OH NO!

[daven8er]

   Working on a removal last night and got a sting on the end of my finger. Kept on working as the pain subsided. An hour later I took a sting to the same hand. It was getting late so we closed up the hive and would finish it up today. I get home and my hand turns red, then swells clear up to my elbow! The cutout has been put on hold until the swelling goes down and I decide how to go forward with this wonderful hobby. I want others to know their reaction to bee stings can change overnight. Before this I had very mild reactions. I hope I can continue beekeeping.

[Kathyp]

that's the way i always react.  try taking some Loratadine before you do something like a cutout, then carry some liquid benadryl with you.  if you are not driving, take a swig of the benadryl when you get hit.  it won't fix all of it, but it helps.  also, an anti-infalmatory helps.  i prefer aspirin, but motrin works also.

[Robo]

Maybe your vitamin C level is low.   Try taking 3-4000 mg of vitamin C for a couple days before doing your next one.

[Bennettoid]

It depends on where I get stung. A sting to the face is bad for me, I swell up and look like an alien. A sting to the hand isn't too bad as long as I get my rings off. I took 16- 20 stings on my leg one day and it was mildly itchy and swollen, but no big deal.

[AliciaH]

I usually get mild, local swelling.  One sting to a vein in the neck last summer, though, landed me in the ER.  No anaphylaxis, just a very severe, full-body reaction.  A month after that I took 5 hits because I forgot to zip up my veil -- no reaction at all!  No stings, yet, this year.

[BlueBee]

I took a sting to the neck last week, very close to an artery.  I kind of had a light buzz for about a half hour, but nothing else.  My biggest reactions are when I get stung in a muscle.  The muscle swells up to the size of a baseball and lasts a couple of days.  I've just had a few stings so far this season.

[BlueBee]

Maybe your vitamin C level is low.   Try taking 3-4000 mg of vitamin C for a couple days before doing your next one.

Wow!  3000 to 4000mg of Vitamin C.  I haven't heard of anybody taking that much since Linus Pauling.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linus_Pauling

[JackM]

Caution folks, some of you are talking about severe reactions and dangerous scenarios.  It might behoove some of you to read up on immunology.  I understand it, but there is no way I am competent to explain it.  But as an example, Alicia sounds like she built a tolerance.  Conversely, Dave sounds like he may be developing an allergy to bee venom.

It takes an exposure to an allergen to set up the toxic anaphalactic scenario.  Those of you with severe swelling should speak to your doctor about an Epi-Pen.  That is your only defense in the event of a critical reaction, which will buy the time to get you to the ER. 

Please if you swell as much as some of you speak, please speak to your physician about your bee reaction and if there is need for treatment to make you less or even not susceptible to the venom. 

I was only a Paramedic, but I was a good one.

[Course Bee]

I've had two stings so far this year. The first in the cheek gave me my normal response. I looked like an alien by the second day. The second sting in my upper lip was gone within a 36 hours and only swelled about a two inch circle. I always take benedryl after a sting along with an anti-inflammatory.
If you only react at the sting site you can treat with benedryl and anti-inflammatory but, if you have any other symptoms (itchy throat, rashes, or swelling away from the sting site) you are having a systemic reaction (anaphalaxis) and need to seek professional help. In other words you had better get to the ER and see an allergist after that to get an epi pen. Most of this information I learned from having allergies myself and having a son with life threatening anaphalaxis.

[FRAMEshift]

Conversely, Dave sounds like he may be developing an allergy to bee venom.

I think Jack is right.  Severe swelling that goes beyond the sting site is an early systemic reaction.  And the fact that this is a developing condition is much worse.  Dave, I would suggest that you keep an epi pen with you whenever you are around your bees.  

I had the beginnings of an anaphylactic reaction, so I went to be tested by an allergist.  I have received a series of bee venom injections which will continue for several years.  Now I have almost no reaction to bee stings, just a little short term swelling and redness at the sting site.  I really recommend this for folks who want to continue with bees even though they have a strong sting reaction.

[beyondthesidewalks]

If you have been taking any of the drugs that end with "profen", including ibuprofen, they may cause a more dramatic reaction to bee stings.  It is ironic that an anti-inflammatory can do this but it happens.  Do some research and check me out on this if you like.  My doctor told me about it and I trust him.  IMO beekeepers should stay away from ibuprofen and use aspirin instead.

[Shawn]

Stings to my arms, back, fingers, and head I usually have no reaction. Stings to the face and arms I usually swell. I was told it depends on the water content in your body for that area, not sure how true that is. I do have a pin but never have used it.

[Michael Bush]

I got a few stings a couple of weeks ago.  Only one could I find an hour later and it swelled a lot.  Not all stings are alike.

[kd7kxw]

When I get stung it usually hurts, thought i seem to have gotten stung in the armpit the other day and didn't even notice it until 3 or 4 hours later when it itched.

Anyway I always feel a sharp pain then have a small bump that dissipates in 30 min to an hour, today I got hit in the face right under the eye and that one hurt more than the others but seems to be gone already.

[JackM]

IMO beekeepers should stay away from ibuprofen and use aspirin instead.

The NSAIDS are a class in themselves and carry their own risks....never take on an empty stomach and always take with a full meal.  Aspirin is good for the cardiovascular system too. 

Again only a doctor can tell for sure....kinda like hairdressers.