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Author Topic: Violent reaction to bee sting by Old beekeeper.  (Read 2084 times)

Van, Arkansas, USA

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Violent reaction to bee sting by Old beekeeper.
« on: October 02, 2018, 04:34:26 pm »


This is a pic of my hand in 2016 minutes after a honey bee stung my hand.  Ok, you understand that: only minutes!!!   I was 63 years of age. I started with honey bees when I was 13 years of age.  I had experienced hundred of stings by the time I was 63 with little to no reaction.  Then for reasons still unknown to this day I started reacting to stings in 2016.  I was, within weeks, stung again on the ankle bone and ended up on crutches with even a more violent reaction.

However, in 2017 and 2018, I have been stung several times and no longer react to a bee stings.  If I get stung today, there is redness, minor swelling and in just a few hours later the redness and swelling disappear, all appears normal within hours.

In 2016, I was kinda of worried, who wouldn?t be.  My doc suggested I get rid of my bees, I refuse to give up my bees.  However, for reasons unknown I quit reacting to bee stings.  I don?t have an explanation as to why I suddenly reacted, after 48 years of stings, nor an explanation why the violent reactions ceased. 

According to my studies in immunology this is not supposed to happen, the books are quite clear.  Once a negative immune reaction begins supposedly the reaction will get worse with each sting.  I conclude by counting my blessings and realize there is a lot we do not yet understand about immunology.  This story has a good ending, I no longer react to bee stings and still enjoy my honeybees.

Offline iddee

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Re: Violent reaction to bee sting by Old beekeeper.
« Reply #1 on: October 02, 2018, 05:57:20 pm »
About 10years ago a friend beekeeper had urinary tract problems. His doctor told him to quit beekeeping until he was off his medicine. It would cause severe reactions from the stings.  Maybe you were taking a medicine or eating something at the time that caused it as long as that something was in your system.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

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Offline Oldbeavo

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Re: Violent reaction to bee sting by Old beekeeper.
« Reply #2 on: October 02, 2018, 05:58:42 pm »
Just a guess, but look at any medication tat you were on in 2016, some medications have immune system implications, especially some of the cancer control medications.
I don't think bee venom would have changed, so it will be your immune system that was not happy in 2016, but is back to normal now.
Why??????

Van, Arkansas, USA

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Re: Violent reaction to bee sting by Old beekeeper.
« Reply #3 on: October 02, 2018, 07:46:56 pm »
ID, Beavo, both have good questions.  I was not taking any meds at the time, prescriptive or over the counter such as Benadryl, Advil.  Now the food, I do not recall.

I will add one factor that have had an impact.  During the 1990-2000 years. I was working with radiation.  My hands could not be protected from beta particles and gamma radiation.  I can tell you my Geiger counter max out.  No complaints, the radiation at the time, was the only way to sequence DNA.  We needed to sequence the DNA of disease causing organisms such as Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi.  I worked with Dr. Burgdorfer as well as others, my absolute pleasure.

The specific effects of radiation is unknown.  Yes we know it kills, but we do not know exactly how much or exactly the damage done as there is no testing of humans for trails.  The hands do not possess bone marrow, the bones are solid in the hands, so empathsis was on protecting the body, not so much the hands.  I should add my ankle sting, about same time, days, was incredibly painful, swollen and I could not put any weight on that foot for 8 hours and of course no radiation exposure was ever directed at feet. So go figure????

Now I am not saying radiation is cause of my sting reactions, no one knows for certain and I have no complaints, folks were sick and dying of Lyme disease.  I would do it all over again.  It is kind of weird that my body reacted, then quit reacting.  Maybe be as simple as ID stated, the food I ate, who can tell.  The outcome is good, today if I get stung, I get over it fast.

My main point with this topic is simple: things can change for the better.  Encouragement!!
Blessings
« Last Edit: October 02, 2018, 07:59:29 pm by Van, Arkansas, USA »

Online Ben Framed

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Re: Violent reaction to bee sting by Old beekeeper.
« Reply #4 on: October 02, 2018, 11:27:04 pm »
Goodness Mr Van! Looks more like the first phases of snake bite!  I'm Glad for you that you are over that spell of reaction. You had plenty good reason to be concerned!  Thank you for your service to mankind through your research throughout  the years. One of my best friends daughter has sever lyme and is in a pitiful condition. Not looking good for her.
God Bless you Sir, Phillip Hall 
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Offline Hops Brewster

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Re: Violent reaction to bee sting by Old beekeeper.
« Reply #5 on: October 03, 2018, 10:43:26 am »
There are many factors involved in a sting, and many of those factors are variable with each sting.  Just about the only constant is inconsistency.   Sting location, whether it punctures a vein or an arterial vessel, or near a nerve, how deep it was, etc.  Both our skin and the bees have different pathological colonies.  There may have been a bacteria or fungus injected under your skin for which you had no immunity, or even an allergy.   

