Systemic Sting Reactions

[IndiBee]

A friend has just had a systemic reaction to a sting on her face (very bad face swelling, hot all over, itching down to palms etc).
She would like to know if others have had the same and what happened on further stings afterwards.
Thanks

 

[Erichalfbee]

I haven’t but I would counsel that she sees her GP. We are all different and what has happened to others has absolutely no bearing on what may or may not happen to her.
There are a few doctors here in the forum and I’m sure they would agree with me.

 

[drex]

Totally agree with Dani.
Leave it to the professionals.
Your GP would not tell you how to keep your bees
Dr. Ex

 

[IndiBee]

She has seen her GP and is just interested

 

[Swarm]

My friend was taken by ambulance to hospital and put on an adrenaline drip. He has carried an epipen for ten years and has been stung since the episode. I would say he has less reaction with stings to the hands than I do.

 

[Anduril]

I got stung in the jugular many years ago, which led to heart beating fast, coming out in hives, sensitivity to light, coughing and wheezing. When I got home I took Piriton, a double dose, my wife didn't like the way I looked and dialled 999, the call was downgraded to a call back by a nurse and I was told, as my experience was past half an hour ago just carry on taking piriton. Most stings now don't cause any trouble but I try to avoid getting stung near the face. I've been stung 30 times from one hive without incident. Depending on your friends response it can go either way in the future. The critical time is half an hour, for me I self monitor my reactions and carry piriton.

 

[Swarm]

Yes, he has been very careful since, it was eight years ago but he still takes every precaution. My daughter ended up in hospital with palpitations and rash, feeling dreadful and decided that was enough.
It's a lottery.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Your GP would not tell you how to keep your bees

SWMBO's would - he's a beekeeper, but to be honest he's almost as bad a beekeeper as he is a doctor.

 

[Sutty]

I've never had a systemic reaction & suspect I get enough stings to be somewhat protective (that's what the evidence says), however a significant proportion of beekeepers do become allergic.
Is this person a beekeeper or just unlucky sting?

 

[Worldsend]

My reactions started to get worse but not every time I got stung but eventually spoke to GP so got issued with epipen was referred to consultant for testing and start my desensitisation treatment next week

Frustrating watching my bees from affar but better than dying

 

[Karol]

I haven’t but I would counsel that she sees her GP. We are all different and what has happened to others has absolutely no bearing on what may or may not happen to her.
There are a few doctors here in the forum and I’m sure they would agree with me.

Absolutely right. What complicates things further is that bee venom has multiple components to it, each one capable of illiciting an allergic reaction in its own right.

 

[IndiBee]

I've never had a systemic reaction & suspect I get enough stings to be somewhat protective (that's what the evidence says), however a significant proportion of beekeepers do become allergic.
Is this person a beekeeper or just unlucky sting?

She lives near my bees and has been stung maybe 5 times in 3 years. But this year twice now in the face within 4 weeks, 1st time just localized swelling 2nd time very nasty swelling and as above.
Now - 3 days later she looks like she had been in a boxing ring!

 

[Sam G]

A lot of people here might remember that, having kept bees for a number of years and receiving my fair share of stings without any adverse reaction other than the usual itchy red patch, I was stung once on the finger 18 months ago and less than 2 minutes later I'd collapsed, unconscious with worse to come. Usually I'd have been on my own, but by sheer luck my son was around to call an ambulance. 2 days in hospital later I was home but no memory of it.
I was very lucky to have a sympathetic doctor who referred me for immunotherapy treatment. I'm now in the maintenance phase of injections which will continue for another 2 years. I still need to carry epipens and have a very supportive husband who shares our beekeeping workload. I wear my full suit and gloves at all times, even with gentle colonies and swarms!
I was stung for the first time in the field a couple of weeks ago, through a stitched seam in my older gloves. I had my epipens out and ready, but I'm now over a year in with my immunotherapy and the sting was like they used to be, itchy, red, OK...

The point I wanted to make is, don't assume you're body is building up its own immunity just because you get stung as a beekeeper. Immune systems are fickle things.

 

[IndiBee]

Yes, the message does seem to be you can't gauge the future by the past when it comes to stings.
Thx all.

 

[Sutty]

Hopefully the small number of voters is because systemic reactions aren't happening to many people!

 

[The Poot]

I’ve had one bad reaction - sweaty itching palms, hives down my legs and a feeling of of being absent from reality. I double dosed anti histamines and it gradually passed. It scared me and made me really wary of “the next sting”.
I‘ve been stung several times since with little or no reaction, but I keep in mind Dani’s statement that “we are all just one sting away from anaphylaxis”
Makes you wonder why we do this sometimes!

 

[Sutty]

I'd be very interested in what the "typical" reaction to a sting is. For me on the hands, it's 30 seconds or so of stinging pain, though not bad, and 5 minutes later I'm not sure where it was. On the wrists much the same but slight swelling afterwards sometimes, on the face similar but increased swelling for a couple of days.
I don't often wear gloves so stings to the hands are fairly common.

 

[Sutty]

Maybe I should start a poll?

 

[Newbeeneil]

I'd be very interested in what the "typical" reaction to a sting is. For me on the hands, it's 30 seconds or so of stinging pain, though not bad, and 5 minutes later I'm not sure where it was. On the wrists much the same but slight swelling afterwards sometimes, on the face similar but increased swelling for a couple of days.
I don't often wear gloves so stings to the hands are fairly common.

I’m very similar, I find the worst reaction is from multiple stings on my wrists. It’s about the only place I get swelling.

 

[Sutty]

I did get swollen hands last year when I got 35+ stings on each hand in very short order - I was finishing up and closing asap as I couldn't remove the stingers faster than they delivered them (gloveless at the time).
Not a pleasant experience - I was requeening the hive. These days I'd probably euthanase them!