There was a long article in today's paper about folks with MS and arthritis using bee stings. Some say it really helps both. Anyone used this or heard of it? Gwen
-- ------------------------------------------------ Your friends love you anyway!
I have never heard of it. I am a little bit allergic to insect bites and stings. Not life threatening, but I have a pretty bad reaction to it. I don't think that I want to try it... right now anyways. Cindy
> There was a long article in today's paper about folks with MS and arthritis > using bee stings. Some say it really helps both. Anyone used this or heard > of it? > Gwen
> -- > ------------------------------------------------ > Your friends love you anyway!
I have heard of it, but have never seen any clear cut research that it is actually beneficial in any way. Since I am extremely allergic to bee stings, it wouldn't be an option for me anyways!!!
I saw a show on TV about bee stings. They actually showed a lady who was getting them. had the bees in a jar and took them out with a tweezers. Then laid them on the skin till they bit. Nasty looking LOL
Some people are saying it has good benefits but I like most would rather have more research on this before venturing out and doing this
On Mon, 31 Mar 2003 17:03:10 -0600, "Gwen Love" <cgl...@knology.net> wrote in alt.support.arthritis:
>There was a long article in today's paper about folks with MS and arthritis >using bee stings. Some say it really helps both. Anyone used this or heard >of it? >Gwen
I think that comes under the heading of urban legend, Gwen. Lots do it, many stings a week, but evidence is anecdotal. The danger of anaphylactic shock is great. --- Joan
Tom the 'Ironman" graduated with honours from the University of Profanity.
I have a friend who is a bee man. You have bee or wasp problems and he takes care of it for a fee. He also puts up the most yummy honey. He provides live bees to several people for that reason. Apparently it helps them. Not sure if it is all in their head but if it reduces daily pain.... I wouldn't do it as I hate bee stings. Remember them painfully as a child. Duckie
Gwen Love wrote:
> There was a long article in today's paper about folks with MS and arthritis > using bee stings. Some say it really helps both. Anyone used this or heard > of it? > Gwen
> -- > ------------------------------------------------ > Your friends love you anyway!
>I have never heard of it. I am a little bit allergic to insect bites and >stings. Not life threatening, but I have a pretty bad reaction to it. I >don't think that I want to try it... right now anyways.
Me either and I'm severely allergic to bee stings, so I think I'll pass on this one. Having arthur beats being dead, IMHO.
The bee sting has a powerful anti inflammitory agent. So you have to keep doing. It seems to be a nice temp relief.
I had RR MS and Arthritis. I got rid of both with diet, and is nothing like most people think of when they think diet and looking for a single "element" that cause health problems. I have no symptoms, what so ever.
On Mon, 31 Mar 2003 17:03:10 -0600, "Gwen Love" <cgl...@knology.net> wrote:
>There was a long article in today's paper about folks with MS and arthritis >using bee stings. Some say it really helps both. Anyone used this or heard >of it? >Gwen
Here is what Rheumatology Web had to say:
Help from the Hive?
Selected by Gerald Weissmann, M.D.
March 12, 2001
In the February 2001 issue of Dr Andrew Weil's Self Healing (ISSN 1085-0880), he reports:
"I know some rheumatoid arthritis patients who have benefited greatly from an unusual treatment called apitherapy, or bee venom therapy. This technique, which involves getting regular bee stings or injections of venom has a long history of use for inflammatory conditions such as RA, and research shows that honeybee venom does contain some powerful anti-inflammatory compounds. (Of course people who are allergic to honeybee stings should avoid this therapy.)" [Emphasis ours - Ed.]
The Evidence Fact # 1: Bee venom contains many pro-inflammatory compounds : hyaluronidase, phospholipases, and the most potent membrane-disruptive agent before they invented detergents: mellitin. [1]
Fact # 2: Bee keepers develop an unusual form of inflammatory arthritis. Indeed, over half of 180 bee-keepers studied in Spain developed painful joints in the honey-collecting season. "Radiological study showed periarticular soft tissue swelling, bone sclerosis, periostitis, bony erosions, subchondral cysts, geodes, osteophytes, and joint narrowing. CONCLUSION: Beekeepers have joint disease apparently related to bee stings." [2] [Emphasis ours - Ed.]
Fact # 3: Although bee venom therapy does attenuate ajuvant arthritis in rats, it does so by elevating blood corticosteroid levels and is ineffective in adrenalectomized animals. [3]
Fact # 4 : You never know who will keel over after bee venom due to anaphylaxis. [4] [5]
GW Conclusion: Bee venom is a venerable treatment for arthritis, but so is ACTH. Both work by raising blood cortisone. Bee stings may be "self-healing," but your patients won't die from anaphylactic shock when they are given FDA-approved ACTH. I'd go with methotrexate.
