So,as of late, I've been getting "Large, Local Reactions" when I get stung by bees!

According to the doctors, this is no worse than a typical reaction even though I get VERY swollen, (e.g. my feet turn into cankles etc.)

I'm bound to carry lots of Benadryl (since they won't give me an Epi Pen, nor do I want it if I don't need it), but just wondering if anyone here has been stung and has had a large local reaction on the trail.

I recently got stung on an overnight at Afton and the next day was a little painful hiking out because my foot was swollen in my boot.

Anyone else gotten stung in the wilderness? (beyond a normal, or anaphylactic reaction.) How did you deal with it, did it hinder your trip? Any tips?

Benadryl, elevate feet and dip them in water periodically so you get evaporative cooling.

Adding to what Jim said you could bring some freeze packs that you have to snap to get cold to apply that.

my Grandma always made a mud compress to put on bee stings not sure its sanitary but it did make the stings fell better

Liquid Benadryl direct application.

Hey MN_Linsey: I can suggest this as I Beekeeper. The moment you get stung, immediately take your knife or credit card and scrape the stringer off. This helps reduce the inject of their venom. I have gotten strung over 100 tmes in my lifetime. from various stinging creatures. Haven't reacted thus far. I do say, "oooouch you little b@tch" almost everytime I get one. And dont go into the brush with flower smelling shampoo in your hair. Hope this helps.

GSP: "Liquid Benadryl direct application."

I just read this on the SHT Facebook page, and have stocked up on some liquid Benadryl!

For an anaphylactic reaction my notes from last year's wilderness first aid class are:
1. Benadryl ( H1 blocker ~30 min to kick in, lasts ~5-6 hrs)
2. EpiPen – make a decision…
3. EpiPen – again! If needed
4. 150 mg Ranitidine (H2 blocker)
5. 800mg Ibuprofen (for reduction of swelling)

You're dealing with a local instead of a systemic reaction, so kick out steps 2 and 3 for sure (in reality, if you are at the EpiPen stage you heading to the emergency room, end of trip, trying to stay alive). I think you should consider adding the H2 blocker and the ibuprofen if they are things you tolerate well and don't interfere with any other medications you take. I'm not a doctor, read up on your own and make your own decision.

Benadryl is an older generation H1 blocker that causes drowsiness and can impair coordination. Zyrtec is a newer H1 blocker that causes less drowsiness. I have not found any good documentation that one is better than the other for a reaction to bee stings.

arm2008: "For an anaphylactic reaction my notes from last year's wilderness first aid class are:
1. Benadryl ( H1 blocker ~30 min to kick in, lasts ~5-6 hrs)
2. EpiPen – make a decision…
3. EpiPen – again! If needed
4. 150 mg Ranitidine (H2 blocker)
5. 800mg Ibuprofen (for reduction of swelling)


You're dealing with a local instead of a systemic reaction, so kick out steps 2 and 3 for sure (in reality, if you are at the EpiPen stage you heading to the emergency room, end of trip, trying to stay alive). I think you should consider adding the H2 blocker and the ibuprofen if they are things you tolerate well and don't interfere with any other medications you take. I'm not a doctor, read up on your own and make your own decision.


Benadryl is an older generation H1 blocker that causes drowsiness and can impair coordination. Zyrtec is a newer H1 blocker that causes less drowsiness. I have not found any good documentation that one is better than the other for a reaction to bee stings.
"

Thanks so much! Do you know if you can take an H1 blocker at the same time as an H2 blocker or is that contraindicated? Oh, good ole Motrin 800! I remember that from my Navy days as a Hospital Corpsman!

MN_Lindsey: "
Thanks so much! Do you know if you can take an H1 blocker at the same time as an H2 blocker or is that contraindicated? Oh, good ole Motrin 800! I remember that from my Navy days as a Hospital Corpsman!"

You can do a google search "can i take an h1 and h2 blocker together".

This article talks about a small study using them together . If you look up all the unfamiliar terms it says that using them together helped reduce onset of hives, but did not seem to reduce likelihood of swelling. I just read another small study that said using them together did reduce swelling. So, you can use them together, and they may or may not help with your problem.

Generic ranitidine is cheap. The placebo effect is real, even when you know you are taking a placebo. Either way, maybe it will help.

