Bad reaction!

[westart]

Hi folks.
Thanks for all the advise, Unfortunately avoiding being stung can be a bit difficult on a day to day basis as I'm a pest controler and all though wasp numbers have been pretty low this year I'm still dealing with the odd one, but on saying that I've never been stung by a wasp. I saw some where else on the internet about desensertisation to bee sting's but it seemed to be American, and didn't think it was avalible here. However now I'm aware that it is I shall certainly ask about it.

Cheer's Westy

 

[Drinkstone]

Through my own stupidity my bees stung me eleven times on Sunday all on the inner wrists and inside my left elbow. Reaction was slight this time virtually no swelling just a bit itchy after two days. This is a better reaction than earlier in the year to single stings. I did use a leading chemist's sting releif and take a couple of antihistamine over eight hours.
Little concerned to hear from our medical contingent that ACE inhibitors and Beta blockers can have an effect, along with Ibuprofen because I have had the lot! Just have to be a bit more careful I think.

 

[dpearce4]

Hiya Westy

I went to the Alergy clinic today and it was very helpful I really recomend that you go. I have been given Jext which is an adrenaline injection to tide me over for the next couple of weeks while the bees get sorted for the winter.

I was told i had had a level 4 reaction which is bad lol. I have had a blood test and will have the results in 4weeks. The Doc at no time during the consultation advise me to give up beekeeping, even though he says i am alergic.

After the test in 4 weeks he will then arrange for me to have desensatisation therapy which is 12 weekly injections of venom going up in strength. then monthly for 1year then 6weekly until 3years. He says that after the 12weeks i will be only 10% likely to have any recaction at all and then it will be mild. the rest of the treatment is to make sure i have longterm protection.

Interestingly he said that if your alergic to wasps the treatment is 100% effective. The reason bees arent 100%, i can only assume it is because there are different strains and maybe that means the bee venom is ever so slightly different.

He said that i will have finnished the weekly treatments by the time the spring season has arrived and will be ok to carry on after that.

The only issue i have had is no one carries stocks of Jext in store i have to wait for it to be ordered .

 

[itma]

Sounds like a very worthwhile visit.


Generally pharmacies get things into stock super quickly.
IIRC Jext is an EpiPen, but with a needle that retracts itself (safely) after use.

 

[dpearce4]

It has been decided by the sussex hosptials that it is the injector of choice in this area, I assume it means when or if i go to A&E they will know the dose. As told if i need it i will still have to go there after injecting.

Forgot to say doc said i have a 70% chance of a bad reaction until i have had treatments, which he said is quite normal. He also laughed and said that beekeepers are his favs as they have a good humour and are not scared by the treatment used. Really nice guy would really recommend anyone who needs the alergy clinic to go to Brighton hospital as first choice if they can.

 

[oliver90owner]

OK, that seems to have aired the subject of medications. Next question is: Do you keep your beeking suit and gloves in the house? That can be a contributory factor.

I believe I was the probable cause of my wife's sensitivity - she had not been stung for around ten years (no real problem then, with multiple stings) but a single sting put her out in about two minutes last year. Now carries an epipen.

 

[Swarm]

OK, that seems to have aired the subject of medications. Next question is: Do you keep your beeking suit and gloves in the house? That can be a contributory factor.

Mentioned in some detail by ITLD, something to think about.

 

[bee ginnner]

Ten minutes later ambulance crew were at the front door

Cheers Westy

WOW

 

[nesshughes]

I am 5 weeks in to desensitisation following a reaction requiring a hospital stay. I wondered if anyone else undergoing this treatment has the same response as me. When my 6 year old son goes to bed at 8pm I have to follow him, it wipes me out for a couple of days, the first two weeks were fine but the last 3 exhausting! I plan to stick with it as I see no alternative as I am not prepared to keep my distance from bees for the rest of my life.

 

[Skyhook]

One chap at our association reacts very badly- but says if he takes an antihistamine before visiting the bees, his reaction to a sting is normal.

Please do not trust your life to this course of action without running it by someone who knows what they're talking about.

.

 

[MMJ100]

In relation to suits and gloves. I was told to wash my suit and gloves regularly. Bees as we know have a highly developed senses. I have noticed that after a harvest or an aggressive performance by my bees that if I do not wash the suit there is a big difference to their reaction to when I do wash it.

BTW good luck on desensitization - it works, I did it

Michael

 

[Amari]

I'm a medic but not in the allergy field. It has always struck me that reactions to bee stings are unpredictable. I used to get horrendous swelling lasting days but over the decades it has got progressively less. On the other hand a neighbour beekeeper got progressively worse and had to give up. Happily stings seem to have declined since better suits came along and its years since I got stung on the ankles now that I wear wellies. I won't enlarge on the occasion a bee went headfirst up my nostril or, for fear of offending any gently-nutured young ladies on the forum, when that tickling feeling beneath my clothes reached about two feet above my knees.
The epi-pen sounds a good idea. Quite expensive on a private prescription, should the NHS contribute to a scrip needed for a hobby?

 

[westart]

Have now been and seen my Dr, I now have a perscription for an epi pen. (though not sure wich one.) and also been refered to the allergy clinic. (with a bit of luck Dpearce, it will be brighton. lol!!!) The Dr did say that I'm likely to be desensertised, though the wife thinks that was done at birth. Any way all seems to be going as it should. I'll let you know what level of reaction I was at when I get seen Dpearce. Just out of curiosity and if you don't mind saying what were your symtoms?
I had severe swelling of the head, to the point i thought my ears and eyes were going to pop, numming of the tounge, tighteness in the chest, was covered in lumps that were going up and down and made my skin look like it was alive, and felt quite sick. Though I seem to think that i got the sick feeling after the adrenalin ***.

