Bee Venom: Uses Benefits And Side Effects
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As the name implies, bee venom is an ingredient derived from bees. Its used as a natural treatment for a variety of ailments.
Its proponents claim that it offers a wide range of medicinal properties, ranging from reducing inflammation to treating chronic illnesses. However, research in some of these areas is either lacking or conflicting.
This article reviews the uses, benefits, and side effects of bee venom.
Bee venom is a colorless, acidic liquid. Bees excrete it through their stingers into a target when they feel threatened.
It contains both anti-inflammatory and inflammatory compounds, including enzymes, sugars, minerals, and amino acids .
Melittin a compound that consists of 26 amino acids comprises about 50% of the dry weight of the venom and has been shown to have antiviral, antibacterial, and anticancer effects in some studies (
3 ).
Bee venom also contains the peptides apamin and adolapin. Although they act as toxins, they have been shown to possess anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties.
Additionally, it contains phospholipase A2, an enzyme and major allergen that causes inflammation and cell damage. Nevertheless, according to some research, the enzyme may also have anti-inflammatory and immunoprotective effects .
Injections Acupuncture Or Bee Stings
The main applications of bee venom are needle injections, acupuncture needles and bee stings.
Injections are typical in most doctors offices. And acupuncturists utilize sterile bee venom dipping canisters. But there is another option that is, being stung directly by bees.
Apitherapists have training in handling bees and applying these to patients.
An apitherapist may utilize tweezers to apply a bee directly to the skin. Or they may utilize bee therapy boxes. This will allow a brave patient to put their arm inside a container containing stinging bees. There are also larger chambers that apitherapists utilize.
And there are smaller bee therapy kits. While a person can learn to self-apply bee stings, it is important that an experienced apitherapist apply such methods, at least initially. An apitherapist will have epinephrine on hand in the case of allergic response. And an apitherapist will also pull out the stinger shortly after the sting and reduce reaction with an appropriate skin application.
So far in clinical research, acupuncture bee venom therapy has proven useful for pain and inflammation issues. But injections and bee stings serve to get more mellitin into the body for the antibiotic effects.
Best Life: Bee Therapy Used To Help Patients With Lyme Disease
ORLANDO, Fla. Three-hundred-thousand people are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year. Usually caused by a tick bite, it can impact people physically, mentally, and neurologically. If diagnosed early, antibiotics will wipe out the bacteria left behind in the blood before it spreads through the heart, joints and nervous system. Now, some patients are turning to bees to take the sting out of this painful and debilitating disease.
One stingafter anotherafter another
These days, Adriana Furey stings herself with ten live honeybees three times a week to get relief from the symptoms of chronic Lyme disease. Before
For months and years at a time in a dark room, really unable to pick my head up off the pillow, Adriana Furey recalled.
Adriana and her mother talked with 75 different doctors, tried antibiotics, immunotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen and herbal treatments. Nothing worked until bee venom therapy, or BVT. Ellie Lobel, a nuclear physicist, literally stumbled across the treatment by accident.
I was attacked by killer bees, Ellie Lobel shared.
But days after surviving the surprise bee attack her symptoms started disappearing. Ellie spent the next several years researching BVT and found it kills the bacteria that causes Lymes most debilitating symptomsbut according to Ellie, it only works if taken directly from the bee.
The devils in the dosing right, is what they say. So not enough, wont heal you, but too much can kill you, Lobel revealed.
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Issues With Antibiotic Treatment Of Lyme Disease
The problem is that studies have shown that doxycycline can kill up to 90 percent of the spirochetes of the bacteria. But then another form of the bacteria called round bodies or spheroplasts will rebound and increase in number.
These round body forms can embed into nerves and other tissues, growing a long-term form of the infection. These are often referred to in the literature as biofilm forms of the bacteria, because they group together in growing colonies.
The other antibiotics mentioned above and others have also been tested in the same way that doxy has been tested.
According to the research , these have various effects. For example, amoxicillin reduces spiral forms by around 90 percent and reduces round body forms by 80 percent. Others, like tigecycline, metronidazole and tinidazole have similar effects. However, the problem is that biofilms were only reduced by between 30 and 55 percent in tests of these popular antibiotics.
Furthermore, researchers are noticing that these bacteria are beginning to become resistant to some of the antibiotics. This presents a problem that will only get worse, as antibiotics become less successful.
Pioneers: Healing Lyme With Bee Venom Therapy
Intro to the Book:
HEALING LYME WITH BEE VENOM THERAPY There is a ride in Disneyworld that shrinks a doctor down to a microscopic level and injects her into the bloodstream of a patient to find and heal the chronic illness. But we dont have to wait for medical science to catch up with Disneyworld. We each have an inner physician within us who has gone to sleep, like Rip Van Winkle. It is imperative for Lyme patients to wake up their own inner physician. If this were an easy task, we would already have remedies for Lyme and many other chronic conditions. But waking up that inner physician is not so easy. You cannot just kiss Sleeping Beauty and wake her up. Bee venom is the only natural substance I know of that really wakes up this physician in such a powerful way that it cannot be ignored or go back to sleep. Since bee venom is a poison, a toxic substance, its entrance into the body creates an emergency situation and forces the body to go through a cascade of reactions. In the process it cleans up any underlying conditions. The melittin in bee venom must kill the Lyme spirochetes that are hiding out deep inside the body.
