Guest guest Posted November 7, 2005 Report Share Posted November 7, 2005 There are alternatives to bee stings such as the prescription Serc 16 (only available in the UK and Canada); a pro histamine producing pharmaceutical. Or a person can stick their hands in stinging nettles - this will also elicit a histamine reaction. ne RE: Digest Number 1990 Hi... I actually have some good input on this as I have suffered anaphylaxis from a bee sting and almost died from it. I have never had an allergic reaction to a bee sting in my youth, yet I developed it unknowingly sometime over the years. Anyway, to make my point: Yes, some have had a good response to bee stings with their MS. It is well-documented, yet as with anything and MS-- it doesn't work for everyone. Secondly, you cannot 'get' an Epi-pen. You must visit with a doctor and get a Rx for one after you have been evaluated for a true life-threatening allergy. How you do get evaluated? You go to an allergist and have them do a 'scratch test' where they will take tiny amounts of allergens (such as bee venom) and scratch them on your skin and wait for a response. If there is a huge response, then you are allergic. And you get an Epi-pen. Even if you are not allergic at the time, you can develop an allergy over time. So, does anaphylaxis from a bee sting happen often? There are hundreds of deaths in the US a year from bee sting anaphylaxis. I got this off of a medical website : " Although likely underestimated, about 10,000 cases of anaphylaxis occur per year in North America, with about 750 fatalities per year. Foods and insect stings are the most common causes of anaphylactic reactions that result in death. " I am sorry if I seem to be overly passionate about this, but I want everyone to be fully educated about this topic. I would hate to have something bad happen to someone who is just trying to get better. I know lots of people in this group are less-than-excited to see doctors, but I would strongly advise seeing one before you decide to do something of this nature. As I said before, this has happened to me, and I barely had time to get to the ER. The doctor said I had less than four minutes to live, and even though I made it through, I have lingering heart damage from it which is probably more of a pain than my MS is at this point. Just my 2 cents-- God bless and may everyone be well! Best regards, Jana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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