Bee Stings!

[Gwen Love]

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

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Your friends love you anyway!

[Cindy]

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
"Gwen Love" <cgl...@knology.net> wrote in message
news:b6ahgn$38mq1$1...@ID-84913.news.dfncis.de...

[Newsgroup Spambuster]

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!!!

Donna G

[Janers]

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

janers

[Joan Carter]

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.

[Gwen Love]

The article said Arthritis Today had a report on it in 1998. I wasn't getting
it then.
Gwen

[Caroline Marold]

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

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[AChrist787]

>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.

Anne
AAC/AAF/AFBV62.0844.AZ
http://www.tckworld.com/opfoot

[Trent Black]

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.

How I did it is free, and on www.neoprima.com

best wishes

-Trent Black

[Donna G.]

LOL.....I'm a hearing you on that one Anne!!!

Donna G

[Mary Z]

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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http://www.mzuschlag.com

[Caroline Marold]

Good one Mary. Actually just heard from my bee man's wife. She said he
had his hip replaced two months ago. Sounds like Fact #2 might be true.
Duckie

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