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Bee Venom Is A Brew Of Toxins And Chemicals
The research on bee venom therapy is mixed, with no definitive proof that the treatment works for any condition. But its been used in Eastern medicine for thousands of years, and there are several theories behind why some people experience relief.
When the venom is used in a cream as an anti-aging treatment, it seems to work because the swelling fills in the wrinkles, Shaun Holt, a clinical researcher, said in the episode. It lasts about 12 hours, he said, compared to Botox, which lasts months.
But its expensive and theres often not enough venom in the product to be effective, so people are often wasting their money, he said.
Bee stings also provoke an inflammatory response in the body, releasing a steroid that relieves pain and other symptoms.
But Dr. Steven Novella, a neurologist at Yale, called that a pretty clumsy way to evoke an anti-inflammatory reaction, when you could inject a steroid without all the other risky components of the substance.
Bee venom is kind of a toxic brew of toxins and chemicals, he said in the episode. Theyre all there to cause you pain and harm.
The biggest risk of bee venom therapy is death if the body goes into anaphylactic shock, causing your throat to close if you dont get help soon enough.
It happened to a Spanish woman in 2018, who was already in a coma when she got to the hospital and died weeks later of multiple organ failure.
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Are There Any Proven Benefits Associated With Bee Sting Therapy
Although bee venom has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties, there isnt one piece of singular evidence or sound collective data in regard to its clinical effectiveness. There are a few small studies done on its benefits in terms of skin health, inflammatory conditions such as Rheumatoid arthritis, Dr. Posina explains, but its not enough to say it is definitively a helpful holistic practice for treating medical conditions.
A randomized control study done in China in 120 people showed that bee-venom acupuncture showed some symptomatic relief similar to Rheumatoid arthritis medications such as Methotrexate and Celecoxib, she adds. However, we do need larger studies, including randomized control trials, to know that its effects are substantial and to initiate these treatments.
Those who turn to bee venom for topical beauty treatments, however, may actually be onto something. Experts say the venom could potentially manage aging effects on skin: In skin, there is some evidence suggesting its antimicrobial and anti-wrinkle effects. One study showed increased collagen protein synthesis, stimulated skin cell turnover, and recovery of damaged cells, Dr. Posina says. But many leading healthcare experts agree: There needs to be more scientific evidence to validate any benefits before consumers can feel comfortable about any claims.
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Bee Sting Therapy Is What It Sounds Like
As portrayed on the show, bee sting therapy involves using a tweezer to place a live bee on a particular part of the body. It might go on the knee in an effort to treat osteoarthritis, for example.
The bee then stings the skin and the practitioner removes the body but lets the stinger remain for several seconds. People may pursue the treatments several times a week for years.
Brooke Geahan, founder of the Heal Hive, a retreat where people with chronic Lyme disease are introduced to the therapy, said the practice cured her chronic Lyme within three months.
“I went from being in a wheelchair and being unable to remember my own birth date, to literally three months later, dancing on a table at sunset beach.”
Others testified the treatment healed pain from a compressed spine, improved joint mobility, helped their children’s hair grow or hearing improve, eased multiple sclerosis symptoms, and, when used in a cream, made them look 10 years younger.
“It’s like having your picture taken with a soft focus lens,” Deborah Mitchell, founder of Heaven Skincare in the UK, said in the episode.
Bee Venom Therapy For Lyme Disease
Apitherapy is the medical use of honeybee products, such as venom, honey, pollen, and royal jelly. Using venom from live bees is commonly referred to as bee venom therapy. The full treatment consists of getting stung by 10 live honey bees, 3 times per week. One must start with one test sting and then slowly work up to the full treatment dose of 10 stings very slowly over the course of several weeks. To get the full benefits of treatment, it is recommended that one must consistently stick with the protocol for a period of 2-3 years.
During treatment, an epi-pen on hand is a requirement. If the patient is on a beta blocker medication, they will not be able to use bee venom therapy since a beta blocker will block receptors that utilize epinephrine . One must also take 3,000 mg of vitamin C every day so that the body can make enough cortisol. If the patient does not get enough vitamin C, the body can go into anaphylactic shock.
Melittin is a 26-amino acid peptide that is in bee venom. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent. A study was done in 1997 that looked at the action of melittin against borrelia burgdoferi . They found that melittin caused all of the bacteria to cease motility in vitro within seconds. More research needs to be done. In the meantime, there are many testimonials online as to the effectiveness of bee venom therapy.
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Very affordable! Live bees are very cheap.
Cons:
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How A Bee Sting Saved My Life: Testimony From A Lyme Disease Patient
I moved to California to die.
Ellie Lobel was 27 when she was bitten by a tick and contracted Lyme disease. And she was not yet 45 when she decided to give up fighting for survival.
