# Can bee venom cause a full body ache?



## Danman (Jun 13, 2011)

Yes, I have had similar reactions.


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## tommyt (Aug 7, 2010)

It will get better as soon as the pain goes away 

you too will truly?hopefully? react less too stings as you get them 
I would swell, If stung on my hands. The sting would help with Art ride us now about zero swelling
when stung and Art-ride-us still aches
Have a life long friend in Burlington, If I ever went back north It would be there

Tommyt


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## Bee Bliss (Jun 9, 2010)

We were told when we started BVT that we could experience short-term temporary flu-like symptoms in the beginning so I would imagine that you had enough venom to do the same.


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## downhome (Mar 11, 2009)

When my husband took a bunch (too many to count) of stings to his ankle, his body responded like that. It was kind of scary.


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## TattooedBeek (Aug 20, 2010)

I got stung once years ago...no idea by what. It hit me just above the knee and the stinger was huge. I was down by the river. My knee swelled like crazy and I got sick as a dog that evening. Felt like my leg was on fire and I was going to die. Never had issues with my breathing and I have never had problems being stung before or after by bees/wasps. I don't know what it was but it was a whole body experience.


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## jadell (Jun 19, 2011)

I took 4 to my index finger a couple of weeks ago while robbing, same reaction here to. I stayed in bed for most of the next day with a fever, but got over it. Happens to me if I take several in or around the same spot.


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## notaclue (Jun 30, 2005)

Sometimes I react that way and sometimes I don't. I do know if I get stung within 72 hours after an allergy shot the shot area almost immediately starts to itch like crazy.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

That's what you feel like anytime your immune system kicks in. I used to feel like that. Now I feel exhilarated...


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

I have found that around the 150-200 sting mark, it starts to mess with my mind, makes me think slow. Maybe a little achy.

Crazy Roland


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## frostygoat (Jun 3, 2008)

Michael Bush said:


> Now I feel exhilarated...


Yes, people think I'm crazy when I tell them it makes me feel a little bit high. Does not include stings to the head, those still hurt and swell.


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

Zac, as you can tell by the replies, the older you get and the more stings you take, the easier it becomes and the more accustomed you get to it. Not to worry. The time to start worrying is when you go out looking for a sting, and when zapped, wait until the poison sac has pumped the venom into you before scraping it off.  That means you're suffering from arthritis and are using bee venom therapy! 
Regards,
Steven


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## Bee Bliss (Jun 9, 2010)

According to what I have read, there are chemicals in bee venom that are also present in the human body and are necessary in the brain. It is said that honey bee venom can be used to treat depression among other things.


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## Katharina (May 2, 2011)

Took 4 stings to my head by an aggressive hive. It is kind of hilarious and a screw up on my end. I had a veil on, but two managed to get in. I walked way and thought I was clear, when one got my ear, and I still had another one in. I pulled the veil off and got bomb dived by bees. I had them in my hair and man I was smacking them dead like crazy. Took one underneath my nose too. I should have kept the veil on and taken the two hits instead. This hive wasn't mine, I was doing an inspection. They were neglected for at least a year. It took us 5 minutes just to get the lid off! I did take an antihistamine prior as a precaution and a stronger one right after the hit. No swelling, a little bit swelling the next day, but a good headache.


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## BurlingtonBeekeeper (Aug 24, 2011)

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. Aside from some itchiness everything cleared up within 48 hours.


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## schmism (Feb 7, 2009)

For me the worst are on my hands.... they swell really bad. Last time this happened i got hit twice on the back of my left hand and it swelled up like a balloon for 2 days. i could feel the swollen-ness for the next 4 days as well as iching.

now if i take a hit in the arm, or leg or something, barely notice. slight pitch and nothing. no swelling no iching... but man on the backs of the hands SUCKS!


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## rwurster (Oct 30, 2010)

Roland said:


> I have found that around the 150-200 sting mark, it starts to mess with my mind, makes me think slow.


lol nice


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## Ryan Elder (May 23, 2011)

I haven't got stung a ton of times because I'm new to this but I have found that getting stung on the knuckles is the worst. It swells up like no other and hurts quite a bit too.


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## mrmedic (Sep 23, 2010)

Got stung once on Monday. On the neck. Just ONE bee. 

TWO hours later, my cheek on the opposite side of the sting started to swell, lips, then my right forearm. Left side of face blew up, tongue swelled, left side of scalp swelled, right forearm almost doubled in size. 50 mgs Benadryl, nap. 4 hours later, 50 mgs benadryl, nap. 5 hours later 50mgs benadryl, sleep for the night. Woke up normal. 

Wednesday, left eye almost shut. TWO days later? HUH?

Multiple stings before, as many as 6 in a day. (yeah, I know. ROOKIE!) Never a problem, just minor swelling, even got two to the scalp one day, no problem. but never had any bodyache.

Sure wish that natural resistance would kick in.....


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## BurlingtonBeekeeper (Aug 24, 2011)

mrmedic said:


> Sure wish that natural resistance would kick in.....


About resistance to venom; I was just reading "A Country Year" by Sue Hubbell, a beekeeper in Missouri, and she does the following procedure to desensitize her nephew to bee venom before he starts working for her:

_Hold a bee by it's head against the arm until it stings. Leave the stinger
in for one minute. Repeat the next day but keep the stinger in for 10
minutes. Continue with one sting a day until no swelling and redness accompanies the sting,
then move up to two stings a day. Continue with two stings until no
swelling/redness, then move up to three stings. Continue until you can take 10 stings with no swelling and
redness._

Think that would work??


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## msapostol (Sep 6, 2008)

BurlingtonBeekeeper said:


> About resistance to venom; I was just reading "A Country Year" by Sue Hubbell, a beekeeper in Missouri, and she does the following procedure to desensitize her nephew to bee venom before he starts working for her


I enjoyed that book!

Anyway, when I got stung in the back of the head last July, I had the first time reaction of hives all over. I also felt very tired and had to postpone a trip. I ended up sleeping a lot that day.


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