References:
Weissmann G, Hirschhorn R, Krakauer K.Effect of melittin upon cellular and lysosomal membranes. Biochem Pharmacol. 1969 Jul;18(7):1771-5. Cuende E, Fraguas J, Pena JE, Pena F, Garcia JC, Gonzalez M Beekeeper' arthropathy. J Rheumatol 1999 Dec;26(12):2684-90 Zurier RB, Mitnick H, Bloomgarden D, Weissmann G. Effect of bee venom on experimental arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 1973 Sep;32:466-70. Ludolph-Hauser D, Ruëëff F, Fries C, Schööpf P, Przybilla B. Constitutively raised serum concentrations of mast-cell tryptase and severe anaphylactic reactions to Hymenoptera stings. The Lancet. 2001 Feb 2;357:361-362. Saif MW. Bee sting and urticaria. Patient Care. 2001 Jan 30;35(2):8. Altomare GF, Capella GL. "Bee sting therapy": the revival of a dangerous practice. Acta Derm Venereol. 1994 Sep;74:409.
> On Mon, 31 Mar 2003 17:03:10 -0600, "Gwen Love" <cgl...@knology.net> > wrote:
> >There was a long article in today's paper about folks with MS and arthritis > >using bee stings. Some say it really helps both. Anyone used this or heard > >of it? > >Gwen
> Here is what Rheumatology Web had to say:
> Help from the Hive?
> Selected by Gerald Weissmann, M.D.
> March 12, 2001
> In the February 2001 issue of Dr Andrew Weil's Self Healing (ISSN > 1085-0880), he reports:
> "I know some rheumatoid arthritis patients who have benefited greatly > from an unusual treatment called apitherapy, or bee venom therapy. > This technique, which involves getting regular bee stings or > injections of venom has a long history of use for inflammatory > conditions such as RA, and research shows that honeybee venom does > contain some powerful anti-inflammatory compounds. (Of course people > who are allergic to honeybee stings should avoid this therapy.)" > [Emphasis ours - Ed.]
> The Evidence > Fact # 1: Bee venom contains many pro-inflammatory compounds : > hyaluronidase, phospholipases, and the most potent membrane-disruptive > agent before they invented detergents: mellitin. [1]
> Fact # 2: Bee keepers develop an unusual form of inflammatory > arthritis. Indeed, over half of 180 bee-keepers studied in Spain > developed painful joints in the honey-collecting season. "Radiological > study showed periarticular soft tissue swelling, bone sclerosis, > periostitis, bony erosions, subchondral cysts, geodes, osteophytes, > and joint narrowing. CONCLUSION: Beekeepers have joint disease > apparently related to bee stings." [2] [Emphasis ours - Ed.]
> Fact # 3: Although bee venom therapy does attenuate ajuvant arthritis > in rats, it does so by elevating blood corticosteroid levels and is > ineffective in adrenalectomized animals. [3]
> Fact # 4 : You never know who will keel over after bee venom due to > anaphylaxis. [4] [5]
> GW Conclusion: > Bee venom is a venerable treatment for arthritis, but so is ACTH. Both > work by raising blood cortisone. Bee stings may be "self-healing," but > your patients won't die from anaphylactic shock when they are given > FDA-approved ACTH. I'd go with methotrexate.
> References:
> Weissmann G, Hirschhorn R, Krakauer K.Effect of melittin upon cellular > and lysosomal membranes. Biochem Pharmacol. 1969 Jul;18(7):1771-5. > Cuende E, Fraguas J, Pena JE, Pena F, Garcia JC, Gonzalez M Beekeeper' > arthropathy. J Rheumatol 1999 Dec;26(12):2684-90 > Zurier RB, Mitnick H, Bloomgarden D, Weissmann G. Effect of bee venom > on experimental arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 1973 Sep;32:466-70. > Ludolph-Hauser D, Ruëëff F, Fries C, Schööpf P, Przybilla B. > Constitutively raised serum concentrations of mast-cell tryptase and > severe anaphylactic reactions to Hymenoptera stings. The Lancet. 2001 > Feb 2;357:361-362. > Saif MW. Bee sting and urticaria. Patient Care. 2001 Jan 30;35(2):8. > Altomare GF, Capella GL. "Bee sting therapy": the revival of a > dangerous practice. Acta Derm Venereol. 1994 Sep;74:409.
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