Taking down hand swelling

valmom

valmom

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OK, my bees are really mad at me :( I was feeding them and a couple of them stung me on the thumb of my right hand yesterday (after I had opened up the hive and closed it again I realized I needed to feed them). This morning it is swollen through the thumb and across the back of my hand and down into my wrist! I have never been allergic to bee stings before :( I have iced it because it does make it feel better, and I have soaked it many times in epsom salts, but what else can I try? My skin on my thumb is numb, and my hand feels hot, and I have several bruised looking spots on my thumb where the stings went in. :barnie
 
I would also probably take some Benedryl. It might help with the swelling since it is basically a poison in your system.
 
Sometimes the over-reaction has to do, not with allergies, (but watch this closely in case you are developing one!) but with the location of the sting. Close to the bone or in an area that is not as rich vascularly (tendon, ligament) and you'll get a lot of swelling. Also, if you already are in a state of systemic inflammation your body will over-react, such as when you are already bombarded with environmental allergies, stress, or an inflammation-promoting diet....even being "naughty" for a few days.

Benedryl and ice should help. To be effective, ice needs to be left on until the area goes through 4 stages of sensation: CBAN, or Cold, Burning, Achy, Numb. Then take it off and throw it back in the freezer, and apply again later. It is more effective if you use a thin cloth, soaked in water and wrung out, on the area first. The most effective ice to use is a gel pack, second is a ziploc freezer bag with ice cubes or crushed ice and water. No bags of frozen veggies. They don't circulate and the outer layer warms up before CBAN can be achieved.

You just got my four hour ice class in a very small nutshell!
 
It is possible that you didn't get the stingers out quickly enough. When a honeybee stings, she leaves behind her abdomen with the venom sac still pumping into you. Scraping them with your hive tool immediately is the best thing to do. Don't squeeze it, as this pushes the venom into you more quickly. Everyone else has given great answers. I would add.... put some STING STOP in your beek kit and keep it with you when you are working the hives. Then scrape the stingers with the hive tool and apply the STING STOP immediately.
 
Thank you! I was stung- I think- 3 times. At least that's how many bruise spots I have, and they were all over the bones of the thumb joints. I probably didn't get the stingers out properly since they stung through my mesh gardening gloves which were what I had on at the time. Probably taking the gloves off pushed the venom in. I did take benadryl last night- almost couldn't get up this morning. That stuff knocks me for a loop! I am going to have to look for sting stop. Is it in the regular drug store? I don't think I've ever heard of it? Is it an ammonium compound?
 
Benedryl makes me hallucinate and get psychotic. So I take Clariton. It doesn't suppress hystimines as well, but I can function LOL. Trade off between effectiveness of the drug and MY effectiveness :p
 
:lau

Definitely are!! I can't drink either lol.

But I can dance all night!!!
 
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