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Wife's eczema cured by our bees!

26K views 12 replies 10 participants last post by  santa 
#1 ·
Hope this post can help someone.

First year keepers here. My wife has always had terrible eczema on her hands. They would sometimes flare up to the point that she could not even use them. We were in the midst of one of those flareups, trying everything to get her hands to stop blistering and falling apart. Cut the gluten, sugar, meats, try different creams, etc.

Then thought bee sting therapy. A quick googling reveals that the medical establishment is like "meh" on the whole issue. But there is a bunch of anecdotal evidence, people claiming miracle cures and such.

As we have yet to be stung while inspecting (newbie bragging) we gathered 2 bees off the top of the bars and put into jar. Put the jar in the fridge for about 15 mins until they were slow and calm.

Took one out, held it by the wings and I kept pushing its abdomen against my wife's skin as it warmed up and started squirming. It took what felt like forever for her to get stung, and we were starting to feel sorry for the struggling bee, but it finally happened.
(edit: she left the stinger in until it was done pumping and then squeezed it pulling it out)

Long story short that was 4pm yesterday. She woke up this morning and the bloody cracked skin and pustules were gone!! GONE! I didn't even think it was possible to heal skin that quickly eczema or not.

We are flabbergasted! Now she wants to go out and get another one today.

-for those paying attention we released the other bee in the jar next to her hive :)
 
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#3 ·
What is terrible is that we didn't even think to take before and afters...sure enough we could take an after but it isn't as impressive. Since we had tried everything we didn't expect it to be that dramatic.

She had 3 spots on the palm of her right hand.we put it right in the middle. 2/3 spots are gone completely and the last is half gone. But in just a few hours it healed that much! Amazing is the only word. There is no other drug that does something that dramatic except maybe hardcore steroids.
 
#4 ·
Very interesting, I've always been a skeptic of bee sting therapy but would love to be proved wrong.

Could you please update the thread if there are any future occasions? It would be good to know this was more than just a one off coincidence.
 
#6 ·
I've had just the opposite reaction. I have psoriasis that is much worse these last 2 years. In fact, my last visit I was told that I seem to be developing psoriatic arthritis. I have always had psoriasis on my hands but it was never a bother--quite the opposite, in fact-- until I needed heart meds. Now I can no longer put my bare hands in the hive without being attacked by every bee in there, apparently from the psoriasis creams. So obviously it can go either way--help a lot or make things worse.

Rusty
 
#8 ·
I found this post googling "bee sting eczema". I'm a 2nd year Warre beekeeper, been stung a total of I think 2 times by honeybees, once by a wasp I stepped on barefoot, and twice by angry yellowjackets (I was putting expanding foam in their hive entrance so...).

Within the span of 1 week earlier this year, I got stung 3 times in different places - first my foot by a wasp, then my arm by a yellowjacket, then my shoulder by a honeybee.

I've never been allergic at all, just itchy like a normal person. But after that 3rd sting that week by the honeybee, I landed in the urgent care facility. Within an hour of that sting I was red from head to toe and my heart felt like I drank 8 cups of espresso. They didn't do anything at urgent care except talk me out of it. I took a couple Benadryl and was fine by the end of the day. But that was scary.

After that, my existing eczema got substantially worse and it still is. I've always had it in small patches on my body throughout different periods of my life (I'm 34 now), but after turning red that day, some of the red never left.

Eczema is one of those mysteries that seems different for every person who has it.

I don't have a reason for posting this other than education. I'd love it if a bee sting healed my eczema but for me that was a big fat NOOOPE.
 
#9 ·
Just some studies:

"Honey and bee venom in dermatology: A novel possible alternative or complimentary therapy for psoriasis vulgaris" --> https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4264310/
"Clinical and mycological benefits of topical application of honey, olive oil and beeswax in diaper dermatitis." -> https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15679495
"Bee venom acupuncture alleviates trimellitic anhydride-induced atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions in mice." --> https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26825274
"Randomised controlled trial of topical kanuka honey for the treatment of rosacea" --> http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/6/e007651.long

Greetings from my bees
santa
 
#10 ·
I've had mild cases of what I think is eczema? It looks like a grey color callous? but it's not a callous for sure. I've had great results getting rid of it by rinsing or washing it in straight hydrogen peroxide, patting it dry, then coating it with a thin layer of vaseline. I notice a great reduction of it in a day, and all gone in two or three. But like I say, it was mild infections. I also get it on my elbows, and the same thing, hydrogen peroxide followed by vaseline clears it right up.
 
#12 ·
Every time I get stung on my hands my arthritis pain disappears, but when the pain from the sting subsides, the pain from the arthritis reappears. It's a vicious cycle, I tell ya'.

Alex
 
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