Caused by corkscrew-shaped bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi, which enter the body through the bite of a tick, Lyme disease is diagnosed in around 300,000 people every year in the United States. It kills almost none of these people, and is by and large curable if caught in time. If doctors correctly identify the cause of the illness early on, antibiotics can wipe out the bacteria quickly before they spread through the heart, joints and nervous system.
But back in the spring of 1996, Ellie didnt know to look for the characteristic bulls-eye rash when she was bitten she thought it was just a weird spider bite. Then came three months with flu-like symptoms and horrible pains that moved around the body. Ellie was a fit, active woman with three kids, but her body did not know how to handle this new invader. She was incapacitated. It was all I could do to get my head up off the pillow, Ellie remembers.
After fifteen years, she gave up.
So she packed up everything and moved to California to die. And she almost did.
Less than a week after moving, Ellie was attacked by a swarm of Africanised bees.
How Herbal Supplements Can Help
The best way to gain the level of phytochemical protection you need to help your immune system win the internal battle against invasive microbes is to take herbal supplements specifically, standardized botanical extracts.
Standardized botanical extracts take herbal supplements to the next level. Theyre made with wild plants or plants that have been cultivated to enhance their phytochemical content and are grown in an environment that doesnt introduce unwanted chemical toxins. The extraction process also yields the greatest concentration and the widest spectrum of phytochemicals in the plant. And the final product is standardized to a concentration of one or several key phytochemicals in the plant, so you know what youre getting.
Below are a few of my favorite herbs for mitigating the systemic chronic inflammation associated with chronic Lyme disease. Though all of the herbs have value in suppressing microbes and reducing inflammation, three of the herbs mentioned below Japanese knotweed, cats claw, and Chinese skullcap were found in a 2020 study from Johns Hopkins University to have greater activity against Borrelia burgdorferi than the antibiotics, doxycycline and azithromycin.
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My Experience With Bee Venom Therapy By Rebecca Hayward
Bee Venom Therapy is a controversial alternative treatment used by some patients with Lyme disease. Lyme Disease UK doesnt endorse any particular treatment and any opinion stated in our guest blog is that of the author. Do not attempt self treatment without precautionary measures and oversight by a medical professional.
Antibiotics Typically Given For Lyme Disease
Regardless of where the Lyme disease is contracted, conventional treatment is spearheaded by the use of antibiotics. The most popular of these antibiotics used by doctors is doxycycline. Other antibiotics used against the Lyme bacteria include cefoperazone, daptomycin, amoxicillin, tigecycline, metronidazole and tinidazole.
Sometimes doxy is the only antibiotic used. Other doctors will retest Lyme levels after a course of doxycycline and if the tests come up positive, will try the other antibiotics.
In some cases, a combination of these antibiotics will be given in combination in an attempt to fight the Lyme disease infection of B. burgdorferi bacteria.
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Exploring Bee Venom Therapy
Thats when I read about Ellie Lobels story and Dr Klinghardts success with bee venom and started considering Bee Venom Therapy. It has anti microbial effects proven to be effective against the Lyme disease bacteria. I didnt like the idea of killing bees and I didnt know who to get bees to sting with in the first place . I couldnt get to the only bee venom therapy course in the UK or even contemplate managing a full day out of the house. So I approached my local BKA and to begin with, they supplied the bees so that I could begin the protocol endorsed by Ellie Lobel. I wasnt consulting a private doctor at this point and my GP was not supportive, with the Lyme diagnosis or any kind of treatment. In fact, they consider what Im doing to be self-harming with live bees. I have the distinct impression theyd like to lock me up.
The initial test sting was hard. Im allergic to bees and have histamine intolerance, so the possibility of going into anaphylaxis was relatively high. My throat did become tight and I had difficulty breathing for a few minutes. Slightly scary, more so for Lee. I was almost beyond caring, Id reached the point of last resort and no return. I had the precautionary alcohol free Benadryl on one side and EpiPens on the other . Lee had been primed to tip the Benadryl down my throat and then inject me if anything went wrong. It didnt. I was fine. I herxed like crazy that night- sweats, shaking, nausea and dizziness, but no anaphylaxis.
Can Bee Sting Therapy Be Dangerous
There isnât substantial scientific evidence about its benefits, yes, but Dr. Posina also adds that research also lacks in terms of its negative side effects. That said, one of the most important risks to be aware of is the risk of a severe allergic reaction, such as anaphylactic shock, which can result in death if not treated immediately, Dr. Posina warns.
Also, youâll need to consider the bees. Honeybees in particular are extremelyimportant and essential for our environment as they contribute to about 80% of the pollination of flowers, fruits, and vegetables so experts stress that consumers need to consider the agricultural impact these treatments and products could have overtime. For more than a decade now, it is noted that there is a significant reduction in the number of bee colonies. It is believed that it is due to aggressive farming methods, chemical and pesticide use, pollution, global warming and disease spread through a parasite, Dr. Posina adds.
All experts consulted agreed: Never attempt apitherapy at home or unsupervised without guidance from qualified healthcare professionals. You should always speak with your healthcare provider about any forms of long-term treatment or use of new topical treatments in your routine.
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