got stung today and hand is now swollen.

[psafloyd]

Piriton.... good idea
Diclofenac also helps

Woah! Dicoflenac is pretty full on for people to be taking unless absolutely necessary. Terrible on the stomach that stuff.

 

[psafloyd]

thanks for all this,its just ive been stung in the hand before and it never went this swollen,i never thought that every sting would react different..valuable lesson and will be buying a few of them epi pens to carry with me just in case things do go pear shape one day..
Darren

Perhaps it is because they are last season's bees and their venom is ripe...

 

[BobH1]

hi,
stings to the face /neck area are worse with me ...

see this: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h03wzwBiJbE[/ame]

 

[Saradan]

hi,
stings to the face /neck area are worse with me as swelling seems more profound

Hi Buffalow

I find the same as you - last year I was stung on the side of my neck on two separate occasions. Both times resulted in intense itchyness all over the body and a lumpy (hives?) -type rash.

The third occasion the sting was to the centre of my chest. This time I only experienced a local reaction.


Previously (and I've been keeping bees for over ten years now) all sting reactions I experienced were localised. That said, I'd never been stung in the neck area.

I keep a box of Piriton in the glovebox of the car since the above experiences and take a Piriton tablet about ten minutes before carrying out an inspection. Although Piriton is not without its downside....

 

[Poly Hive]

More to the point what was going on to result in a sting in mid winter?

PH

 

[Vergilius]

dont pull out sting you push poison in and aggravate area. Scrape away from entry point- use hive tool/credit card or similar

Bld,

When I get stung on the face it does sweel up, but when I get stung on the leg it doesn't swell up at all. How much you swell up depends on a number of variables- potency of sting, stretchiness/taughtness of skin, sensitivity of skin etc.
Everyone gets the odd bad one which itches and is a nuicsance, but it will be fine in 24hr's...

Ben P

 

[biglongdarren]

More to the point what was going on to result in a sting in mid winter?

PH

i was up to put fondant on one and had one gloves with me.....on the way back to the car i stopped slighty to watch a hive and wham bam thank you mam..she stung me then!

 

[Heather]

More to the point what was going on to result in a sting in mid winter?

PH

That was what I was concerned about- no aggravation -just a hit- have I got a colony in difficulties with frightened bee-? Wont know till I open in a couple of weeks when air warmer

I agree about Diclofenac- take with care -can cause severe abdominal pain as some guts don't like it!! What the hell do people think they need tablets for, for everything .
Remove sting, ice cube it, carry on. If very swollen and incapacitating- retire to comfy chair-, book and a medicinal drink....

 

[jezd]

got stung todat about 1 o clock at the base of my thumb and now most of the top side of my hand is swollen...i have been stung before but it had never been like this,the swollen bit is all red and itchy,i marked the swollen bit with a pen about an hour and a half ago and since then its swollen more, i have just got benadryl allergy relief tablets from asda,should i take them or just let this sting run its course??
Darren

Hi Darren, congrats on your first of the year, I almost took a few myself yesterday. What you describe is a 100% normal reaction and its how it should be. Dont worry, you have a whole year of them to come lol

Jezd

 

[bushman1872]

On one visit last year I was stung twice once on the shoulder and once in my forearm, no problems with the shoulder but my entire lower arm swelled up and i began to get a dull aching feeling in my fingers, I think it was the swelling pressing on a nerve. So all in all i guess it depends on where you get stung. I would however say this that generally speaking anaphylaxis will set in pretty quick i.e within 15 minutes, if after a sting you experience any difficulty breathing or devlop noisy breathing e.g. a crowing type sound then i would get yourself help and get it quick. Best thing I would do is familarise myself with the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis so you know what to look out for.

With regards to general swelling it should just dissappear but if you start experiencing other probs. i.e toungue swelling or serious swelling around your neck then it would also be highly advisable to toddle down to your local minor injuries unit or A&E. Better a live jackal than a dead lion.

 

[For want of a better word]

Diclofenac is an anti-inflammatory and there are post on here, about bee stings causing great discomfort when NSAIDs are being taken.

