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keste
Apr 5, 2004, 5:43 AM
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Freaky.. A while back, I got allergy tested for various things and asked the doctor about bees. He told me that he doesn't test people for bee sting allergies because supposedly, it just takes one event for your body to determine its allergic. Supposedly, testing might prime my body to go into shock if I ever encounter one in normal life. This was back in the mid 90s. Have they devised safer tests now?
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narb
Apr 5, 2004, 1:32 PM
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In reply to: Bad beta. The pen doesn't stop working, the half-life of the epinephrine is expired.
The point is, once the pen expires (i.e., the drug in the pen expires), try them out on something other than yourself, so you can feel what the "firing" mechanism is like. But better than that is when your doctor writes you a prescription in the first place, have him fill a pen with saline, so you can feel what it's like on your own leg. I think a lot of people tend to pull the needle out as soon as it has "fired" and the drug will then dribble partially on your leg. You have to hold it there a few seconds.
In reply to: so in theory you should carry two, which would give the benadryl time to start working (20-30 minutes), but they only make you a prescription for one. Silly, if you ask me.
Epipens now come in a 2 pack. Most doctors will write you a prescription for that. Hooray!
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pinktricam
Apr 5, 2004, 2:42 PM
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Good point narb, learn to use the epi-pen correctly. The fact that they come in 2 packs is great! My neice is allergic to bee stings and I've often remind my sister to keep the med current and carry a spare just in case the first one fails.
Funny how much more I now think about applying 'redundancies' into life since I began climbing.
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iclimbtoo
Apr 5, 2004, 3:15 PM
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Everyone is allergic to a degree, that's why the skin swells...same as a mesquito bite...we're allergic to the saliva; or as far as bees go, the poison.
If you have never been stung, there is only one way of knowing, and that is to be stung. People can go years of being stung and then all of the sudden, one sting will give them a severe allergic reaction.
Being knowledgable with an epi is good advice as mentioned above, but I would recommend seeking professional training, as not only will it help with learning the epi but also with other first aid as well...stuff that is extremely useful wherever you are. I recommend becoming a WFR, or a Wilderness First Responder.
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simianboy
May 5, 2004, 3:03 AM
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I got stung on the finger by a hornet yesterday and it wasn't so bad. The part that got stung hurt like hell for a few minutes but didn't swell up too bad, but the finger joint above it swelled up and I couldn't bend my finger much for a few hours. I iced it and it was okay again after a few hours.
How are hornet stings different from bee stings? And what about wasp stings?
Am I going to get a more serious allergic reaction the next time I get stung?
:?
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reno
May 5, 2004, 3:26 AM
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You could follow all the hit-and-miss advice on this thread (FYI, Brutus has it mostly right... strong work, dude.)
Or you could listen to what a world respected physician and wilderness medicine expert has to say:
Allergic Reactions
Short version: Everyone has an allergic reaction. The degree of that allergic reaction varies from person to person.
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ullr
May 5, 2004, 3:37 AM
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http://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/wasps.html
More to read.
In reply to: Short version: Everyone has an allergic reaction. The degree of that allergic reaction varies from person to person.
Exactly.
Think Benadryl-Solumedrol-Epi-and perhaps Pepcid
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cbare
Sep 24, 2004, 9:11 PM
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Nearly everyone will have at least a mild reaction to any kind of sting. Mild reactions include, local redness and swelling, pain, and itching. However, anaphylactic shock (allergic shock) from venom is a different story. In anaphylaxis the body's immune system over responds to the venom. (the immune system acts as if the venom is a pathogen aggressively invading the body) Massive amounts of a substance called histamine is released by cells causing a full on assaut of the venom. While an aggressive immune system is good, in this case the over activation of the immune system causes massive amounts of fluid to leak out of the blood vessels thus lowering blood pressure and volume of fluid in the vascular system. Nutrients may not get circulated to to body's cells and waste products may not be removed. In addition to the fluid loss, swelling of the airway may make breathing difficult or impossible. If any of these signs/symptoms occur after a sting seek medical attention immediatly;
difficulty breathing,(wheezing is very common) syncope (passing out), swelling over entire body, hives (red circuloar rash) over the entire body, or any sign/symptom of shock.