I can't help but wonder why you are getting stung so often? I'm outside a lot and see tons of bee type things, but other than cycling (where they get sucked into the vents on my helmet) I haven't been stung more than once or twice since I was a kid.

I was kind of wondering the same thing. Main times I have gotten stung on canoe trips is accidentally stepping on ground wasp nests. I have gotten a lot better at spotting them now :) On our latest trip my son almost hung his hammock from a tree with a HUGE active paper wasp nest, but I spotted it before he started hanging.

4-5 years ago on a Wabakimi area trip one of the crew disturbed a yellow jacket nest while trail clearing and was strung multiple times. Only then did we learn that he was allergic to stings. He had an Epi-pen and a Sawyer Extractor. We used the extractor on his stings and were able to pull out a small drop of light amber colored fluid from each sting site. He also may have used Benadryl but I don’t fully recall. He did not need to use his Epi-pen. While he had some discomfort afterward he recovered quickly with no further problems.

Jaywalker: "I can't help but wonder why you are getting stung so often? I'm outside a lot and see tons of bee type things, but other than cycling (where they get sucked into the vents on my helmet) I haven't been stung more than once or twice since I was a kid. "

I wish I knew too, but the last two times they've gotten caught in my shoes, and then my guess is that I pinched the bee.

Maybe I should get Gaiters!

MN_Lindsey: "So,as of late, I've been getting "Large, Local Reactions" when I get stung by bees!

According to the doctors, this is no worse than a typical reaction even though I get VERY swollen, (e.g. my feet turn into cankles etc.)

I'm bound to carry lots of Benadryl (since they won't give me an Epi Pen, nor do I want it if I don't need it), but just wondering if anyone here has been stung and has had a large local reaction on the trail.

I recently got stung on an overnight at Afton and the next day was a little painful hiking out because my foot was swollen in my boot.

Anyone else gotten stung in the wilderness? (beyond a normal, or anaphylactic reaction.) How did you deal with it, did it hinder your trip? Any tips?"

Just reading this..........

My "localized" swelling turned into way, way MUCH more. I have multiple 2 pack epi- pens, and carry them EVERYWHERE I go.

I've been stung, and I've even been stung up there. IT really depends on a whole lot of stuff as to if I have a horrible reaction or a not so horrible reaction.

A horrible reaction, can lead to me not breathing. The last horrible incident I had was a few years ago after a long day of fishing. WE pulled into a fast food place to get something to eat. Gadgetman ordered, and sat, down, and I went to the bathroom. While sitting on the "can". A gigantic hornet came out of the top vent, gradually found its way to my inner thigh and proceeded to sting me. IN the time I got my pants up, and out the door, and to the truck to get my epi-pen, and back to the bathroom, my leg has swollen up so much it was constricting my leg, and I had to cut the pants leg off.

WE were 60 miles from the closest hospital and 40 miles to my home. I stuck myself 2 times ...........jumped in truck and headed down the road. I was not having any breathing issues, but the swelling was just as bad or worse......10 minutes later, I stuck myself again 2 times and continued to head home.......

30 minute later, things were much better.......I ended up not going to the ER, but that could have been deadly.

The last time I got stung was actually up in the Boundary Waters, on a fall trip to Robinson Lake. I went to pick up a pack that had some peanut butter or honey on the strap, and I managed to squeeze a bee, and that be decided to open a can on my hand. I scraped the stinger out with my pocket knife and waited 1-2 minutes to check to for swelling......IF I would have started to swell, I would have stuck myself, but it only swelled a little.......My hand only looked like a small catcher mitt :) :). I decided I was good to go.......told one of the guys to really watch me closely, that I had gotten STUNG, but I was ok, I thought. I ended up being OK, but that would have been bad too.

Bottom line, YOU will know how YOU react......and you should plan and choose accordingly.

One final story.....20 years ago, I got stung on the neck........thank goodness an ER was only 5 minutes away........I stuck myself 2 times that day, and when we hit the ER, I was not doing so well. I ended up spending multiple days in the ICU over that one. I had serious airway issues ,but the quick sticking myself with epi probably saved my life.

Later,

Geo

GeoFisher: "

MN_Lindsey: "So,as of late, I've been getting "Large, Local Reactions" when I get stung by bees!


