# Apitherapy / Bee Venom Therapy and Shingles



## johno (Dec 4, 2011)

Boondocks said:


> The most important comment in my opinion:
> *Kent Meredith*
> 6 hours ago
> Bob, I’m very sorry that you had to go through this. Shingles can be very serious, and it looks like you did have a pretty significant case. I am a physician, (M.D.) and just want to comment from my perspective and experience. First of all, I will say as a beekeeper, you are my hero, and I respect you immensely! I also think it was very honorable that you had the courage to share something rather personal. I do think, however, it is important to inform you and your viewers that there is an effective antiviral medication that can dramatically reduce the severity of shingles, and prevent life-threatening illness if the infection spreads to the eye, brain, or other locations. The medication is only effective if it is taken soon after the onset of shingles symptoms. As you correctly mention in your video, this disease is caused by the chickenpox virus (varicella zoster virus), which is never really eliminated from your body after you recover from the chickenpox. Instead, the virus retreats into the nerve cells of your spinal cord, where it lies dormant until later in life, when your immune system either weakens or you are exposed to other stress or illness. At that point, the virus temporarily becomes re-activated, and causes shingles, which is a flare up of the rash and pain in the local area supplied by the nerve where the virus was living. I really hate to see that you had to suffer like that, when a trip to the doctor and an inexpensive prescription (Valtrex) would have quickly subdued the disease and greatly reduced the chance that you might have longer term pain as a result of the shingles. Finally, it is important to mention that for people with weakened immune systems (for example cancer or organ transplant patients), shingles can truly be life threatening, and apitherapy should not replace emergency medical care. My prayers for you as you recover! Thanks for all the great teaching you give to us beekeepers out there! Kent Meredith
> ...


Shingles is not fun, went down with it in Brazil in 1991 fortunately took the medication to end the virus. Quite a shock to me as I have never shown any symptoms of chicken pox as a youth, so that little bug can be in your system without you knowing it.


----------



## jjayf (Aug 15, 2020)

there are effective inexpensive antiviral treatments that will relieve it if you get a prescription early doing an outbreak ...(forget the name) could save your life.. but will cut down the pain and duration significantly.


----------

