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Author Topic: How long before the swelling goes down?  (Read 8196 times)

Offline sarafina

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How long before the swelling goes down?
« on: July 14, 2009, 01:15:17 am »
Got a hot hive and shoulda suited up fully instead of a jacket and jeans and got stung on the face several times (they got under my jacket) and my eyes are swollen and I look like "elephant woman".  Got a Benydryl and steroid shot from the doc today.  How long before I look "normal"?  LOL

Offline Kathyp

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Re: How long before the swelling goes down?
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2009, 01:23:28 am »
ice it.  take an anti-inflamatory.  how in the heck did they get under your jacket?  did you not have it zipped up well?  anyway....it's probably the itching that will drive you nuts.  :-)

vagisil for itching, and you might try another dose of 50 mg benadry before bed.   might be to late, but at least you'll sleep well.
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Offline applebwoi

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Re: How long before the swelling goes down?
« Reply #2 on: July 14, 2009, 01:38:23 am »
I got nailed just about the eyebrow a year ago and the entire right side of my face swelled and my eye was closed completely. Began to go down after about 18 hrs and was fine the next day but still felt a little puffy.  Guess everyone is different though so it is really hard to tell how long you'll have swelling.

Offline abacab

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Re: How long before the swelling goes down?
« Reply #3 on: July 14, 2009, 03:17:11 am »
Got stung over the eyebrow 2 weeks ago: my children called me Elephant man for 4 days  :roll:  the fifth day it was almost return to normal.
A.

Offline Bee Happy

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Re: How long before the swelling goes down?
« Reply #4 on: July 14, 2009, 03:42:54 am »
I bet it varies, but the one I took on the shin felt fine for about 12 hours with the normal itch etc. And for the next 3 or 4 days it was a little swollen and felt like a bruise.
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Offline beee farmer

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Re: How long before the swelling goes down?
« Reply #5 on: July 14, 2009, 03:56:50 am »
Welcome to the club Sara!  I just got my left eye's swelling down to the point I dont look like a boxer... mine takes about 2 1/2 day or so to get back to semi normal... itcing on face not that bad but my eye watered constantly till the swelling went down.. hot bees and sweatting are two sure things if ya keep bees long enough.. hope you heal quick and painless...
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Offline riverrat

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Re: How long before the swelling goes down?
« Reply #6 on: July 14, 2009, 09:21:35 am »
youll be fine in a couple of days.  :) I bet that will learn ya :-D
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Offline Irwin

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Re: How long before the swelling goes down?
« Reply #7 on: July 14, 2009, 09:25:00 am »
Every body likes to see bee sting pic's :-D
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Offline gardeningfireman

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Re: How long before the swelling goes down?
« Reply #8 on: July 14, 2009, 09:39:02 am »
I've gotten stung two times this year. First one, I pinched her while replacing the last frame, and got stung on the fingertip. The left side of my face swelled up for about four or five days, but the finger didn't! Second time I was catching a swarm and didn't tape closed the opening on my shirt sleeve ( I do now!!). One went into my sleeve and stung me on the wrist. My whole fore arm swelled up for about a week and itched like you wouldn't believe!
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Offline Scadsobees

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Re: How long before the swelling goes down?
« Reply #9 on: July 14, 2009, 10:09:21 am »
Any time that you get stung and a completely different body part reacts to that sting, you should be very very cautious!!!!

If you get stung in the arm and your arm swells way up...that is mostly normal.  3 or 5 days, lots of itching, that is normal.  200 stings later and you should get over that reaction.

But if you get stung on the finger and then your face swells up? You should keep some liquid benedryl on hand and get an epipen.  That would make me nervous because then your body is reacting systemically to the sting instead of locally.

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Offline sc-bee

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Re: How long before the swelling goes down?
« Reply #10 on: July 14, 2009, 01:40:27 pm »
Usually 3-4 days. If it was bad enough for a trip to the doctor be alert on future stings. Carry a bottle of liquid benedryl with you to the yard. Swig a little if you need it after a sting.
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Offline beegrlAK

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Re: How long before the swelling goes down?
« Reply #11 on: July 14, 2009, 02:54:35 pm »
I just got my 5th bee sting of the year on my middle finger.  This one was absolutely different, it burned like my hand was on fire and turned bright red and then purple down to my middle joint, not too much swelling with just a little itching.  I had to elevate it overnight because it hurt so bad!  I work as a nurse in the ER and our doc was looking at it and said it was more of an intense envenomation reaction, probably the bee venom was especially toxic.  There was alot of bruising (hemolysis) a breakdown of red blood cells in response to the melittin, the key component in bee venom.  So my girl was just especially potent!  I had squeezed her pulling grass from around my hot wire charger.

