alergic

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slider955i

New Bee
Joined
Feb 28, 2010
Messages
66
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0
Location
stourbridge , westmidlands
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
1
well after my last sting in the eye on monday i can safely say i am alergic to bee stings , i have always been a little sensitive to insect bites when i have been on holdays etc

this sting did not make me feel ill but because of the location it basically closed my eye , i think the swelling is reducing slightly today , had to have time of work it was that bad.

the last sting i had on my finger swelled up quite a bit also

i was all for getting rid of the bees in my anger but sitting back ,thinking and talking to my wife i can see a cataloge of errors from me on that day i tried to re arrange my supers and frames etc

i need to stop messing and this year has given us a good step forward into hopefully having a productive second year of bee keeping

you live and learn ;)
 
I don't think you are allergic slider. You had no shortness of breath, just localised swelling. A lot of people get flu like symptoms along with the swelling, and you are lucky enough not to have suffered that :)

The site of the sting was a very sensitive place, so I assume it was very painful, but I doubt you are allergic. Just a normal reaction. It might be an idea to get checked by your doc if you are still concerned. Also, take some antihistamine tabs with you when you inspect, and pop one if you get stung and cover he site with aloe vera, or whatever cream you choose. Other people with more experience will no doubt be able to advise you better, I have yet to be hit properly ( only got an old sting that was 12 hours old from carrying the suits, and that made me ill lol ) but keeping bees, I have to expect a hit once in a while.....not looking forward to it mind ;)
 
Err, not trying to be funny but nothing in your post suggests that you are allergic to bee stings, you just describe a completely normal reaction to a bee sting. If you had suffered an allergic reaction to the sting you would have had more than a shut eye!
 
One of my mates was stung to the side of his eye a few weeks back and like you his eye closed completely the day after the sting. From my experience any sting to the face swells more than stings elsewhere on the body. I was stung on the cheek recently (the veil folded when I bent to set a super down) and the sting site only started to swell the following day; I ended up looking like a Chipmunk. Like you I was concerned that I was allergic and went to see the out of hours Doctor. Thankfully he confirmed I wasn't allergic (I had also been stung on the leg on the same hive inspection and that sting didn't react) but just had a bad reaction. He pointed out that the soap/aftershave i used could have caused me to react more to the sting. A further point he made is that it is possible to get an infection from a sting. Cetirizine antihistamines were prescribed and i now keep a stock of them in case of future stings. A script for penicillin was also provided just in case (thankfully it wasn't needed)
 
Also it might be a good idea to mention that taking Ibuprofen type medication ( NSAI's non steroid anti inflammatories ) can seriously increase the effect of stings. I have read it on this forum and someone posted a link to a site explaining, I spoke to my doctor about it and he didn't have a clue. Means nothing though, wouldn't admit he was wrong when my thyroid conked out and he missed it just because I hadn't put weight on :(

If you have a look at the sticky on stings, you will see how your reaction was a common, normal one.....and a few examples of when stings effect badly.
 
If you are truly worried about allergis reactions Slider, go see the Doc. He can arrange a blood test for Wasp ans Bee venom. The result takes a week - the peace of mind lasts forever...although of course allergies can change...
 
My doc was less than helpful, talks to me like I'm a child :cuss: I'm going to get a second opinion. I agree with Queens though, just to put your mind at ease.
 
Recently had both eyes closed after a similar sting. Hospital for 7 hours, but they assured me that I wasn't allergic - as mentioned its a bad place to be stung.

If your sting was through a veil which had stuck to your face, suggest wearing a peaked cap underneath which eliminates this problem
 
I have been stung 3 seperate times on my head,,(standing too bloody close in the flight path) (should have learnt after the first time) They got caught in my hair and panicked,,,,
As there is no muscle to speak of up there, I dont think the sting goes in too far. Wife removed sting and I put some peroxide on bite area, and that was it. Felt nothing later.

Also got one on the palm of my hand from putting my hand on one when trimming the grass. Removed sting, put some cream on and again I had no itching/swelling/ache/pain/get rid of the bees attitude at all. About 3 days later a small scab appeared where the bite was.
 