It could have been the higher radiation you were exposed to compromised the built-up immunity you had.  Not just the venom resistance, or perhaps pathological resistance, as well.  I think that's a likely hypothesis. 

Glad you're still in the game!
Winter is coming.

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Offline bwallace23350

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Re: Violent reaction to bee sting by Old beekeeper.
« Reply #6 on: October 03, 2018, 11:22:34 am »
Glad to see that you have had no problems since then and are still keeping bees.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Violent reaction to bee sting by Old beekeeper.
« Reply #7 on: October 03, 2018, 03:21:53 pm »
Van,
Glad it was not long lasting. That is good information to know in case we have a reaction.
Thanks.
Jim
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Van, Arkansas, USA

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Re: Violent reaction to bee sting by Old beekeeper.
« Reply #8 on: October 03, 2018, 03:42:22 pm »
Thanks Ben, Wallace, Jim, Hops.  Mr. Hops your text::: the only constant in inconsistencies and all the possible variables is most impressive.  However very intellectual, you always post good information, lots of thought to your post.  Thank you, Sir.
Blessings

Offline Waveeater

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Re: Violent reaction to bee sting by Old beekeeper.
« Reply #9 on: October 03, 2018, 04:44:12 pm »
Probably not related to your issue Van, but I usually don't swell to bad on stings but last year I took one to the top of my hand and the swelling was so bad I could not use it to grip anything for 2 days. The sting was to the large vein on the back of my hand. I have noticed that mine are worse if there in an area where it's mostly skin and bone with little muscle and or fat. Just my 2 cents worth.

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Violent reaction to bee sting by Old beekeeper.
« Reply #10 on: October 04, 2018, 05:16:57 pm »
The last bad reaction I had was years ago and since then I've had little to no reaction...  The immunologists obviously only THINK they understand this.
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Offline bwallace23350

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Re: Violent reaction to bee sting by Old beekeeper.
« Reply #11 on: October 07, 2018, 10:17:51 pm »
Worst sting I ever took was from a wasp to my lip. My face was swollen but it did not cause breathing problems.

Van, Arkansas, USA

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Re: Violent reaction to bee sting by Old beekeeper.
« Reply #12 on: October 08, 2018, 05:04:10 pm »
The last bad reaction I had was years ago and since then I've had little to no reaction...  The immunologists obviously only THINK they understand this.

Agreed MBush: I studied immunology and what I experienced is not supposed to happen.  This all reminds me of what a dentist said to me after I jumped flinched and said ouch as he was drilling a tooth.  The dentist just looked at me and said: THAT IS NOT SUPPOSED TO HURT.  I guess my tooth was an idiot, I dunno...  What do you say to a dentist like that????  I did not go back to that fella.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Violent reaction to bee sting by Old beekeeper.
« Reply #13 on: October 08, 2018, 07:38:31 pm »
Van,
Novocains do not work on me. When I was 4 and 5 years old I would cry from the pain. My dentist would grab me by the neck with both hands and shake my head up and down and scream that I can not feel that. I have always dreaded going to the dentist. Up until just recently I have had to just endure the pain. I was sent to a specialist for a root canal because of this and he did the job painlessly. I had him write down the formula he used and it has been much better.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
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Van, Arkansas, USA

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Re: Violent reaction to bee sting by Old beekeeper.
« Reply #14 on: October 13, 2018, 10:51:10 pm »
Jim, sounds like we need to take your past dentist for a walk behind my house there is a lake.  I know just were to drop the guy.  Shaking a kid, grabbing by the neck, sounds like KGB, not a healer.

Today, dentist have new meds for numbing the teeth, totally different from the old novacaines.

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Re: Violent reaction to bee sting by Old beekeeper.
« Reply #15 on: October 13, 2018, 10:57:46 pm »
Jim, sounds like we need to take your past dentist for a walk behind my house there is a lake.  I know just were to drop the guy.  Shaking a kid, grabbing by the neck, sounds like KGB, not a healer.

Today, dentist have new meds for numbing the teeth, totally different from the old novacaines.

Well I understand your way of thinking Mr Van. Just make sure the dentist does not have the last name of "Holliday" as in "Doc".  Especially if this could be Doc the third or fourth!!  J/K The world has really changed!!! Some for the good and some for the bad....   God Bless
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

 

anything