Bee/wasp sting emergency

[diamondlil]

Well, Mr. DiamondLil and I just spent the last 3 hours at urgent care after he was stung by a wasp at the corner of his eye. We know he has an allergy, and the last time he was stung 5 years ago, he was given a prescription for an Epi-pen. That time, his hand swelled up so big we though his skin was going to split!

The Epi-pen expired after a couple of years, and I never got it refilled. He has not been stung since then either. Well, I suppose it was inevitable since we live in the country, and there bugs of all sorts biting and stinging.

Fortunately, with this sting, there was no problem breathing or tongue swelling, and we did not need the Epi this time. The doc gave him a shot of prednisone and benadryl, and he''ll be on a tapering dose of prednisone for 5 days. I think he''ll be fine, but to look at him right now is kinds scary.

I should have asked the doc, how severe does the reaction need to be before one uses the Epi-pen? And if we were to use the Epi-pen with ony mild wheezing, would that cause some other bad reaction? I''ll look into it.

Well that was enough drama and stress for one day. I need a nap.

Anyone else with bee-sting reactions?

 

[widget]

SO GLAD to hear he''s ok...that''s pretty scary...

My goodness...you guys have had quite a day!

take care,
widget

 

[Kaleigh]

Oh my, that is soooo scary. I would ask your doc about the epi pen. One of my best friends sons has a very severe bee sting allergy and he had to get allergy shots for it. We have one for Rob, my son, as he is deathly allergic to nuts. I always make sure we have one that is up to date. Last thing you need is to have one that is expired although a friend who is a nurse says they are still good for a year after they expire, but why take chances. Is his eye swollen shut??? Ouch, I feel for him and for you, Hugs!!!

 

[IrishEyes]

Ugh, I HATE bees and wasps!!

I''m so glad you husband is ok! I would just call the doctor or clinic you went to on Monday and ask about the Epi. Make sure he gets good rest and stays away from the evil bees!!

 

[MrsFrk]

Oh no! Your poor DH.

I am a nanny, and I used to take care of a little boy with a severe peanut allergy (he would react to peanut dust in the air). We would stick him with that Epi-pen the minute he began complaining of a ''itchy throat''.

With anaphylactic shock, things snowball and go from bad to worse to fatal LIKE THAT. It''s a far better idea to act quickly and early.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 7/16/2005 4:11:36 PM
Author: MrsFrk
Oh no! Your poor DH.


I am a nanny, and I used to take care of a little boy with a severe peanut allergy (he would react to peanut dust in the air). We would stick him with that Epi-pen the minute he began complaining of a 'itchy throat'.


With anaphylactic shock, things snowball and go from bad to worse to fatal LIKE THAT. It's a far better idea to act quickly and early.

exackly.
At the first sign of respertory distress it needs to be given.

I keep liquid benadryl on hand in case I or someone around here gets stung.
I havent had a major reaction to it but several medium ones.
benadryl will often buy some time but if someone has a history of needing epi and having severe reactions epi-pens need to be kept at hand and 911 called as soon as they are stung.
Seconds count and its better to have them there and not need them than to have them not be there when you do.

 

[diamondlil]

Thanks for the tip, MrsFrk. I won''t be so nervous about using the Epi if necessary in the future. The doc did say, the Epi-pen buys us the time we need to get to the hospital for further treatment. He said if we use the Epi, we should then immediately call 911 and get him in.

Mr. DiamondLil just woke from a nice nap. His eye is opening better, and he''s marginlly less freaky looking. At least he won''t scare away the neighbor kids now.

That''s amazing how quickly the prednisone shot began to kick in.

I wish there was a way to get rid of those darn wasps. We have a wrap-around porch on our house, and they seem to hang out there and nest behind the shutters. I can hear them "buzzing." We spray in there, but it''s like they are some mutant species cause they WON''T DIE!!! At the time the sting happened, my husband was cleaning up the remains of a dead bird on the porch (got a good visual on that?