According to the doctors, this is no worse than a typical reaction even though I get VERY swollen, (e.g. my feet turn into cankles etc.)


I'm bound to carry lots of Benadryl (since they won't give me an Epi Pen, nor do I want it if I don't need it), but just wondering if anyone here has been stung and has had a large local reaction on the trail.


I recently got stung on an overnight at Afton and the next day was a little painful hiking out because my foot was swollen in my boot.


Anyone else gotten stung in the wilderness? (beyond a normal, or anaphylactic reaction.) How did you deal with it, did it hinder your trip? Any tips?"

Just reading this..........


My "localized" swelling turned into way, way MUCH more. I have multiple 2 pack epi- pens, and carry them EVERYWHERE I go.


I've been stung, and I've even been stung up there. IT really depends on a whole lot of stuff as to if I have a horrible reaction or a not so horrible reaction.


A horrible reaction, can lead to me not breathing. The last horrible incident I had was a few years ago after a long day of fishing. WE pulled into a fast food place to get something to eat. Gadgetman ordered, and sat, down, and I went to the bathroom. While sitting on the "can". A gigantic hornet came out of the top vent, gradually found its way to my inner thigh and proceeded to sting me. IN the time I got my pants up, and out the door, and to the truck to get my epi-pen, and back to the bathroom, my leg has swollen up so much it was constricting my leg, and I had to cut the pants leg off.


WE were 60 miles from the closest hospital and 40 miles to my home. I stuck myself 2 times ...........jumped in truck and headed down the road. I was not having any breathing issues, but the swelling was just as bad or worse......10 minutes later, I stuck myself again 2 times and continued to head home.......


30 minute later, things were much better.......I ended up not going to the ER, but that could have been deadly.


The last time I got stung was actually up in the Boundary Waters, on a fall trip to Robinson Lake. I went to pick up a pack that had some peanut butter or honey on the strap, and I managed to squeeze a bee, and that be decided to open a can on my hand. I scraped the stinger out with my pocket knife and waited 1-2 minutes to check to for swelling......IF I would have started to swell, I would have stuck myself, but it only swelled a little.......My hand only looked like a small catcher mitt :) :). I decided I was good to go.......told one of the guys to really watch me closely, that I had gotten STUNG, but I was ok, I thought. I ended up being OK, but that would have been bad too.


Bottom line, YOU will know how YOU react......and you should plan and choose accordingly.


One final story.....20 years ago, I got stung on the neck........thank goodness an ER was only 5 minutes away........I stuck myself 2 times that day, and when we hit the ER, I was not doing so well. I ended up spending multiple days in the ICU over that one. I had serious airway issues ,but the quick sticking myself with epi probably saved my life.


Later,


Geo"

One other thing.....there are a couple really really good companies making generic injectors.....and those are way cheaper than the name brand Epi injectors.

Lineage Therapeutics is the company I'm using now.......70 bucks for a 2 pack versus 800 for the non generic.

Later,

Geo

if nothing else is available use hand sanitizer or alcohol wipes or whatever else might be available

I got a sting once while biking with nothing to treat for it, it was swelling up and quite bothersome, I used a porta-potty and it had some hand sanitizer so I put some on it, helped tremendously

straighthairedcurly: "I was kind of wondering the same thing. Main times I have gotten stung on canoe trips is accidentally stepping on ground wasp nests. I have gotten a lot better at spotting them now :) On our latest trip my son almost hung his hammock from a tree with a HUGE active paper wasp nest, but I spotted it before he started hanging."

Being observant is the best way to prevent stings.
Last year, I was cutting firewood. The log I was cutting was laying across dead rotting tree. The sawing action angered a bald-faced hornet ground hive and that rotten tree exploded with bees. They attacked my hands. I dropped the saw and ran- most of them stayed and swarmed the saw. They have such a terrible sting- but that adrenaline rush is pretty fun. There was also a paper wasp nest above me in a birch tree. I missed both and paid a painful price.

The next day, my 12 year old son stepped on a different nest and got stung in the leg. Next day, while eating lunch, he was stung for no reason whatsoever while. He was just standing in place by the fire grate and it flew right at him and stung him. He said the second sting was not nearly as painful as the first.

August is a bad month for stings.