Bad Reaction To Sting

[Karsal]

On Friday I needed to look into my hive to see if the new queen had started to lay. It's four weeks since she hatched and I've not opened the hive since seeing her four weeks ago.
All was well with one frame full of pollen and lots of stores but no sign of eggs or larvae. The queen was there on the frame of pollen so I thought I'd close the hive and wait another two weeks as she may be about to lay?
Just as I was putting the last frame in one bee decided to sting me on my right index finger between the first joint and the finger nail. The sting was still in my nitrile glove so I tried to pull it out.
Big mistake I squeezed the full poison sac into my finger in doing so. That night the area went black and blistered the size of a penny. On the other side of my finger the following morning I had another black blister twice the size and a very swollen finger. By lunchtime my whole finger was turning black so my wife insisted I visit the local hospital.
The doctor was great and said it was a reaction to the bees poison that had caused an infection and only antibiotics would treat it. Anti histamines may help he said but they would not stop an infection.
I do have some bomb proof beekeepers gauntlets that I'll wear in future.
Has anyone else experience this sort of reaction?
I may visit my own doctor and ask for his opinion and should I have an Epipen just in case.
No more messing with the bees from now on unless fully kitted out!

 

[Erichalfbee]

An epipen contains adrenaline and is used to save your life if you have an anaphylactic reaction. It won't prevent an infected finger.
There are reports on the forum of cellulitis after a sting, I'm sure the victims will be along soon to share the pain.
Bad luck with that sting. It probably won't ever happen again.
Hope you're better soon

 

[Karsal]

Thanks Erica.

 

[Fatbee]

Sending your finger black is a strange reaction. I don't react too well but just get swelling. Anti histamines make the world of difference to me. Couldn't keep bees without them.

 

[dpearce4]

I have had cellulitis a few times from stings but that was just due to the amount of swelling that was occurring each time I was stung. Now so much less since I started my course of treatment at brighton hospital (see my thread). It doesn't sound like your allergic so if it happens again just pop to your gp or go to a pharmacist.

An epi pen wont help with this the only thing that will help if its an infection is antibiotics.

 

[Hachi]

Erica is right, from what you describe you haven't suffered an anaphylatic shock/reaction more it seems you had an infection.

Its probably best to seek medical advice and talk it all through with your Dr.

 

[Swarm]

I once saw a series of photos showing the reaction to a false widow spider, it sounds very similar. This was a thumb that went from red and swolen, through purple, to black and very swolen to the point of rupture. Not nice.
Very similar reaction with my Dad's Staffy, bitten by an adder ... wait for it ... on his penis of all places!

Edit:
In future, scrape out the sting with your hive tool and consider rubbing some honey over the area.

 

[bontbee]

.
That night the area went black and blistered the size of a penny. On the other side of my finger the following morning I had another black blister twice the size and a very swollen finger. By lunchtime my whole finger was turning black so my wife insisted I visit the local hospital.

the bees poison that had caused an infection and only antibiotics would treat it.

Yes, I've heard of this - a new beekeeper found that whenever she was stung anywhere on the hand, the skin would go purple/black and blister, quite badly. It was, only on her hands - stings anywhere else reacted like "normal", ie. reddening, some swelling and itching. She was prescribed antibiotics on each occasion.

 

[Anduril]

This used to happen to an old beekeeper I know. After a number of years the reaction eased to non existent. But it is always better to seek medical advice.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

, bitten by an adder ... wait for it ... on his penis of all places!

O.K. boys all together now

'can you take away the pain but leave.................''​

 

[dpearce4]

O.K. boys all together now

'can you take away the pain but leave.................''​

 

[Swarm]

Words cannot express just how painful it looked, poor boy but he got through it.

 

[Marton]

... I squeezed the full poison sac into my finger in doing so. That night the area went black and blistered the size of a penny. On the other side of my finger the following morning I had another black blister twice the size and a very swollen finger. By lunchtime my whole finger was turning black so my wife insisted I visit the local hospital.

The doctor was great and said it was a reaction to the bees poison that had caused an infection and only antibiotics would treat it. Anti histamines may help he said but they would not stop an infection.


I may visit my own doctor and ask for his opinion and should I have an Epipen just in case.

Antibiotics are overused in insect bites / stings as the redness / swelling is similar in both.

Very unlikely to be infected unless you have diabetes or a reduced immunity for dorm reason.

The doc was right. An antihistamine won't stop an infection but antibiotics will do nothing for a histamine reaction.

An epipen only has a role if there is a systemic reaction ( typically wheeze and lip swelling) rather than a local one.

Hope you get better soon. Do let us know.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Headnavigator]

Always worth checking: have you taken ibuprofen or any other NSAIDs such as diclofenac (Voltarol) or similar in the weeks preceding the sting reaction? It does exacerbate bad reactions and is best avoided if you are a beekeeper. Several threads from the past here if you search. Paracetamol or aspirin are better alternatives.

 

[Cb50]

I got stung twice a couple of weeks ago, my mistake lesson learned, but the one on my leg turned to cellulitis after about 4 days, ended up on antibiotics (for the first time in about 20 years!) double dose as they were concerned with the extent of it and that iod it gets into blood it can be serious. Cleared up 2/3 way through the course. Saw the course through as I was going away, but boy did the antibiotics make me ill! Worse than the sting!

I am on anti histamine for hayfever, that will only help with sting reaction swelling, not infections. It is often not necessarily the sting that causes the infection but when you get stung the skin contracts due to the poison leaving a open hole in the skin and the infection gets in from anything you come in contact with - keep it clean, sterile and covered until the hole closes up and infection is less likely.

 

[Dishmop]

worth checking: have you taken ibuprofen or any other NSAIDs

Beause of the anti-b's and other stuff I am on, I asked a doctor about this and he said he was not aware of any problems with ibuprofen and bee stings...

 

[kazmcc]

Beause of the anti-b's and other stuff I am on, I asked a doctor about this and he said he was not aware of any problems with ibuprofen and bee stings...

My doctor said the same. He said that was daft, because they would prescribe ibuprofen in the case of a sting to help with the swelling, but I don't trust him. Jack of all trades, master of none and all that. I trust the advice of beekeepers in this case. I can't take them anyway, they exacerbate my condition.

 

[Headnavigator]

Beause of the anti-b's and other stuff I am on, I asked a doctor about this and he said he was not aware of any problems with ibuprofen and bee stings...

Then he's not been doing his homework, it's not as well known as it should be but it is documented.


Have just Bumped one of the many threads about this, or just search 'ibuprofen' on here.

 

[Erichalfbee]

My doctor said the same. He said that was daft, because they would prescribe ibuprofen in the case of a sting to help with the swelling, but I don't trust him.

Not all doctors keep on top of things. When I was practising I used to have a leaflet to give to people who had been bitten by their cats to show their doctor. It listed the bacteria involved which were NOT sensitive to the usual penicillin derivatives that were the popular choice and it also listed the antibiotics of choice.

 

[kazmcc]

Not all doctors keep on top of things. When I was practising I used to have a leaflet to give to people who had been bitten by their cats to show their doctor. It listed the bacteria involved which were NOT sensitive to the usual penicillin derivatives that were the popular choice and it also listed the antibiotics of choice.

I doubt he'd been keeping up with the latest advice about stings. When I told him I was keeping bees he said I was the first beekeeper he'd ever met. Wouldn't even entertain what I was trying to tell him. I had just read something in one of the online medical journals, got the link from this forum, but he just dismissed me and I very much doubt if he bothered to have a look himself judging by his attitude.