Newbee gets his first sting...

[Oldbeavo]

If you believe it works then it will work for you, psycological, placebo effect.
If I get a sting that hurts I wash my hand in the cold water bucket and the pain goes. Signal to the brain to stop sending pain signals.

[Michael Bush]

Plantain worked far better than I ever expected. I don?t see that my belief had anything to do with it.

[Bob Wilson]

Found this on a website:
Katie the ?Wellness Mama? writes on her blog about broadleaf plantain?s use as a topical remedy for insect bites. She recommends steeping the leaves in hot water as you would do with a tea and applying the tea to the insect bite.
Katie writes that the leaves have natural anti-inflammatory properties that help relieve the itching, burning, and stinging associated with insect bites.
In addition, the plant has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, so using plantain weed as a topical remedy for an insect sting makes it less likely that the area will become infected

(So you guys need to have a pot of plantain tea brewing at all times for truly effective sting relief)

[Michael Bush]

I just roll a leaf and bite it.

[FlexMedia.tv]

Ah, I remember my first sting. I felt so betrayed! I had already done an inspection. 15 minutes later I'm in the garden and one of them remembered me. POW! back of the head as I was running. I zig zagged but Poh Bear hear can't cut like he used to.

[CoolBees]

I just roll a leaf and bite it.

+1 ... and then rub the juice on the sting site.

[beebox]

I take meat tenderizer, make a paste -n- put on sting. In just minutes, can't tell there was a sting there. used this on wasp stings years before my interest is bees.

[Ben Framed]

I take meat tenderizer, make a paste -n- put on sting. In just minutes, can't tell there was a sting there. used this on wasp stings years before my interest is bees.

Welcome to Beemaster beebox. Do you use water or some type of oil for your mixture?
Phillip

[cao]

Welcome  .

[BeeMaster2]

Beebox,
Welcome to Beemaster.
Jim Altmiller

[Bushpilot]

I take meat tenderizer, make a paste -n- put on sting. In just minutes, can't tell there was a sting there. used this on wasp stings years before my interest is bees.

It works wonders for jellyfish stings.

[beebox]

I take meat tenderizer, make a paste -n- put on sting. In just minutes, can't tell there was a sting there. used this on wasp stings years before my interest is bees.

Welcome to Beemaster beebox. Do you use water or some type of oil for your mixture?
Phillip

I use water in a spoon mix until a paste, take a small piece of paper towel put the paste on it and hold the paper towel n tenderizer on the sting for a few min until i get pain relief.

[beebox]

Beebox,
Welcome to Beemaster.
Jim Altmiller

Thank you! I found this site when JP the bee man mentioned one time.

[Hops Brewster]

Congratulations!  Wishing you many more.   

[beebox]

While we all get the sting, comes with the hobby.

[incognito]

I was told by my pharmacist years ago to put Hydra Cortisone cream and Benadryl cream on it.

Jim,
A doctor told me not to use the hydro cortisone on your face because it can discolor the skin.
I was loaded up with multiple treatments today, say 18 hours after the sting. The swelling where I used the above recommendation subsided the most. New swelling developed where I did not apply the treatment. Maybe a coincidence, maybe not.

[incognito]

My personal bee sting prevention alert level has been elevated to red, the highest level. LOL.


I got my eighth sting yesterday on the forehead. It swelled moderately last night, more this morning and more still this morning.  I could not open my right eye and it was tearing so I went to a walk in doc-in-a-box center. I did not have more extreme symptoms like difficulty breathing. I was given oral prednisone (which could take up to 6 hours to be fully effective).


I went to the pharmacy to get Zantac and the follow up prescription of prednisone. During that hour the swelling continued to spread over the bridge of my nose and over my left eye and it was getting more difficult to drive. I get home and took Benedryl (preferred over Zantc if drowsiness is not an issue) and Jim's suggestion of benedryl cream and hydro-cortisone cream. So I got a ride back to the doc-in-a-box. My wife, a critical care RN with ICU experience, demands over the phone that I get an inter-muscular injection of Solu Medrol. The doctor reluctantly agrees because now I am getting double dosed. She examines my right eye with her basic equipment.


I had cataract surgery in my right eye on 6/10 and everything looked fine at my one month follow up visit last week. I was not going to take any chances with my eyesight considering the circumstances. The swelling started to go down during the 5 minute drive from the doc-in-a-box to the eye doctor so I could then open my right eye.


According to a website:

This preparation (Solu Medrol) may be administered by intravenous injection, by intravenous infusion, or by intramuscular injection, the preferred method for initial emergency use being intravenous injection.    https://www.rxlist.com/solu-medrol-drug.htm#description

Between the benedryl pills, benedryl cream, the prednesone tablets and the Solu Medrol intramuscular injection; one or more of the treatments reduced the swelling. I will never know which.


The lesson I learned in hindsight is that if you are seeking acute medical treatment for a bee sting reaction consider your proximity to various modes of treatment and request the intravenous injection when appropriate. Investigate your options before you need to use them. If the swelling was further away from my airway (on my arms, legs, or torso) we may not have pushed for the intramuscular injection.


The other lesson I learned is to test the creams or other remedies suggested in this thread on a non affected area (preferably in advance) to see if they cause a reaction especially if you are like me and have really good (severe) histamine responses.