). Last week we had a opossum die in one of my flower gardens. Can''t kill those bees though. We''ve got bugs, snakes, and cirtters of all kinds hanging out with us. Ain''t life in the country just grand?

 

[AGBF]

Date: 7/16/2005 4:27:08 PM
Author: strmrdr
I keep liquid benadryl on hand in case I or someone around here gets stung.

I keep up-to-date benadryl capsules on the kitchen counter near the door to the outside for the same reason you do. None of us has had an allergic reaction to a bee sting (or anything else), but we have friends and neighbors who have had them and my mother did when I was young. After a bee sting, she wound up hospitalized for several days with phlebitis and then started a regime of allergy shots that went on for years. I''d like to know if liquid bendryl is better than capsules? Does it work faster? I assume it is better for a child who has not yet learned to swallow a capsule. Do regular pharmacies carry liquid benadryl?

 

[Kaleigh]

Yes Deb, you can find liquid benadyl at your local pharmacy. It''s quicker than a capsule, and in this case timing is everything.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 7/16/2005 5:06:15 PM
Author: AGBF

Date: 7/16/2005 4:27:08 PM

Author: strmrdr

I keep liquid benadryl on hand in case I or someone around here gets stung.

I keep up-to-date benadryl capsules on the kitchen counter near the door to the outside for the same reason you do. None of us has had an allergic reaction to a bee sting (or anything else), but we have friends and neighbors who have had them and my mother did when I was young. After a bee sting, she wound up hospitalized for several days with phlebitis and then started a regime of allergy shots that went on for years. I''d like to know if liquid bendryl is better than capsules? Does it work faster? I assume it is better for a child who has not yet learned to swallow a capsule. Do regular pharmacies carry liquid benadryl?

Look in the childrens medicine department.
They dont make an adult version in liquid form.
It just takes 2x as much because it is 1/2 as stong but works just fine for adults.
Read the directions before hand so you know the dosage information and keep a dropper nearby sealed in a ziplock bag.
Most pharmacies will give you droppers for free or at min. charge if you ask.

The capsules are time release and unless chewed wouldnt help much.
They are better than nothing but they need to be chewed to release the medication fast enough to help.

 

[fountainfairfax]

what a great reminder- my epi-pen rx needs to be refilled! I get the swollen tongue/throat/eyes within a couple of minutes and red-ants for some reason really get to me. I still hike though, which my Mom the nurse is always worried about!

 

[Blue824]

Wow, what a painful place to be stung!! I''ve never been stung, so I''m not much help with the allergy info, but I''m really glad he''s ok!!

 

[belle]

diamondlil,
i am so glad to hear that mr. diamondlil is okay....that must have been a frightening experience for you both! definitely keep some benadryl on hand and do not hesitate using the epi pen. benadryl and the epi can be used together. each reaction gets progressively worse and depending on the location of the sting (i.e. closer to the heart) the less time you will have to take action. hopefully there won''t be a next time!

if you do find out how to get rid of those wasps, let me know!

 

[belle]

Date: 7/16/2005 5:06:15 PM
Author: AGBF

Date: 7/16/2005 4:27:08 PM
Author: strmrdr
I keep liquid benadryl on hand in case I or someone around here gets stung.

I keep up-to-date benadryl capsules on the kitchen counter near the door to the outside for the same reason you do. None of us has had an allergic reaction to a bee sting (or anything else), but we have friends and neighbors who have had them and my mother did when I was young. After a bee sting, she wound up hospitalized for several days with phlebitis and then started a regime of allergy shots that went on for years. I''d like to know if liquid bendryl is better than capsules? Does it work faster? I assume it is better for a child who has not yet learned to swallow a capsule. Do regular pharmacies carry liquid benadryl?

you can find liquid benadryl at any pharmacy or department store (walmart, target) the generic name is diphenhydramine. it''s usually pink liquid (and tastes not so good!) i think it is 12.5mg/tsp, so to get the minimum 25mg dose you would need to get down 2tsp at least

(it really doesn''t taste good)
i would say for adults, go with the tablets. for children, the liquid is a must.