Any one with a true allergy to bee stings needs to carry an epi pen. This is a prefilled injector that that can easily be used to deliver life saving epinephrine. Minimal training is needed to learn how to use and it will inject through clothing. In addition an over the counter antihistamine such as benadryl can be helpful with mild or life threatening signs or symptoms. After the life threats are treated by EMS or in the ER you may get a steroid injection or a breathing treatment. In very severe cases the person may have a tube placed down or through their throat to help them breath. Talk to your doctor if you have any worries/concerns.
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viticeps
Sep 27, 2004, 9:18 PM
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Something else to consider are yellowjackets, which bite more often than they sting. I have a passionate hatred for these (due to my brushclearing days when I'd accidently stumble upon nests of them under Eucalyptus litter), and are probably the one thing I'll go out of my way to kill.
Anyhow, the reason you want to watch out for their bite is because the little buggers will eat anything, including rotting meat. The bacteria from their bite can be nasty.... if you're in an area where venomous snakes live, and come across any dead ones or are forced to kill one for some reason, be sure to bury their heads in the dirt, as yellowjackets will otherwise feed on their venom sacs. It probably wouldn't be enough to kill you, but you'd definitely experience some sort of neurological disaster if you got bit by one of those.
By the way, they're attracted to the moisture in your smelly shoes. I found that out the hard way!
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crimpandgo
Sep 27, 2004, 9:27 PM
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grew up on the east coast and I am very familiar with the rath of the yellow jacket. I have never heard nor read of the yellowjackets tendancy to bite. Where did you get this information?
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viticeps
Sep 27, 2004, 10:29 PM
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Firsthand knowledge on many occasions. hehe. But I've been both bitten and stung. The latter hurts far more initially imo. Feels like a you just got pelted by a 100 mph pebble. At least it feels that way right behind your ear. The biting is just potentially more disgusting.
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crimpandgo
Sep 27, 2004, 10:41 PM
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Intersting.. You learn something new everyday :lol:
I have had many incidents with Yellow Jackets and have learned to fear, hate and love them all at once. I think they account for the most bee stings on the east coast, not because they are the most aggressive, but because they are the most likely to be hanging around food. And where there is food there are people. I have been stung putting on a shirt (nest was in the attic and the bees were getting in the house), in a sleeping bag. But the worst was when my father and I walked over an underground nest checking out some property. We ran for nearly a mile before the last one let go :shock:
Yep, I am not surprised they can bite too :D
When I moved away from the east coast, I knew I would not miss the yellowjacket. Of course I now live in AZ and the yellowjacket has been replaced by the Africanized honeybee. :oops:
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mtn_eagle
Sep 27, 2004, 11:23 PM
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Here's the science:
Skin tests and RAST (blood tests) can identify specific agents (e.g. vespid venom AKA bee venom) that can help you know what to avoid, however the strength of the reactions does not correlate with the frequency of anaphylaxis. Bottom-line is that the risk of anaphylaxis can only be accurately determined by historical means. If you have previously had an episode of anaphylaxis from a bee sting, you are likely to react the same way to future stings.
Anaphylaxis is an exagerated immune response, which is not the same as getting stung by 1,000 bees which can kill anyone. Treatment with an epi-pen and anti-histamines is the same for both conditions however.
Incidentally, there is a common problem. There is even a quality of life questionaire used specifically on those with vespid allergies to determine the effectiveness of therapy. Immunotherapy has been used to desensitize those with a history of anaphylaxis. By the QOL questionaire, about 2 out of 3 people treated with immunotherapy were better off than those treated only with an epi-pen.
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ophir
Sep 28, 2004, 9:03 PM
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have your dr do an alergy test
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reno
Sep 29, 2004, 1:56 AM
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In reply to: Here's the science: Skin tests and RAST (blood tests) can identify specific agents (e.g. vespid venom AKA bee venom) that can help you know what to avoid, however the strength of the reactions does not correlate with the frequency of anaphylaxis.
Vespid venom and bee venom are not the same thing.
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