Here's a Google on the subject

http://tinyurl.com/63oun5t

and relevant BMJ link through SBAI

http://tinyurl.com/6afy29d

Hope this is helpful to prevent problems.

It was Hivemaker who first alerted me to this after I told him of severe reaction I had encountered 30 years ago due to taking NSAIDs and having stings.

Thanks BBG..... I was not aware of that one!

 

[biglongdarren]

its getting rather itchy now...its starting to blow up here and am gonna take a while at the wood pigeons this evening..only saving grace is that it was my trigger finger;o)

 

[goodbobby]

bee stings and diclofenic...no,no,no!

I take diclofenac when an old neck injury flares up so I have a prescribed supply around.

One day last year I was stung x 3 on my right index finger. My wife trying to be helpful gave me a diclofenac tablet (to "help" reduce the swelling) and I took it without checking possible contra-indications

..................Overnight the swelling travelled up my arm.The following morning the registrar in the local A & E, while pumping antibiotics into my hand, said that diclofenac in the system can greatly multiply the effects of a bee sting and suggested that I keep away from my bees if I had taken a tablet in the previous 24hours.

 

[TOBY-3652]

Dosent anyone wear a suit and gloves???? Ive been told by a beekeeper wear a suit every time. He says ile learn the hard way

 

[For want of a better word]

Dosent anyone wear a suit and gloves???? Ive been told by a beekeeper wear a suit every time. He says ile learn the hard way

I have not ever been stung when kittedup in correct apparel.... as my Greeks are a feisty grist of loverlies I have taken to wearing thin vinal glover [cheap ones from Wickes!] The Garden Carnies and New Zealand lassesses are so calm that I could tend to them naked!


It is when you take your veil / suit / boots of they zap you... they follow me for best part of 1/4 mile!

I am going to have to be in absolute agony before I take the dicos again!!!

 

[MuswellMetro]

MM- how you getting an Epipen for your out apiary meetings. Helpful GP?

private prescription for a beekeeping GP

local NHS GP would not issue a epi pen and I agree with that

All the apiary managers are to be trained to administer and was suggested to get them to have some form of first aid certificate as well

 

[Ervyne]

I agree that a prophylactic antihistamine (Piriton etc) would be the best idea for controlling the effects of the sting. The main reason that antihistamines are less effective in reducing the effects of stings after the event is due to considerable histamine release occuring in the first few minutes post sting.

 

[bushman1872]

Dosent anyone wear a suit and gloves???? Ive been told by a beekeeper wear a suit every time. He says ile learn the hard way

Every time I was stung was wearing full suit welly boots (not tucked in ) so they couldn't get in the boot, and thick sting proof gloves. The sting unless you are wearing serious layers of clothing is going to get through at some point the odds are against you on that one. Shoulders in a fold of fabric seems to be a fav spot for my girls lol.

 

[picton farm]

I take antihistamines before each trip to the apiary and if I get stung I take another. I generally dont have problems with stings but I did have a couple of bad ones on my ear and chin last year (through a suit). Generally I only get a pimple and the stings dont bother me but those ones left me with an enormous ear and avery strange looking chin and a hell of a lot of pain. I cant help thinking it was partly because I had forgotten the piriton that day

 

[hedgerow pete]

can i just add my ten penith. just from a purely medial point of view.

to get hold of epi pen training is very simple and cheep. the st john do it, mine cost £120 for a one day course.

to get hold of an epi pen legitimatly is very simple with a properly informed doctor.

this is the one big point i want to make and many people dont realise this,

so capital letters cause its very important.

AN EPI PEN WILL HELP WITH THE ONSET OF ANI SHOCK, BUT IT WILL NOT STOP THE SHOCK. THE EPI PEN WAS DESISSGNED TO GIVE THE SAID PERSON ENOUGH TIME TO GET TO A HOSPITAL WHERE IT CAN BE TREATED PROPERLY, many times i hear of the epi pen in conversations, honestly it is only there to give you enough breathing time to get proper and fully trained medical help with drugs.

the epi pen is not a use it and walk off down the pub and forget about it treatment
please dont forget that