HELP ! Anyone

[CKD]

Yesterday I was being rebelious and went out to pick veggies in the garden when I stepped on a bee. Right inbetween my big & second toe. OUCH.

I am NOT allergic to bees but I am miserable. I soaked my foot in epson salts and started taking benadryl tablets last night. It was swollen yestderday but when I woke up this morning and my foot looks like a footbal. I cant even put pressure on it.
Does anyone have any old remedies for bee stings ?

[The Outlaw]

You are having an allergic reaction. You need to see a doctor. Benadryl will lesson the symptoms. You can become allergic to bee stings at ANY time of your life. Past indicators mean nothing.

THE OUTLAW

[kensbuns]

Nancy is correct you are having an allergic reaction. Did you get the stinger out. A bee sting will swell much worse if you leave the stinger in. I have a severe allergy and my tongue swells and I have trouble breathing. It is in my opinion that you should atleast call the Dr. He may be able to call you in some prednisone. I dont thing and ER visit is necessary.

[Lynjupiter]

Originally Posted by CKD

Yesterday I was being rebelious and went out to pick veggies in the garden when I stepped on a bee. Right inbetween my big & second toe. OUCH.

I am NOT allergic to bees but I am miserable. I soaked my foot in epson salts and started taking benadryl tablets last night. It was swollen yestderday but when I woke up this morning and my foot looks like a footbal. I cant even put pressure on it.
Does anyone have any old remedies for bee stings ?

Like everyone said you need a doctor and benadryl.

To help pull out the poison though drywall mud or plaster of paris works great.
I once had a bee come through my open car window while the car was going seventy miles an hour and slam right into my arm. Of course I slapped the bee real hard also the moment he hit me. I have never had a reaction to bees but I guess with the force he hit and stuff I got more bee venom than usual and I had an area on my arm swell to the size of a grapefruit and it was red hot. The swelling would not go down with ice, my uncle gave me drywall mud and told me to let it dry. By that night the swelling was gone and my arm felt better. Mud does help draw the poison out but I would never use dirt mud.
Plaster or drywall mud only.
Lynda

[fatma]

I think that the best thing that you can do is to see a doctor...hope you get well soon.

[Rue]

Originally Posted by The Outlaw

You are having an allergic reaction. You need to see a doctor. Benadryl will lesson the symptoms. You can become allergic to bee stings at ANY time of your life. Past indicators mean nothing.

THE OUTLAW

Nancy is wrong and right. You are NOT having an allergic reaction. You are having a normal reaction to the bee sting. A normal reaction includes redness, itching, heat and can include a surprising amount of swelling. Swelling can easily last 3-4 days.

If you were having an allergic reaction you would be having difficulties breathing, your throat will swell, etc. Sometimes people have a panic attack when stung and will experience difficulties breathing as well - but this is not an allergic reaction either. However, in the heat of the moment, it's often hard to tell. If you experience breathing difficulties you need to get to emergency ASAP, not a doctor. True allergies are relatively rare...I'd have to look up the latest stats, but the last time I checked I think the estimate was around 1% of the population. If it is a true allergic reaction, symptoms will generally materialize within 1/2 hour.

Nancy is correct in stating that you can become allergic to bees (or wasps) at any time. In fact, your first sting is almost always non-eventful. But once your body has come into contact with the foreign proteins, it may decide to 'overreact' during the second, or any consequent stings.

If you do develop an allergy to stings, it will likely be species specific. If you are allergic to honey bees, you likely won't be allergic to bumble bees, or wasps, or solitary bees, etc.

And just for fun: Honey bees have a barbed sting, it pulls out when the bee stings, the muscles at the base of the sting continue to pump, and the bee now has a big hole in its abdomen and dies in short order. Therefore it can only sting once. Do NOT squeeze the stinger while removing it, instead scrape it out from the bottom upwards using a fingernail, or credit card etc.

Bumble bees, wasps and some others do not have barbed stings and can sting repeatedly. Therefor there will not be a stinger left behind.

As hard as it may be, do NOT swat at stinging insects - it makes them mad - and they will sting to defend themselves - just igore them and they'll go away. In cars and other vehicles, they generally just want out (unless you're flapping at them) and will bounce along the interior windows - they are not a threat.

In cases where you are 'hit' by a bee or wasp while in a car, or bike, etc, they often sting immediately as a defensive reaction.

Bumble bees in particular are amazingly non-aggressive. They will only sting as a last resort.

[CKD]

I went to the Dr. Yesterday. He said I had an infection in my foot and prescribed Cepalexin antibiotics , benadryl 4 times a day and as many foot soaks as I wanted. Today I woke up and the swelling is down 50 %. He also told me that people react to bee stings different. I was haveing a allergic reaction but it wasnt the severe form when your throat closes from swelling as well as the tongue. It was a mild form and tha if I got stung again I would most likely have to go on antibiotics to fight off the bee pollin in my system.
Thanks toeveryone who helped !

[ParrotletLover]

I'm glad to hear the good news, Christy.

[Rue]

Originally Posted by CKD

I went to the Dr. Yesterday. He said I had an infection in my foot and prescribed Cepalexin antibiotics , benadryl 4 times a day and as many foot soaks as I wanted. Today I woke up and the swelling is down 50 %. He also told me that people react to bee stings different. I was haveing a allergic reaction but it wasnt the severe form when your throat closes from swelling as well as the tongue. It was a mild form and tha if I got stung again I would most likely have to go on antibiotics to fight off the bee pollin in my system.
Thanks toeveryone who helped !

Glad to hear you're feeling better. But I don't think your doctor has it quite right. Unfortunately it's not something they get a lot of training in at med. school. An infection in your foot might have occured if dirt got in at the site of the sting, and seeing you were barefoot in the garden, perfectly plausible.

And I really don't understand why you would need antibiotics to fight off 'bee pollen'. That makes no sense whatsoever. No. 1 - how could you possibly get pollen in you system (unless you're eating it, health food stores carry it) and No. 2 - antibiotics are for bacteria.

However, your Dr. is liable for your well-being.

[CKD]

Rue I wish I could answer some of your questions. Im not a Dr. so I just have to go with what one told me. I have always had to go on antibiotics when ever I have gotten any infections from cuts or what not because I have had blood poisioning 3 times in my life time and it seems like they always prescribe antibiotics for me anytime I have an infection of any kind.