arthritic and Rheumatoid Conditions.  Can't wait to get to see what is says.
Again, thanks for all the responses

Offline Bees In Miami

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Re: Long Term Affects of Bee Venom on Joints?
« Reply #14 on: June 20, 2013, 02:03:03 am »
Busters:  I hadn't even read the other replies...I immediately thought of Lyme disease.  Not trying to share horror stories, but I know a man in MA that went misdiagnosed for so long he ended up having both knees and both hips replaced, only to find out he had Lyme disease.  Time for another opinion.  Steroids can "improve" lots of stuff...but they don't "fix" it for the most part.  Bee venom usually has the reverse affect, and it proven to help arthritis and such.  Get another opinion.  Good luck!  I hope it turns out well for you!  

Offline Better.to.Bee.than.not

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Re: Long Term Affects of Bee Venom on Joints?
« Reply #15 on: June 20, 2013, 02:05:38 am »
you wouldn't notice the bite. to get lyme disease a tick typically has to feed on you for like 24 hours. They then drop off, and you'd never know. might not even show symptoms for quite the while. you wouldn;t think the thing could feed off anyone for 24 hours without them noticing it...but it happens. Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vectorborne illness in the United States--in 2011, it was the 6th most common Nationally Notifiable disease. However this disease does not occur nationwide and is concentrated heavily in the northeast and upper Midwest.In 2011, 96% of Lyme disease cases were reported from 13 states over 32,000 cases confirmed or probable in the US total (As a side note, your state is like the 5th highest):

    Connecticut
    Delaware
    Maine
    Maryland
    Massachusetts
    Minnesota
    New Hampshire
    New Jersey
    New York
    Pennsylvania
    Vermont
    Virginia
    Wisconsin

however, cases were reported in almost all states:
http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/chartstables/reportedcases_statelocality.html

Offline Psparr

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Re: Long Term Affects of Bee Venom on Joints?
« Reply #16 on: June 20, 2013, 10:06:47 am »
If you ever saw the size of a dear tick you'd realize why you wouldn't notice it for the 24 hrs.

Been pulling ticks off me all my life. And never had a deer tick till last year. A regular tick looks something similar to King Kong compared to a deer tick.

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Long Term Affects of Bee Venom on Joints?
« Reply #17 on: June 20, 2013, 10:29:46 am »
As far as joints and stings, my joints ALWAYS feel better after a sting anywhere.  The relief is usually good for somewhere between a few days to a couple of weeks.
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Offline rwurster

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Re: Long Term Affects of Bee Venom on Joints?
« Reply #18 on: June 20, 2013, 11:19:21 am »
Bee stings do the opposite for me, they make my joints feel better.  Hope you find out what's ailing you :)
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