Bee sting desensitisation course

[Beesand]

There's also an allergy clinic at Medway Maritime Hospital, Gillingham.
The doctor who treated me in A&E told me about it and advised me to get a referral from my GP to attend it.
I've been having desensitisation treatment there since last September and I'm happy to say it seems to be going really well.

 

[pbh4]

The doctor who treated me in A&E told me about it and advised me to get a referral from my GP to attend it.

I must say that one really good thing about Leicestershire A&E is that they give you an epipen and make the referral to the allergy clinic directly so there is no need to involve the gp in the initial stages.

Paul

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[dpearce4]

Week 5 update.

woke up during the night to find myself scratching my arm, the itching came back but nowhere as bad as it has been in the past, my arm is a little swollen maybe 2inches round the injection site but not raw with the horrid welt in the middle that i have had in the past, the itching has continuded on and off through the day but has got less and less as the swelling went down. None now.

 

[VEG]

That is normal for me mate. Very to no reaction in my hands, but as you described any where else.

 

[SteveJ]

I'm just coming to my the end of my first year of injections. My arm still comes up and make's me look like hell boy, but it only lasts 24hrs. I have missed a couple. One due to self inflicting myself with a triple dose the day before I was due for an injection and another due to a heavy cold, had to pospone a week and then go for a half dose.

Big advice I would give is do not get stung. If you get stung you have to go and see the consultant and explain why you got stung before they will give you an injection, and believe me its like going to see the headmaster when I was at school.

Also noted they where keeping you back for only half an hour observation at Bournmouth. I go to the RVI and they keep you for the full hour (But you do get a cup of tea and a digestive (Chocolate at christmas)

SteveJ

 

[victor meldrew]

I suffered for years with strong local reactions+general reactions upto and including hives!
A large vodka cured the hives before your very eyes as Frankie used to say!
6years ago, after 16years of bee keeping I suffered a heart attack (nowt to do with bee stinging),I was prescribed various medications , since being on these medications I no longer display any form of reaction to bee stings, drstitson ,reckons it's probably the Lisinopril I take ,this is an ace inhibitor and an anti-inflammatory !
Many was the time I seriously contemplated packing in beekeeping as the Michelin man was a fair description of the swellings to my limbs after a stinging .
Even the light sting from a bee able to.escape intact still had a dramatic impact !
VM

 

[dpearce4]

Week 6

Went in with the doc this morning, he had a quick look and my notes and said that i had reached the "serious stuff now", made me feel a bit nervous and said i might just hang around after for 30mins or so.

He then got the stuff and loaded up 0.1ml of 100meg venum (about 1/5 amount of a sting). He then injected me.

Well less than 10sec later, ouch was like i had been stung in the arm, the exact same pain. Went out to give the receptionist my paperwork for next week and headed for the door. By the time i got to the door I had decided wasnt going any further and went and sat down, pain in my arm was quite bad and was getting light headed. I could tell i was feeling a bit strange and my voice was much quiter than usual. I sat down for about 30mins as it subsided and then left, i was amazed walking back to the city center which is all down hill how out of breath i was feeling.

What i dont understand is why i have a taste like pepper at the back of my throat its really strange, i understand its due to the venum but what is the chemical reaction that is producing it, is it the histamine?

Im glad i wasnt at work today as i went home and had a good sleep as i felt really worn out. Since i woke up around lunch time i have had an itching arm but no swelling which im happy about.

All in all i feel it is still going well. Im sure there will be other reactions over the next few weeks but then im sure that is just because the doses are getting bigger. But as long as i dont end up in A&E then im happy.

 

[pbh4]

You must make sure you tell them about that reaction next week. That is definitely a systemic response the doctors will want to know about. I bet they keep you on the same dose next week. They did for me when I just had a bit of tingling in my lip at about the same dose as you. I just got through week 11 with no incident.

Good luck with it.

Paul

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[BeeJayBee]

You must make sure you tell them about that reaction next week. That is definitely a systemic response the doctors will want to know about.

Careful, please.

 

[dpearce4]

Thats why i decided to stay for a while instead of leaving like i normally do.

thought i was in the best place if i had a really bad one.

