Bee Stings and Arthritis

[BenMidTenn]

I have suffered with chronic arthritis for the last 24 years. Several years ago, I was openning a trailer we own (we kept junk in,) and I fealt something tapping on my hand. It was dark and I couldn't tell what it was, but when it stung the fire out of me I figured it out...BEES! I had arthritis then, but I started moving away in a fast manner. My wife and son watched all this from the safety of our family van (they say I moved pretty quick for a crippled boy.) Anyways, I had been experiencing some real discomfort with one of my thumb joints and I noticed it ceased bothering me for several days.

Later, I learned how they use bee stings in the orient and I thought this was very interesting. Now, I have not decided to become a beekeeper for this reason exclusively, but I do plan to do some experiments in this area. By the way, I am not allergic to bee sting, thank goodness.

Do some of you have some testimonies to this affect? I would be interested in hearing yours or how you use the bees, bee stings, or bee products for arthritis.

Thanks and God bless you all,
Ben

[Bennyjeep]

I have arthritis in my ankle, multiple injuries....long story.

Anyway, I got into beekeeping 3 years ago and noticed a correlation to eating a tablespoon of honey a day and when I do not do it. It may be in my head.....

I ran out of honey last year around March. My ankle killed April, May and June. When I took my first honey off in the beginning of July.....it felt a lot better. I kept more this year and still take it every day. Not cured...but definitely better.

But then again....it could be the stings....

Whatever the case it works for me. If nothing else it's a perfect excuse to keep bees. At least that's what my wife is told

[RayMarler]

I've used beestings alot as treatment for arthritis and spinal injuries nerve pains. It works well for me.

A year ago, my ankles, especially the inner ankle, thru arch and toes of left foot were so painful I had great difficulty walking. I got stings in inner ankle and arch and toe knuckles, 4 or 5 that day. 2 days later, 3 stings. 3 days later, 3 more stings. The pains have not come back to such degree since.

I have problems in fingers and elbows too, and beestings help when it flares up.

I first found out about beesting therapy when I was keeping bees back in 1990. I got stung pretty good and noticed my sciatica disappeared for 24 hours. Since that time, I frequently get stings in the base of my neck or in my lumbar, pelvic and tailbone. Works very well for me to reduce the nerve pains caused from disc damage in my spine.

Give it a try, it definately works for me and I hope it does for you as well.

[Rebel Rose]

I have had arthritis since I was in the fifth grade. Nothing seemed to help me until I started taking tablespoons of comb honey for asthma; (I had that since I was a kid too thanks to my father being a chain smoker). I noticed that about that time my arthritis was also better. Ran out of comb honey, and the arthritis came back again. Adding some pollen pellets to my diet also seems to help to some degree. Has anyone tried adding local pollen to their diet for arthritis?

Brenda

[Gregory and Susan Fariss]

... Has anyone tried adding local pollen to their diet for arthritis?

Brenda

I haven't tried it for arthritis, Brenda. But it does wonders for seasonal allergies.
Susan

[Rebel Rose]

Susan, I agree with that too!

Brenda

[rwlaw]

Can't say for myself about bee sting therapy, but my buddy had such bad knees that I had to help him out the chair one day(he was about 45). He started it about 5 yrs ago w/ his wife and now he says he's down to getting a sting session about once every six months and he's getting around fine.

[Zane]

For you NW Missouri folks there is an Apitherapy event going on Tonight in Kearny,MO @ 7pm. A man named John O'Brian will speak.
Registration is required so call 816 628-5055. I know nothing of the guy just passin on information.

When I get stung sometimes I am so sore in a large area it seems like it has an opposite effect on me. I dont feel better but much worse? Anyone else have this happen?

[notaclue]

Depends on what's going on with my body at the time. If it is within 24 hrs of an allergy shot the shot area reacts. If I'm feeling under the weather, within a couple hours after the sting, I can feel like a truck hit me. Day or two later I feel better. At other times I have bursitis (-1sp) and arthritis that goes away and I feel great.

[Merlyn Votaw]

A freind of mine uses a tablespoon of cidar vinagar with a tablespoon of honey for his arthitis.he takes this every morning .It can be mixed or straight with the same results.It worked for me on my hip arthrits but didn't help my back arthitis. Also a cup of cidar vinagar with each gallon of sugar syrup for the bees helps.Works better thanHBH and a lot cheaper

[Deer Slayer]

I also have some arthritis. It comes and goes and jumps around from one area to another. The doctors just want to keep giving me pain killers and the new drugs on the market have such bad side affects I refuse to use them. This year will be my first year as a beekeeper and I am sure I will get stung some unintentionally. My question is how to you administer a sting. Right now my right eblow is sore as all get out. If I wanted to try bee sting therapy would I just hold the hind end of a bee to my elbow and let the bee do her business?

[bennybee]

you got it. A friend of mine gave me sting therapy in my knees when we were working on a hive. my arthritis immediately got better so I did it every week for the summer and really my knees are still pretty good. I also have arthiritus in my hands to but they get stung enough so I don't need to do it, the bees do it. just grab a bee by the wings and hold it gently on the area you want to treat.