 

[jellybean]

Sorry to chime in so late - I just discovered this thread! As a pharmacist I''ll give my $.02 since I deal with this all the time, especially this time of year.

I would disagree with Belle and say that liquid Benedryl is fine for adults; you just have to use more. Minimum of 2 teaspoonsful (=25mg). It is over-the-counter and can be found almost anywhere. If you get the dye-free version, it is bubble-gum flavored and tastes way better than the regular cherry kind. There is also a "fast-melt" tablet version that dissolves in your mouth.

The liquid version works quicker b/c it is already a liquid and your body does not have to go through the extra step of breaking down the capsule or tablet.

As far as when to use the epi-pen, given that he has a history of allergic reactions to insect stings, I would not hesitate to give it to him as soon as he has any "allergic" type symptoms (i.e., itchy eyes, ears, throat, etc.) As MrsFrk said these type of reactions can escalate sooo quickly and unfortunately, once someone has had that type of reaction, there is a much higher chance of having a more serious reaction the next time.

As far as side effects of the epiniephrine (the medication in the epi-pen) you can expect increased heart rate, sweating, palpatations, increased breathing rate. Epinephrine is also called "adrenaline". Where I work (retail pharmacy) we give out flu shots and other immunizations and we keep two epi-pens on hand at all times; we are allowed to give two doses if our judgement indicates that we need to. If you give anyone epi, they need to go the ER to be monitored.

I would also add to apply an ice pack to the area stung. If the swelling is kept down it may keep the histamine and other inflammatory factors at bay.

I hope your husband is feeling much better! If I find a way to kill those bees/wasps/hornets I''ll let you know! They''e so bad around here I brought my two toddlers inside today b/c they kept buzzing around their kiddie pool!

 

[FireGoddess]

And how is DH doing now, DL??

 

[diamondlil]

Thanks for the information Jellybean. The bees seem so much worse this year for some reason.

My hubby is doing much better. A couple of days on the oral prednisone, and the swelling is way down. Still a little puffy, and the steroid makes you a little flushed and jittery, but no one would ever notice any swelling at this point. He''ll be on his prednisone taper for a while, and hopefully no more stings this year.

 

[noobie]

Oww, that''s nasty. Get well soon wishes to Mr. DL

 

[fire&ice]

Wow - you must have some mutant form of wasps. Here, they are very docile to the point that we don''t bother the killing the nest. But, if they are in a precarious place, we just wait till night and use that spray (raid or something) that shoots straight. All dead.

Yellow Jackets are the ones that are mean as snakes here.

Sorry about the bee sting. What a bad place for a sting.

 

[jellybean]

I forgot to add this in my post --

Not all allergic reactions are immediate, although the most serious usually are. My uncle got stung a couple of weeks ago and it wasn''t until the next day that his throat started to swell up and he went to the ER. My aunt got mad b/c she tried to get him to take some Benedryl right after he was stung and he was stubborn and wouldn''t. He didn''t have a history of reactions either; the area where he was stung was just kind of itchy so my aunt thought the Benedryl would be a good idea. She was right! Unless there are contraindications, it''s probably not a bad idea to give someone the anithistamine as a precautionary measure.

And also b/c someone has not had an allergic reaction in the past does not mean he/she will never have one. Your body has to be exposed to something at least once for your body to make the antibodies to it. It''s usually the second or third exposure that sets the immune system haywire.

If you are stung, it''s best to remove the stinger by swiping/scraping at it with the edge of a credit card. Tweezers aren''t recommended as you can push more venom into you by squeezing the stinger.

I find that the bees/wasps/hornets are attracted to water around here b/c we have been in a drought this summer. Whenever we turn on the sprinker they come from everywhere. I''m allergic to them too! Fortunately I haven''t been stung since I was an infant. I didn''t have an anaphylactic reaction, just a hugely swollen foot.