 

[REDWOOD]

Hi DP glad your still doing it, it only shows what passion you have for bees, i can't believe it's been six weeks since you started.

 

[dpearce4]

feels a lot longer Red lol lol lol

I cant see a reason to give up if the treatment works. so until i know it hasnt worked theres no point looking at the worst case of selling up.

 

[nesshughes]

You really shouldn't leave until an hour after the injection. I have offered to wait in the waiting room after my treatment when they have been especially busy, but I am not even allowed to do that. I had a rough patch at about the same stage as you, and still suffer extreme tiredness, but once I passed the 10-11 week mark and was up to the equivalent of a full sting, things got easier.

 

[pbh4]

You really shouldn't leave until an hour after the injection. I have offered to wait in the waiting room after my treatment when they have been especially busy, but I am not even allowed to do that.

In the Leicester clinic they simply won't let you leave before the hour is up no matter how busy it is. If you have any symptoms apart from local redness, swelling, itching they keep you even longer.


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[dpearce4]

week 6 update.

today my arm has a small lump on it in the area where i was injected, nowhere near as bad as has been in the past, but boy has it been itching during the day, maybe because its been hot at work alday so been sweating.

 

[drstitson]

DP4 - as per the above - i thought the whole point was that you were supervised for a period (ie 1 hr after) in case of severe reaction and need of resus.

 

[dpearce4]

Hi Doc

have only ever been told 30mins by the docs at the centre, i had been a bit eager the last 2 weeks to get to work so left after 10mins or so, but will wait the 30mins from now on.

 

[itma]

... He then injected me.

Well less than 10sec later, ouch was like i had been stung in the arm, the exact same pain. Went out to give the receptionist my paperwork for next week and headed for the door. By the time i got to the door I had decided wasnt going any further and went and sat down, pain in my arm was quite bad and was getting light headed. I could tell i was feeling a bit strange and my voice was much quiter than usual. I sat down for about 30mins as it subsided and then left, i was amazed walking back to the city center which is all down hill how out of breath i was feeling.

What i dont understand is why i have a taste like pepper at the back of my throat its really strange, i understand its due to the venum but what is the chemical reaction that is producing it, is it the histamine?

Im glad i wasnt at work today as i went home and had a good sleep as i felt really worn out. Since i woke up around lunch time i have had an itching arm but no swelling which im happy about. ... .

week 6 update.

today my arm has a small lump on it in the area where i was injected, nowhere near as bad as has been in the past, but boy has it been itching during the day, maybe because its been hot at work alday so been sweating.

I really don't want to sound unsympathetic, but the pain and the itching is not what it is about.

What you absolutely do need to tell your clinic about (before next week, and remind them when you attend the clinic) are the systemic reactions - away from the injection place.
They *need* to be told about -
- the light-headedness
- the breathlessness
- the sensation of talking more quietly than you intended
- and the strange taste sensation
The pain and the itching at the injection site aren't serious - really!
But systemic reactions are what *you* *need* to tell the medics about. Ideally in good enough time for them to make a considered decision as to the appropriate dose for next time.

 

[dpearce4]

After the last time i had the strong reaction to the injection i chatted to the dr that has been working with me through this. she was really nice and between us we decided to take the safe option which was to use the same injection strength as the previous week, this worked out well and i had very little reaction to the same dose. I will be speaking to them about it and the outcome will prob be the same siex injection in 1 dose or the next one up but in half doses 30mins apart.

The staff at the hospital are really good and they have been very supportive of everything happening. There are other beekeepers there that have been going thro the same process as me there and have had a range of reactions from nothing to full on reactions requiring intervention of staff there.

I am really pleased at how the treatment is going and i will not be stopping it as i feel even if i were to give up beekeeping i would still be at risk of getting stung due to my work.

I discuss fully what has happened with the staff each week before we move on to the next level and it is always a fully informed choice.

 

[REDWOOD]

I don't get a problem with bee stings and I'v only ever been stung twice in my life, I don't know why ? but horse flies love me and my arms swell up like pumpkins and the only thing that stops them itching is a tool called a insect bit zapper, it gives a little high current spark much like an electronic lighter, give it a few clicks and the itching stops for a while, worth a go