Growing concern of stings

[Ginger19]

It looks like I may be on the slippery slope regarding stings. I have been beekeeping for about 2 years. During year one the few stings I had were brief and of no concern. Roughly 12 months ago I was stung through the veil from a hive that was queenless and unpleasant, the stinger was in for some time and my eyes puffed up - quite a reaction. Fast forward to spring and all is well, occasional sting to the hands and normal swelling. About a month ago I had a bee in my suit, after leaving a tiny gap when carelessly zipping up around the neck. Took a sting to the chest, stinger stayed in for a good while and had another puffy eye reaction - I also had a scenario where adrenaline was pumping big style - almost like the body was in crisis. I took an anti-histamine and all came good eventually.
Last weekend my son pinched my wellies to go to a festival. I thought I was wrapped up well with cling film/pallet wrap around my boots, but took 2 stings to the ankle - same scenario occurred.... 10 mins later driving home, huge wave of adrenaline. Took an antihistamine and all ok eventually, but quite a strange few hours. Then, most worryingly today, took 2 stings through the gloves, stinger scraped out ASAP - 10 minutes later, adrenaline rush. I had leather gloves, plus latex over the top and the sting was minimal, hardly any swelling, the reaction within my body was just not right.

I am concerned that, as first mentioned, I am heading in the wrong direction, towards intolerance. Someone mentioned on here, taking an antihistamine PRIOR to each examination. I think I would prefer to give up if that is the tight rope I am walking, my hobby must be fun primarily, despite the risks.

2 of my hives are dodgy and although not hellish they will happily sting. The other 3 are great. Keeping the 3 nicer ones is the obvious step forward.

I am really keen to learn if anyone else can relate to this and so comments are most welcome...

 

[B+.]

I am concerned that, as first mentioned, I am heading in the wrong direction, towards intolerance. Someone mentioned on here, taking an antihistamine PRIOR to each examination. I think I would prefer to give up if that is the tight rope I am walking, my hobby must be fun primarily, despite the risks.

I feel for you....those stings on the ankle really hurt.
I take antihistimine (Cetirizine Hydrochloride) all year round as part of my asthma medication (I have a house dust/dust mite allergy) which helps enormously. As with all medical matters, its a good idea to consult your physician too.

 

[jeff4051]

Have the same trouble as you, wear thicker clothes under suit, thick rubber bee gloves, sting goes thro leather, wellies. I find anti histamine tablets a waste of time, swelling goes down after a few days.

 

[Karsal]

I had a terrible reaction to a sting last year where my finger went black and I ended up at the hospital and on strong antibiotics for septacemia.
The swelling travelled past my elbow. I now wear thick gloves and a thick cotton bee suit and the stings are minimal, however I do now take one antihistamine tablet an hour before any inspections as a precaution. The doctor at the time advised me to do so.
The septic finger I must say was an infection due to bacteria transmitted via the stinger and not necessarily from the venom I was told at the hospital.

 

[nantmoel]

I have have two particular stings in the past few week that have reacted, one to my face (puffed up closed eye) and the latest to my little finger on Sunday, I had a hand like a boxing glove! The area where I was stung on my finger became so inflamed that it looked like a massive 'blackman's pinch', this is still quiet red. I don't have the adrenaline rush but I'm concerned that I seem to be getting worse not better with each bee sting. There is a 'sticky' here that follows a story about someone who's had a course of injections to 'desensitise' them from bee stings. My advice is go and see your doctor, I went after my eye closed and he gave me antihistamine and steroid tablets.

 

[MartinL]

You need to prioritise.

1, Wear EFFECTIVE PPE! (I have this issue at work too)

2, Start taking one form of antihistamine, Cetirizine, Loratadine, (Acrivastine can be taken more frequently and could be kept back for after being stung).

3, Re-queen & cull the drones from the 2 dodgy colonies.

 

[dpearce4]

I feel for you....those stings on the ankle really hurt.
I take antihistimine (Cetirizine Hydrochloride) all year round as part of my asthma medication (I have a house dust/dust mite allergy) which helps enormously. As with all medical matters, its a good idea to consult your physician too.

