# Some Medications can be Dangerous Mixed with a Bee Sting!!!



## iivydriff (Apr 20, 2011)

Listen up folks! You need to check out your medications or ask your doctor about medications with mixed with a bee sting Ive gotten stung a couple times lately and really swelled up and had night sweats and stuff. Im taking a mild dose of blood pressure medicine called Lisinopril. Its an Ace inhibitor. Well I just found out on the internet that bee stings and this medication is a dangerous combination. I read about this and there has been cases of people who were not allergic to bee stings who had severe reactions to bee stings after starting these kind of medications. Beta Blockers or Ace inhibitors can be bad news when mixed with bee venom. 

http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/PUarticles/bee.htm#Sensitisation


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

The article also mentions NSAIDs. Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen have been reported by some as causing bad sting reactions. Aspirin does not seem to.


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## mac (May 1, 2005)

I have taken aspirin on many occasions and have been stung with no adverse reactions.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I imagine there is something to this article and that my experience may be anecdotal, but I have been on Lisinopril for a number of years w/ no ill effects and I imagine I get stung more than most of those who will read this. I don't doubt that it could be so, but I wouldn't let it stop me from keeping bees. Just that were I to have a bad reaction to a bee sting, being on Lisinopril will be something to mention to an ER Doctor.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

I have seen some ugly bruising around bee stings if you have much aspirin in your system.


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## the kid (Nov 26, 2006)

each person react's different to every thing , and you can take a med for 20 years and over night become allergic , or have it react to something you also had for 3o years ,, your body changes


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## DC Bees (Sep 24, 2009)

I was strung by a yellow jacket while i was taking sulfa meds and went into anaphylactic shock.I was only a mile from the hospital when i got stung. The doc told me i was very fortunate for being so close to the hospital,that's when i found out i was allergic to sulfa drugs.I have never had a bad reaction to bee stings since.


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## Bee Bliss (Jun 9, 2010)

When we saw an apitherapist and got training for our BVT, she gave us a sheet that said:


BETA blockers (for high blood pressure) and bee venom do not mix as the antidote to bee venom is rendered almost useless if the beta blocker is in your system.

Bee venom and NSAIDS (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) do not mix. Using these may cause adverse allergic reaction. This includes Ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin, etc. Naproxen Sodium which includes Nap rosin, Aleve, etc. If in doubt about a medication, call a pharmacist or doctor and ask if it falls in this category. (The exception is aspirin and Tylenol.)

Best to avoid alcohol 24 hours before and after. Don't sting on an empty stomach.


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## jadell (Jun 19, 2011)

Bee Bliss said:


> Best to avoid alcohol 24 hours before and after.


Guess that screws most of us! :lpf:


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## rweakley (Jul 2, 2004)

Never mind I had read too many of the posts and jumbled them together. Too bad I'm not blond I could say I was having a blond moment.


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## jadell (Jun 19, 2011)

Actually, Tylenol is acetaminophen and ibuprofen is ibuprofen.


Thought I might clear something else up to. There is no bee anti-venom. Beta-blockers reduce the effect of the main treatment, which is epinephrine. Not going to get technical, but that's the idea.


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

Bee Bliss said:


> Best to avoid alcohol 24 hours before and after.


How about during?


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## Bee Bliss (Jun 9, 2010)

Charlie B said:


> How about during?


Well, that depends..... are you buying? 

Ok, seriously, alcohol should not be in the system when doing BVT so the time in between is included. (Sad face?)


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

Bee Bliss said:


> Ok, seriously, alcohol should not be in the system when doing BVT so the time in between is included. (Sad face?)


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## iivydriff (Apr 20, 2011)

Well what brought all this to my attention is the last couple of stings I got really swelled me up. Worse than Ive ever swelled. I had just started taking Lisinopril. It did make the affects of the stings on me alot worse. I didnt have to get medical attention or anything like that but I knew something was different. Both of the stings that got bad swelled me up from ear to ear, and from my chin to my adams apple. all that area in there was swelled up something fierce. Also my hands felt tight and my face was swelled so I actually swelled all over. Ive never been that way before. I took the last Lisinopril Im ever going to take yesterday my blood pressure isnt that bad anyway. Doctor told my wife today to put my son on Ibuprofin for his back and I said there will be none of that. He gets stung regular same as me.


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## jadell (Jun 19, 2011)

Your body has a natural reaction to a sting too, adrenaline. The lisinopril blocks that just like epi.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Bee Bliss said:


> Best to avoid alcohol 24 hours before and after.


Before and after what? I have one or two manhattans every day. Does that count? They taste better than aspirin or all that other crap.


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## notaclue (Jun 30, 2005)

Well the ibuprofen explains some. Hopefully Lotrel is not one of those that has ana adverse reaction with stings even though it has a calcium channel blocker (swelling of leg or legs).


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## JohnBeeMan (Feb 24, 2004)

I try to keep my stomach full with at least some wine. So I can never get stung on an empty stomach. 

I do take a beta blocker and also low dose aspirin and do not have much reaction with stings. Maybe get a very small bruise and burning for ablout two hours is the maximun. Most of the time no reaction after the initial hit - that does hurt.


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## Katharina (May 2, 2011)

All I can say blood pressure meds do not work equally in every body. That is why they need so many different types. My husband was put on Lisinopril, because the other one prior did not work at all. All I can say his reactions to bee stings became less and less while being on Lisinopril. I'm not saying that the Lisinopril and stings is not a dangerous combo, because it may be in some. Like with any medication there is always a group the will react while others are fine. Still talk to your doctor if you notice something unusual. You may also want to talk to an allergist, because they may know more in that regard.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Wouldn't a pharmacist know more about bee venom/drug interactions? Or they would have that info at their fingertips, via internet. More so than a Doctor. Doctors prescribe drugs which don't interact well quite often. It's thew pharmacist that knows, or checks, whether thery should be taken w/ what one is already on.


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## Katharina (May 2, 2011)

You are right a pharmacist can check in their computer or books. Doctor's on the other hand may have more encounters with certain things, and they can also look up this information. A site I find useful is www.rxlist.com 
There I found out that Lisinopril can be dangerous, if you are allergic to bee venom and are undergoing desensitization shots. This is good to know, and I think I will write a paragraph about that in our clubs newsletter. Overall check with the professionals if in question.


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