A few weeks ago, I got stung six times by yellowjackets. The rest of that day it felt like they continued to sting me. The next day was less painful, but then the itching began. It was like five mosquito's intensity, in patches from about one inch to about two inches in diameter. The itching took most of a week before it began to subside, and though they no longer itch, the patches are still visible.
The week it happened, I wrote about the use of bee venom as a therapy for inflammation, pain, and other issues. At the time, my 30-ish year old hip bursitis and long-standing pain along my IT band in my left leg were gone. On the seventh day, God rested (oh, wait, wrong story). On the seventh day, there were twinges in my bursa, and by the twelfth day, my leg was back to its usual self.
That was wonderful week without one of my main sources of ongoing pain. On the other hand, The itching caused its own form of discomfort. I am still unsure if I would be willing to get bee venom therapy, but I am now thinking of looking into it, whether it is available near home, how much it costs, does insurance cover it, etc. I would not get it on my arms, where the itching was the worst, maybe on my back, where it wasn't as bad. Maybe. Just maybe.
On another topic, I discovered a new product a month ago, Gluten Cutter. I tried it, and it worked, so I used it to pigged out on gluten on a vacation. (Wrote about it here.) Since being home, I eat less gluten, so I am using it less. Sometimes now, I get a stomach ache/acid reflux either that day or the next, symptoms I used to get from gluten. I have been experimenting with taking two Gluten Cutter capsules, and also with trying other products on the market. I am also limiting myself to 1-2 gluten items per week. Apparently, I can eat some gluten, if I am careful, I just haven't found the magic threshold yet. If you do try Gluten Cutter or another product, leave a comment. I'd like to know how it works for you.
BUTTERFLY BANNER
Papercut and colored pencil art by Sheryl Aronson X 5
Showing posts with label bee venom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bee venom. Show all posts
Monday, August 19, 2013
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Bee Venom Therapy
Last Sunday, my husband and I were hiking out near our cabin, and had a once in a lifetime (I certainly hope) adventure. I was talking about something, when I suddenly interrupted myself with "I just got stung by something! There's another one!" My husband replied "I got stung too! Run!!!" We descended the mountain the fastest we ever have, slipping and sliding on the leaves, I fell on my butt a couple of times. All the way down I whapped the side of my head with a large feather I had found a few minutes earlier. I kept hearing the angry buzz of a bee, apparently caught in my hair. Alternating with this, I flapped my shirt, being unsure if the stinging sensations I felt in my back were new stings, or just the ongoing zinging of the stings I already had. When I got to the bottom, I thrashed my head and back with the branch of a tree to remove any cling-on bees.
Once inside the cabin, we both removed our shirts to assess the damage. My husband had four stings, one on his hand, three on his side. I had six, one on one forearm, one on the other upper arm, and two on each side of my upper back. The rest of that day and night, they stings stung and hurt. Starting the next morning, they itched, swelled up (1-2 inches across), and were pink and warm to the touch. Just yesterday (Wednesday) they began to subside a little. I am very relieved. The constant itching was wearing me down..
This experience reminded me of an article I had read a couple of years ago about bee stings as a potential therapy for pain and inflammation. I thought it interesting to write about. Also known as 'apitherapy', bee venom therapy is used more in Eastern Europe, Asia and South America than in the US. There is evidence that it was used thousands of years ago in ancient Greece and Egypt. More recently, its benefits came to light by way of beekeepers who discovered that their arthritis pain disappeared when they got stung.
Scientific studies have been inconclusive about whether it works, but there is anecdotal evidence that it does. Among the many components of bee venom are strong anti-inflammatory and pain blocking substances.It may also help with blood circulation and reduce swelling.The condtions that may have potential for treament with bee venom include osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, chronic fatigue, Multiple Sclerosis, and asthma, among others.
I seem to have improvement in my chronic hip bursitis, and the IT band (outer thigh, hip to knee), that usually hurts, doesn't. I am not convinced that the hip/thigh improvement is worth the pain and itching of the stings for me. It depends partially on how long the improvement lasts. Also, from what I read, treatment is done in multiple sessions. That I would not do. One session, a few days of discomfort, I could handle, but not ongoing.itching. Some people have milder reactions, some stronger. You might tolerate it better than me. My husband says he did not get any benefits from his stings, and would not want to get apitherapy.
If this piques your interest, you can get more info at: Bee Venom Therapy or Apitherapy Wiki. A note of caution: if you are considering this- get tested for allergy to bee venom before starting the treatment. An allergic reaction could be deadly. Also, I recommend looking for a trained apitherapist. Doing it the way we did it, it is very hard to control the dosage.
Once inside the cabin, we both removed our shirts to assess the damage. My husband had four stings, one on his hand, three on his side. I had six, one on one forearm, one on the other upper arm, and two on each side of my upper back. The rest of that day and night, they stings stung and hurt. Starting the next morning, they itched, swelled up (1-2 inches across), and were pink and warm to the touch. Just yesterday (Wednesday) they began to subside a little. I am very relieved. The constant itching was wearing me down..
This experience reminded me of an article I had read a couple of years ago about bee stings as a potential therapy for pain and inflammation. I thought it interesting to write about. Also known as 'apitherapy', bee venom therapy is used more in Eastern Europe, Asia and South America than in the US. There is evidence that it was used thousands of years ago in ancient Greece and Egypt. More recently, its benefits came to light by way of beekeepers who discovered that their arthritis pain disappeared when they got stung.
Scientific studies have been inconclusive about whether it works, but there is anecdotal evidence that it does. Among the many components of bee venom are strong anti-inflammatory and pain blocking substances.It may also help with blood circulation and reduce swelling.The condtions that may have potential for treament with bee venom include osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, chronic fatigue, Multiple Sclerosis, and asthma, among others.
I seem to have improvement in my chronic hip bursitis, and the IT band (outer thigh, hip to knee), that usually hurts, doesn't. I am not convinced that the hip/thigh improvement is worth the pain and itching of the stings for me. It depends partially on how long the improvement lasts. Also, from what I read, treatment is done in multiple sessions. That I would not do. One session, a few days of discomfort, I could handle, but not ongoing.itching. Some people have milder reactions, some stronger. You might tolerate it better than me. My husband says he did not get any benefits from his stings, and would not want to get apitherapy.
If this piques your interest, you can get more info at: Bee Venom Therapy or Apitherapy Wiki. A note of caution: if you are considering this- get tested for allergy to bee venom before starting the treatment. An allergic reaction could be deadly. Also, I recommend looking for a trained apitherapist. Doing it the way we did it, it is very hard to control the dosage.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)