I have been stung 3 seperate times on my head,,(standing too bloody close in the flight path) (should have learnt after the first time) They got caught in my hair and panicked,,,,
As there is no muscle to speak of up there, I dont think the sting goes in too far. Wife removed sting and I put some peroxide on bite area, and that was it. Felt nothing later.

Also got one on the palm of my hand from putting my hand on one when trimming the grass. Removed sting, put some cream on and again I had no itching/swelling/ache/pain/get rid of the bees attitude at all. About 3 days later a small scab appeared where the bite was.
What cream do you use??
 
slider955i.

I can safely say you are not allergic to bee stings.

There supposed to swell up a lot.

They just don't swell up so much over time and repeated sting.

Oh and they always hurt. :)
 
sting allergy

this is simply the reaction to the venom NOT allergy. degree of reaction depends upon site and amount of venom transferred.

if i feel a sting and am free to get at it fast i have no reaction but recent stings to face by angry bees that got inside veil or down welly resulted in serious redness and swelling (couldnt wear shoes or socks for a fortnight). you can feel the venom going in in bad cases.

i just take an antihistamine if stung badly/multiply otherwise don't do anything special.

am considering an epi-pen for future security as allergies can develop.
 
am considering an epi-pen for future security as allergies can develop.

This is a comment I made a few weeks back,that you can get an anaphylactic reaction even after many years of being stung.
 
thanks for all your replys which has put my mind at ease.
like you say its a sensitive spot

great forumn many thanks:sifone:
 
I scored 3 hits on my ankles on monday (stupid me forgot me wellies) and my foot was huge for 2 days. Gone down now. Just a reaction.

Make sure though that you are aware of the symptoms of anathalytic shock. I always do my inspections with a second person which should in theory give us a chance if it all goes pete tong.

By the way if anyone has a "home bargains" near them then you can get some anti istamines for 59p a pack.
 
I scored 3 hits on my ankles on monday (stupid me forgot me wellies) and my foot was huge for 2 days. Gone down now. Just a reaction.

Make sure though that you are aware of the symptoms of anathalytic shock. I always do my inspections with a second person which should in theory give us a chance if it all goes pete tong.

By the way if anyone has a "home bargains" near them then you can get some anti istamines for 59p a pack.

Good point in second para. I have had anaphalaxys (penicillin allergy) and its onset can be almost instant. I have hives in the garden and NEVER do an inspection without someone being in the house. And always carry my cell phone. Sounds dramatic but best safe. I was told when I had my 'incident' that I was 15 minutes away from the pearly gates when they got me to hospital.:svengo:
 
It's a worry for those of us who haven't had a sting yet, not knowing.....but I understand it is rare, so I'm not going to let it stop me.

I was carrying the suits, that had been used the previous night and must have got an old sting in my arm. Didn't even notice. It was only an hour later, when typing an email, that I saw it. No pain, removed it, a little blob of clear fluid appeared but that was it, until about an hour later. I felt like I hadn't eaten, but multiplied by 10, jittery, heart racing, sweaty :( Lasted the rest of the day, until I had a good sleep, so......as you can imagine, I'm not looking forward to my first proper one, lol, just have to be extra careful, and carry anti histamines. We always inspect in a group and have my mobile fully charged so that isn't a lot more I can do, other than not bee keep, which isn't an option I'm afraid. Well, unless I end up really allergic and it's a threat to life, then I'll just have to live through other beeks experiences lol, and lots of video ;)
 
Good point in second para. I have had anaphalaxys (penicillin allergy) and its onset can be almost instant. I have hives in the garden and NEVER do an inspection without someone being in the house. And always carry my cell phone. Sounds dramatic but best safe. I was told when I had my 'incident' that I was 15 minutes away from the pearly gates when they got me to hospital.:svengo:

Are you more likely to have an anaphalaxys shock if you are allergic to penicillin? I know I was allergic when I was a baby but think you can grow out of it. My 20 odd stings on the front of my leg a few weeks ago just left me with several blisters and nothing more - thank goodness.
 
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