Compared to early season stings this was a whopper.  I didn't have any systemic reaction at all, it was very local.  It's interesting how they are different.  I am SO grateful that wasn't an eye owie!
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Offline Rabbitdog

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Re: How long before the swelling goes down?
« Reply #12 on: July 14, 2009, 04:27:25 pm »
In some cases, it never goes down.  You may be stuck with it forever.  Of course, there are always acting opportunities ...... hunchback of Notre Dame.  :roll:

Hang in there!  It'll be gone before you know it.  Anyway, it's our inner beauty that really counts :-*
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Offline kedgel

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Re: How long before the swelling goes down?
« Reply #13 on: July 14, 2009, 07:03:44 pm »
That's why God made bee suits and gloves! ;)  I have kept bees in three states and only been stung once-- and I asked for it that time.  I was standing behind the hive watching them come and go and got the bright idea to lift the lid and peek in.  (I wasn't wearing any protective clothing.) I thought I'd gotten away with it, but as I stood up to go, I got nailed just below the eyebrow.  She didn't warn me with an angry buzz or anything.  I think she flew in butt-first!  I got out the stinger immediately and treated it with meat tenderizer, took a dose of Benadryl and put on and ice pack.  I still swelled like the national debt and looked like Godzilla for 3-4 days.  It was still swollen and tender for a the better part of a week after that.  I hear you can develop a tolerance over time.  My experience with yellow jacket stings, however, doesn't bear that out. After several stings with only the usual effect, I got stung and went into anaphalactic shock.  I broke out in hives (no pun intended) and swelled all over--including my throat.  I would have probably suffocated had I not gotten emergency help.  The doctor explained that this was like the straw that broke the camel's back.  He described it like a cup that each successive sting fills it until it "overflows" causing the severe reaction that I experienced.  I wouldn't tempt fate by trying to develop an immunity.  You could die instead.
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Offline gardeningfireman

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Re: How long before the swelling goes down?
« Reply #14 on: July 14, 2009, 09:15:51 pm »
Hi Scadsobees,
Yes, I was concerned, so I did get an epi-pen and some benadryl. I put together a little kit to keep in my "beekeeping box".
Alan

Offline sarafina

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Re: How long before the swelling goes down?
« Reply #15 on: July 15, 2009, 12:58:15 am »
ice it.  take an anti-inflamatory.  how in the heck did they get under your jacket?  did you not have it zipped up well?  anyway....it's probably the itching that will drive you nuts.  :-)

vagisil for itching, and you might try another dose of 50 mg benadry before bed.   might be to late, but at least you'll sleep well.

I've lost some weight this past year and the jacket is a little loose at the bottom band if it slips down too far over my hips, which I guess it did.

I went to work today and earned a lot of sympathy points!   :-D

I also decided to re-queen as this is not an isolated incident with this hive - posted a new thread looking for some more advice.

Oh - and I'll see if I can post the pic I took of my face with my cell phone.   :shock:

Offline sarafina

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Re: How long before the swelling goes down?
« Reply #16 on: July 15, 2009, 01:09:23 am »
The day after:




This is what I normally look like LOL:






Offline beegrlAK

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Re: How long before the swelling goes down?
« Reply #17 on: July 15, 2009, 01:12:57 am »
Ice and benadryl!  Oh gosh, I work in the hospital, my patients would freak if I came to work puffy!
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Offline Irwin

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Re: How long before the swelling goes down?
« Reply #18 on: July 15, 2009, 09:54:32 am »
Thank you for posting the pic's. looks like she did a bang up job on you. Hope you are feeling better :)
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Offline bassman1977

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Re: How long before the swelling goes down?
« Reply #19 on: July 15, 2009, 10:23:21 am »
HOLY SMOKES!   :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:
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