Cheer's Westy

 

[itma]

I'm a medic but not in the allergy field. ...
The epi-pen sounds a good idea. Quite expensive on a private prescription, should the NHS contribute to a scrip needed for a hobby?

Adrenaline injectors are routinely prescribed on the NHS for those who have need of them.
The prescription would, as usual, be free for those that qualify.

There should be no need whatsoever for private prescriptions.


Desensitisation therapy is similarly available, in case of need, on the NHS.
However, there does seem to be slightly patchy geographical coverage - and among generalist medical staff there might just be a 'patchy' awareness or willingness to consider such a treatment.
This is an excellent example of the benefit of having a National discussion forum such as this - where experiences in different regions can be shared and compared.


Perhaps discussion of what individuals consider that the NHS should and should not cover would be better in the 'Off-topic' section of the forum?

 

[dpearce4]

Have now been and seen my Dr, I now have a perscription for an epi pen. (though not sure wich one.) and also been refered to the allergy clinic. (with a bit of luck Dpearce, it will be brighton. lol!!!) The Dr did say that I'm likely to be desensertised, though the wife thinks that was done at birth. Any way all seems to be going as it should. I'll let you know what level of reaction I was at when I get seen Dpearce. Just out of curiosity and if you don't mind saying what were your symtoms?
I had severe swelling of the head, to the point i thought my ears and eyes were going to pop, numming of the tounge, tighteness in the chest, was covered in lumps that were going up and down and made my skin look like it was alive, and felt quite sick. Though I seem to think that i got the sick feeling after the adrenalin ***.

Cheer's Westy

Mine Started very quickly with a hammering in my chest with heavy breathing (if i had been on a phone the person on the other end would have thought it was a dirty call) lol.

I had to shut the hive up as i had moved quite far from it to try and get the bees off me. I was in full protective suit and gloves but was stung on both arms, chest above my heart, face and neck in total 16times. After i closed up the hive i jumped in the car with out taking my equipment off. I then drove home feeling worse due to having rapid breath and heart rate of approx 170BPM (very close to max for my age). By the time i got home which was maybe 10mins after innital stings i could feel my body swelling all over, i took off bee suit and tshirt as i was sweating like mad and could see redness all over my chest and tummy. I went and looked in mirror and could see my face was very red all over, also my back, armpits, legs, feet and more personal areas.

At this point i decided it was a good idea to get to the hospital (having also taken some antihistimines before i went up to the bees and also another one when i got back), this was maybe 20/30mins after the stings happened. I decided it was quicker for my wife to drive me to the hospital as the ambulance station is the other side of the hospital to where i live. By the time i got there i was red, swollen and itiching all over was stuggling to talk due to lack of breath and i could feel a tightness round the bottom of my neck/windpipe below my adams apple. I was seen immidiatly and taken into crash where i was given adrenaline, steriods and IV piriton. My BP dropped low enough that the machine started to beep Not sure how low that would be.

I was in hopsital for about 5hrs in total and slept half of that after the adrenaline had worn off. I was told by the doc there that if i need a quick dose of antihistamine i can always chew one to get it in system quicker. I had chest pain for about 3days after and felt washed out for about the same time.

This happened on the saturday, i went to work on the monday and the staff had no idea i had even been stung.

I now have on my phone the OS Map refs of my apiary sites as they are not visible or accessable from the road without a key and then 1mile drive down farm tracks, I can then tell the emergency services or text them the ref if i cant speak. The site is only 15mins distant from the hospital though if i ever need to go there in a hurry and i always give my wife a shedule of how long i intend to be and if i have to be there longer call her.

I think everyone should do this even if they dont have issues with bee stings as you never know what may happen the next time you go and work with your bees.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Scary stuff

I was told by the doc there that if i need a quick dose of antihistamine i can always chew one to get it in system quicker.

That's useful to know, although I hope I never need to know it.

 

[itma]

"No I hadn't took any medication. other than my blood presure tabs. Would these esculate the problem."

both beta blockers and ACE inhibitors are on the list along with NSAIDs.

Noted today that desensitisation therapy itself actually gets a mention (as well as allergic reactions) on the Patient Information Leaflet for Cardicor (a beta blocker).

Very good indeed to be able to list chapter and verse on all one's other medications when being interviewed by any medic.

 

[westart]

Thats a realy useful reply Dpearce. Lots in there I had realy not given much thought to, but will certainly address now. I do in future plan to work in a pair. How ever not everyone that has offered there help can drive so defo agree to have the OS numbers for emergancies. and the chewing of the antihistermine was a good tip too.

Cheers Westy

 

[dpearce4]

Thats a realy useful reply Dpearce. Lots in there I had realy not given much thought to, but will certainly address now. I do in future plan to work in a pair. How ever not everyone that has offered there help can drive so defo agree to have the OS numbers for emergancies. and the chewing of the antihistermine was a good tip too.

Cheers Westy

Got a Phonecall today from the Dr that will be doing my desensatisation treatment today. I start at 8am on the 9th Jan, 12 weekly trips to brighton, followed by monthly trips after that.

Not told work yet, but the good thing is will only be there for 45mins after injection unless i have a bad reaction.

His first question today after i said i was up for it was when does the season start, said end of march. His reply was we better get you started as early as possible so you are ready for it.

Shame all dr arnt as nice as this one.

 

[richardbees]

DP
hope it goes well

...end of march?

...are you sure as we're not that far apart....I opened my hives early March and had first Q cells mid April?