Help - I don't want to give up beekeeping yet.

[Calluna4u]

I understand that Clem is off the bees and on another role. If I remember correctly he had to come down to Dundee for his treatment. I'm certain that there were no options in N Scotland a year or two ago. A GP I knew (spouse of a one-time poster) was trying to get desensitisation in Inverness and if he couldn't persuade them, nobody can.

Lol Gavin...we are getting longer in the tooth than we would like to admit........it happened in 2009........a bit more than a year or two ago.

Steve told me at least a couple of years ago that Clem had gone back on to doing bees after a successful outcome to his desensitisation. I think you are right btw, that Highland had to fund his treatment from Tayside. Dundee is a national leader in this work....Mr Gardiner (What parents give a Gardiner a Q for an initial???) was, at least at first, working under the initial direction of Professor Lipworth. Look him up and drop him a line directly? Just did and seems he is still there and allergy is one of his main specialisations.

Moral of that is not to take no for an answer.....there IS a precedent and why should you (OP Brigit) be treated any worse?

[The Drone Ranger]

http://www.insectstings.co.uk/immunotherapy/
Takes a long time Bridget
Is an epipen and antihistamines no good ?

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[Bridget]

Trouble is Drone Ranger I'm apt to run into them when I'm out and about! Had to run for it the day Fraser did the OA and I can't bear to think all the gardening in summer will have to be done in a bee suit. Walking near us late last summer the bees were all over the heather at the side of the path and they weren't just mine!
I wore the doctor down Calluna4U. My ten minute appointment stretched on and on and he eventually saw I wasn't going to give up so said he would get onto it and with this info re Dundee I've given him there's little excuse. Clem did an inspection of my bees about 3-4 yrs ago.


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[Bridget]

That link Drone Ranger is makes very interesting reading including the last sentence.


"A recent paper shows quite clearly that simply carrying an epipen does little if anything to improve the quality of life of an insect sting allergic patient."

It also says that NICE approves the treatment and rates it cost effective. I will also give my doc this link. There won't be much he doesn't know for next time!
Thanks one and all - SBAI to the rescue once again



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[The Drone Ranger]

Hope you have some luck with him Bridget maybe he will realise if you croak after a bee sting he might be up in front of the GMC

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[RDMW]

That's a good article, thank you. Anaphylaxis is a life threatening condition and is pretty scary to witness and to treat. An epipen is part of the correct treatment but cannot be relied upon and it is best to avoid the allergen if at all possible. If you are really interested have a look at the guidelines https://www.resus.org.uk/anaphylaxis...tic-reactions/ although there are lots of good advice pages elsewhere on the web.



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[madasafish]

One of our Assocation beekeepers collapsed at the Association Apiary 2 years ago with anaphylaxis.

She is a gardener by trade so got NHS immunisation treatment FOC.. Now six monthly treatments. Still suited and booted though with bees.

[The Drone Ranger]

I don't know if this is exactly right but I believe it is mostly

Your body releases chemicals to deal with the effects of bee sting
Usually beekeepers are less likely to get large swelling from bee stings caused by the immune system
They are still likely to get local reaction like red itching etc because of the actual chemicals in the sting

Sometimes after donkeys years of shrugging off stings though the body 'pulls a fast one' and they get a severe reaction

Its apparently rooted in the production of either IgG or IgE antibodies
http://wncbees.org/wp-content/upload...t-Marterre.pdf

So just when you think you can ignore the bee stings as trivial possibly that's when you are in most danger
Some years ago a chap was telling me how after 30 years of helping with the bees his wife suddenly had a life threatening reaction and was rushed to A&E
She must have had thousands of stings over the years with no major problems till then

The ones you scrape off the back of your hand or wrist generally don't deliver much venom
Once in a while though they hit some sweet spot that results in a swollen wrist or hand
It seems everyone has the potential for their Tcells to order a switch from one antibody to the other then it can be curtains

I think RDMW's link says epipens are for severe reactions blistering etc but not for anaphylaxis which should always be followed up by allergy treatment
I thought it was just if you asked but apparently its supposed to be part of the treatment post severe attack

The most stings I have had at one time was about 30 or so (bungled no suit) and the only side effect was the lingering delusion that I could dance after all

[chairman dave]

I have just joined the forum and looked through this thread.

Scotland is a place where many people lose their immunities to infection of all sorts. However, I had never given any thought to bee-keepers becoming ill.

My concern is that the members who do become ill after bee stings may be wrongly advised and incorrectly treated by the NHS or other private medical practitioners.

I would advise Oxygen therapy and it is not too expensive.

[gavin]

Thanks Dave. Do you have any references on the use of oxygen therapy for anaphylaxis to insect stings?