[phillybees]

This is a quick and fun read about apitherapy - history and use in the United States. He mixes anecdotal evidence and some good solid research based evidence. Also talks about how to apply bee stings.


http://www.amazon.com/Bees-Dont-Arth.../dp/0914960601

[beeking1]

No question about it. When the wife and I were hiving our first bees and did not know what we were doing...well, we kinda did but "things happen quickly when "it's your 'first time' " she received a few stings on her arthritic hands. Within twenty minutes, she said, "you know, this thumb/finger feel better and I can use them!" We Googled apitherapy and were amazed to find it's been around thousands of years. Reportedly, the Egyptians and other beekeepers of old (highly valued people because sugar was not really a commodlity) were noted to have fewer arthritic symptoms. To the point, these beekeepers were stung fairly often and probably had high titers of antibodies. More importantly, the mellitin and other active substances have a powerful antiinflammatory effect.
The wife has been stinging herself ever since; she even likes the stings and does not fear them. Some tweezers and she's after the bees at the hive's entrance. Especially now, in the dead of winter, she can't wait for the bees to emerge for their cleansing flights. Even tho their potency is down, the benefits are huge. For example, she can use her computer which is essential to her business longer hours and more effectively.
We do not perform nor advocate apitherapy for anyone outside a doctor's direct supervision. There are many things which can go very wrong. However, let it be known, I have interested a local M.D. friend into investigating the use of purified bee venom when the bees cannot be found. Otherwise, one must order pkgs of bees from Georgia in the winter season or in other seasons if the apitherapist does not raise bees.
Note to all....before advocating apitherapy for chronic pain, please see a pain specialist or Pain Clinic all of whom should be well versed in treating all sorts of pain BEFORE you embark on apitherapy for curing everything.

[StevenG]

I wonder, after the intial "treatments" if location of the bee sting makes that much difference? I've had arthritis in my left hand, particularly the thumb joint. After the first year, I've noticed that I no longer have that pain at all. Any time. I get stung regularly, but not always on the left hand. Last sting was on the ankle in fact. Of course, I have a mild case of arthritis, but still.... wonder if the venom does its thing no matter where injected?

[beeking1]

Steven,

It is difficult to know the scientific answer to your question about specific venom treatment to the site of pain(s) without doing a controlled study. In addition, your question is complicated by the following caveat:
As is often the case with osteoarthritis and arthritic conditions in general, the amount of joint damage as documented by XRay etc does not correlate with the amount of pain one experiences e.g. you can have the same XRay and PT eval findings of the same joint on your Right Hand and your Left hand and experience excrutiating pain in one and not the other. Also, better stated: one needs to know the diagnosis of what is causing the pain in any site. The scientists doing that type of study would take care of all that.
As for my wife, there is no question that it is necessary to sting herself in general proximity of her site(s) for the best effect to be realized. For example, she was stung multiple times on her legs without receiving any improvement in her hands. I won't go into the details of how that accident happened, but it did In her case only, I would say that the leg stings were no help to her hands. She has significant pains in her hands that have greatly improved with regular stings. Periodically, due to computer work, she gets spasms in her neck/shoulder leading to severe pain. She stung herself on her shoulder with beneficial results. The more regular the stings to specific sites, the better she does. Also, she achieves better results when she does not move/use her hands for about 30 minutes after stings.
As for myself, sometimes I think that getting stung anywhere on a regular basis does improve pain control in MY hands. It is as if the more mellitin the better. That is only conjecture.
I think your question and self observation are good starting points. Anecdotally, multiple stings is apparently what the ancient beekeepers experienced and supposedly they suffered fewer aches and pains.
Again, for disclaimer, I/we don't support any sort of apitherapy without the direct supervision of a medical doctor or D.O.

[StevenG]

beeking1, there may be no scientific answer. Much of what we deal with is anecdotal, which is fine by me. Different people have different problems and respond differently. What I do find both interesting and encouraging are the number of folks, myself included, who get relief from our "natural" therapies.... And of course, like you, I don't do apitherapy for anyone but myself. And there are times I don't do it to myself willingly...seems the girls know when I need a "shot!"

[chillardbee]

Makes me wonder if I'll ever get arthritis that bad. I haven't been to the bee yards more then 4 times since this year started and already I've had over a dozen stings (three of which were under my eye).

[Michael McK]

I used to have 'turf toe' from sports. Just a few days before a tournament and a week or so before I got my first hive (pre-planned), I stepped on a bee in my garden and was stung at the base of my bad toe. I had heard of apitherapy before and credited the sting for the lack of shooting pain from my toe the night after playing hard, to which I had become accustomed. A few months later I felt a twinge of pain while hiking in snow and stung the joint when I got home. I needed to do it a couple more times that year but not since. I suspect I get stung so much now that I needn't get stung on the toe itself.

[beepriddy]

I also have some arthritis. It comes and goes and jumps around from one area to another. The doctors just want to keep giving me pain killers and the new drugs on the market have such bad side affects I refuse to use them. This year will be my first year as a beekeeper and I am sure I will get stung some unintentionally. My question is how to you administer a sting. Right now my right eblow is sore as all get out. If I wanted to try bee sting therapy would I just hold the hind end of a bee to my elbow and let the bee do her business?

Read a great little book on this and it's an easy evening's read. "How Well Are You Willing to Bee???" by Pat Wagner. It's out of print but you can still find it out there now and then. Has stories and shows sting patterns! Good Luck - if you try this let the rest of us know how it works for you!