# Another weird bee sting reaction....



## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

I started a thread earlier this year when I got stung in the back of the hand, and that hand swelled up like a balloon. I had been stung probably 10-15 times previous to that sting with little reaction. Since then, while working my hives this year I've been stung another 15-20 times. I started a thread about using bee venom therapy on myself a couple weeks ago. I intentionally allowed myself to be stung 15 times in a 6 day period. Five times on the first "treatment." I had some moderate swelling on my shoulder the first day afterwards, but I did take 5 stings..... 

This past Friday evening after I got home from work, I was in a time crunch and I needed to get an overly crowded nuc into a 10 frame deep. I did put on my ventilated jacket because moving all the bees out of a hive, into another hive sort of makes them mad..... especially when you have to slam the last couple of 1000 out of the box.

The veil on my ventilated jacket sometimes leans back against my face. It's not an ultrabreeze, I got it from Rossman apiaries. I love the jacket, but am going to have to modify the veil.. 

Anyway, I got nailed, dead center of the chin. I couldn't remove the stinger with my veil on, and with 100's of bees trying their best to kill me, I didn't remove my jacket until I was well away from the hives.

By the time I got home, I had a quarter sized solid white spot on my chin, with the stinger dead center of the spot. I had to take a quick shower to get ready for a church function and the hot shower just made it worse, I guess. I looked like Jay Leno when I got dressed. Before the church event was over, the swelling was up my face around my gums. I looked somewhat like the elephant man...

Today I look like a Brahman bull, with a nice flabby, puffy, dewlap below my chin. I normally have two chins, today I've got three. The spot where the stinger was has been oozing serum or clear liquid since the Saturday morning.


So, does anyone else ever have the weird reactions to stings? It's almost like for me that being stung in a general area once prevents that area from ever having much reaction again, but the first time in that spot is a severe localized reaction. Just seems strange. I thought that being stung anywhere on the body, over time would desensitize me from reactions, but it doesn't seem to work that way on me. My fingers don't swell or itch anymore when I get stung there. I can barely tell I get stung there any longer. 

I guess I'll ask my doc about it next time he has me captive in an exam room.


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## dynemd (Aug 27, 2013)

Try taking some Allegra (fexofenadine) or Zyrtec (cetirizine) right after the sting, that will minimize the swelling. Or you can use Benadryl (diphenhydramine) if you can deal with the drowsiness and having to repeat every 6 hours.


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## Mephibosheth1 (May 15, 2014)

Is there any possibility of a secondary infection going on?? Oozing serum doesn't sound normal for a bee sting that I'm aware of...


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## dynemd (Aug 27, 2013)

I would worry if it oozed something thicker like pus. If it's swollen the edema could release some clear, light fluid without signaling infection.


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

I take 120-180mg of Allegra every day for seasonal allergies, except my seasonal allergies effect me every day of the year.


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## Broglea (Jul 2, 2013)

I've been stung about 25 times over the last two years on various parts of my body. Most of the stings were on my hands or upper torso area. No reaction to speak of until yesterday. I was working a hive and had shorts on. One of the girls tagged me right above my ankle. I didn't get the stinger out right away. About 30 min. after the sting, my feet and hands became extremely itchy (unbearable). A few minutes later I could feel the inside of my mouth swell slightly. I popped some benadryl and sat down. After about 45 minutes I began to feel better. This morning my ankle is painful and swollen still. 

Not sure why this sting was any different than the 25 previous. I'm curious what is going to happen with my next sting.


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## Ebot (Apr 26, 2014)

Broglea said:


> I've been stung about 25 times over the last two years on various parts of my body. Most of the stings were on my hands or upper torso area. No reaction to speak of until yesterday. I was working a hive and had shorts on. One of the girls tagged me right above my ankle. I didn't get the stinger out right away. About 30 min. after the sting, my feet and hands became extremely itchy (unbearable). A few minutes later I could feel the inside of my mouth swell slightly. I popped some benadryl and sat down. After about 45 minutes I began to feel better. This morning my ankle is painful and swollen still.
> 
> Not sure why this sting was any different than the 25 previous. I'm curious what is going to happen with my next sting.


I'd be concerned that you are developing systemic reactions. I would recommend seeing an immunologist sooner than later.


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