I wold speak to your doc about that B+, the immunotherapy dept I use for my bee stings does dust mite treatment to.

worth a look into I would think.

 

[dpearce4]

Ginger can you describe exactly the swelling to the stings you get please? The adrenaline thing could be that you know you have been stung and you think something bad is going to happen, ie you have increased your stress levels right up.

I used to find this that my each time I was stung my heart would start to pound waiting for the worst to happen. that was even up till the end of last year when I realised the treatment was working really well, since then beekeeping has been a real enjoyment, but I still get that feeling if I open a hive and the bees come for me.

What I have noticed is that as i enjoy it more im taking more time and then getting less stings. But i still get stung most weeks (well i do have 40 hives so there will be the odd one).

As for giving up, if you get the right treatment you don't need to and i was told from day one that there was no need to by the prof that was treating me, and that is the best advice i ever had about it.

 

[Karol]

Hi Ginger,

Sounds to me that you may be susceptible to Kounis syndrome. It's a little known syndrome which is actually far more common than most medics let alone people realise.

Anaphylaxis is relatively easy to diagnose but not so with Kounis. Worth googling and becoming familiar with Kounis. From what I can see, it's less prevalent with bee stings than it is with wasp stings but nevertheless it's still a risk that beekeepers should be aware of.

Kind regards,

Karol

 

[Ginger19]

Thanks for the input - it is much appreciated. To be honest I do dress up like an astronaut usually. The incident without the wellies is a foolish exception where I was only in to remove an empty queen cage and didn't expect them to go on the attack. Gloves is the area I must focus on.
I think DP your theory makes a lot of sense. I am very nervous over all this and my thought pattern may be responsible for the panic setting in, adrenaline and all. I do not swell locally when stung anymore than normal. But the 2 bad stings, to my upper body and chin- I had which could not be removed resulted in a reaction on my eye lids. Will try to post a pic.

Karol I am not sure about Kounis syndrome. The Wiki expaination is mind boggling!

 

[IAF]

A hobby should be fun. I don't get stung often, usually when I'm careless or thoughtless (not to say anyone else is). But I'm struggling to see the fun lately; had to move two hives (sick of moaning neighbours who blatantly lie-bees that sting twice and fly away being one example), now I've lost one to wasps which I knew was weak but didn't see the little gits turning up in such numbers. I'm consoling myself with I'm learning all the time, and wasps attacking sting far more and nastier than any of my girls do.

 

[andyphibb]

I wear thornes gloves and not been stung through them yet (6months +)

 

[dpearce4]

I wear thornes gloves and not been stung through them yet (6months +)

I have. you will be stung thro most PPE but just less often.

 

[The Drone Ranger]

The amount of time the sting stays in and how it is removed makes a big difference
Also where it is For instance in the scalp is very painful but thin flesh means its localised
Wrist on the other hand is fleshy with moving parts pain might not be that bad initially but the potential for swelling and prolonged throbbing pain is greater
Some of the bees like guard bees seem capable of more venomous stings
Get good Queens with gentle offspring
Use smoke at the entrance and under the cover board
Wait 5 mins before opening the hive
Once the cover is off wait a minute before doing anything
we all know this stuff but don't do it
I'm no different but it does mean I get stung when there was no need

 

[Geohorn]

Sorry to hear about your stinging troubles with your bees. I am allergic to wasps and went into anaphylactic reaction after being stung in the mouth during a ride to work. Luckily I live in Cambridge and I was taken to Addenbrookes. From there I completed a course of desensitisation against wasp venom and it really worked for me. Funnily I am not allergic to bee’s venom but I do react to a sting. Check with your GP and try to get a desensitisation course from your hospital. Good luck

 

[dpearce4]

Sorry to hear about your stinging troubles with your bees. I am allergic to wasps and went into anaphylactic reaction after being stung in the mouth during a ride to work. Luckily I live in Cambridge and I was taken to Addenbrookes. From there I completed a course of desensitisation against wasp venom and it really worked for me. Funnily I am not allergic to bee’s venom but I do react to a sting. Check with your GP and try to get a desensitisation course from your hospital. Good luck

You would be very unlucky to be allergic to both, its normally one or the other as one is acid and the other is alkali and that makes a big difference.