DIS Doctors - Do I have a bee allergy?

[Starbrite]

On Sunday afternoon I was stung by a swarm of yellow jackets. I got bit 3 times on my face (lip, nose & between the eyes) and twice on my thigh. Right away my nose began to swell up, but I felt fine otherwise. About an hour later, the rest of my face started to swell, my heart was racing, I started having chills & got very dizzy and foggy. I took Benedryl, used ice packs on my face, but this went on for several hours that night. I did not have any breathing trouble so I did not go to the ER. Early Monday morning, both eyes were nearly swelled shut. My face, eyes & throat were itchy. The sting on my thigh is now purple & the size of a baseball - I took more Benedryl but by the time the Drs office was open, the swelling had gone down dramatically and I felt 100% better.

I never did go to the Doctor. 2 days later, I'm still puffy & swollen - but I feel fine. I never even thought of having a bee allergy I've been stung before and haven't had problems. I just assumed since I was stung several times right in the face, that was enough to cause such a bad reaction.

What do you think? Is that typical reaction for a bee allergy? Or just a potent bee?
I am going to the doc late this week (already have an appt) to see if they will run an allergy test. How do they treat bee allergies? Epi-Pen?

 

[Mandychelle79]

I have anaphylactic reactions to bee stings and yours does sound like a severe local reaction to me. When I get stung by a bee that Im not ana too ( im ana to wasps, yellowjackets and hornets) I have a severe local reaction like what you described. I would mention it to your doctor, because the reactions can get worse over time, or go away as mine seems to have done.

 

[Mandychelle79]

I do carry an Epi-pen for anaphylactic reactions, but I usually can just take benadryl. If im going to have an ana type reaction it happens within 15 mins, so if I start getting hives I give the shot, if no hives I take benadryl to stop the itch and swelling of the bite. they can do allergy testing and even do bee venom desenitivies, but I havent went that route. The last time I was stung by a wasp, one that I should react to, I had no reaction. Yet had a severe local reaction to a sweat bee.

 

[Silly Little Pixie]

I have never had a reaction to a bee but have had a reaction with huge swelling and pain to a yellowjacket. I couldn't even walk on my foot, or wear my shoe for days. I was at a cabin in the woods in a state far from my home- otherwise I would have gone to the doctor. I used Benadryl and it did help some but not a lot. It sounds to me like you do indeed have an allergy, OP. The itchy throat and severe facial swelling definitely need to get checked out. Glad you have an appointment for later in the week.

 

[minniebeth]

Ok, I'm not a dr. but it sure sounds like you had a moderate plus reaction. The thing with allergic reactions like this, is, each time you are exposed, or stung, it has the potential to become worse.

My DD's friend's mom had a similar reaction to yours and the next time she was stung, it became an anaphylactic reaction, she only had enough time to call 911 and say her address and stung by a bee before she passed out. She was very fortunate how the series of events played out, but it was very frightening.
Glad you have a dr. appointment to follow up and for a future course of action.

Take care~

 

[sharlon]

I agree that it is an allergy. My family has just about every allergy you can imagine. Seriously. My sister and I both found out something interesting from our respective allergists. Anaphylactic reactions are simply those that exhibit symptoms in two or more systems. So, in your case, you had severe swelling and the irregular heartbeat. Typically, people have breathing issues, which is why people associate the word with breathing or throat swelling, but that's not always the case.
As for treatment, depending on the test results and severity of the allergy, they may put you on shots. Otherwise, probably an epipen. I just had to renew DH's epipen for the same allergy. A co-worker of his died a week and a half ago from yellow jackets. That was enough to freak out my DH.

 

[Green Tea]

I would say you had a normal response to yellow jackets. My kid was unrecognizable due to swelling in his face, but he had been stung on his face so it was a local reaction, which is normal. If you broke out in hives all over your body, you had trouble breathing, not just from a local reaction, then that would be more of a sign that it was an allergy to the bee.

 

[Disneefun]

Two years ago this happened to me. I ran over a nest with the mower. I got stung a ton of times, had awful swelling, itchy throat, heart racing, and I passed out for a couple of seconds. The Benadryl I took right after the sting likely kept it from being worse.

Anyway, I went to the Dr. and he said that it was one of 2 things: Either I was stung so much that I was overloaded and it will never happen again (assuming I got stung less next time) or that I was truly allergic and the next time would be worse. To be safe, he prescribed me an epi pen that I take with me if I'm going to be outside. He didn't see the point in doing the allergy tests, since the end result would be the same: He'd give me the pen just to be on the safe side.

I had this happen before and never had such a reaction. Usually just pain and itching at the bite site. But, you can grow into allergies so I may very well now be allergic. The plus to all of this: DH now does the mowing!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Just tossing this out there for future reference as I was stung twice by a wasp recently.

I used meat tenderizer as a remedy. It works like magic. You make a paste from it and apply right after the sting. The papin works at breaking down the proteins in the poison.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Bee allergies are among the most dangerous because of the protein coat of the toxin. Wasps are not the same as bees. Yellow jackets are wasps not bees. Wasp venom is meant to do harm so being stung by a few is probably likely to do the damage you describe. It's terrible you were stung so badly and I'd see the Dr too if it happened to me but you won't have a bee allergy because you weren't stung by bees. Feel better

 

[Stacy9402]

My daughter is highly allergic to wasps, hornets, honey bees and yellow jackets. The 1st time she got stung on her eyelid and she had swelling of course but she also had trouble breathing. 2nd time she was stung on her thumb on the hand of the arm she had a cast on. She had no symptoms and talked the EMT's not to give her the Epi-pen. When she got to the hospital her blood pressure was extremely low. She was about to go into shock.

So even if you don't see swelling, hives or have diffcultly breathing - does not mean you are not having a reaction. She seemed to be totally fine.

She carries and Epi-Pen and she is to have it every 15 minutes til she gets to the hospital. She has also had 5 years of Allergy shots but they still show up on the test fairly quick. So she is continuing for the next 2 years to take them.

 

[ChrizJen]

I would agree with others that it sounds like you had an allergic reaction and that you should notify your doctor.
I was stung on my hand by a bee when I was in high school, and my hand and part of my arm swelled up like a balloon. I was told then that I had an allergy and to watch it because it can get worse. A few years later I was stung by a bee that flew into my car window. I had enough time to pull over and dial 911. I was EXTREMELY lucky that I had a cell phone. Ever since, I carry an Epi-Pen. I've never actually had to use it, as I've not been stung since then. I usually try to avoid situations where I would be around a lot of bees. But I'm always prepared just in case!

 

[shortbun]

Yes, you have an allergy and need to get an epi pen with instructions on how to use it. Bee/wasp sting reactions can build, ie. your next reaction could be much worse. Be prepared.