Cheerio

[snimmo243]

It is with much sorrow that I find myself writing this post. Following my severe sting reaction in may, I went to see the allergy specialist in Edinburgh today. The upshot is that I have been strongly advised to give up beekeeping immediately. I have requested immunotherapy however I will need to travel to Newcastle for this and I suspect that will not be practical in relation to my work.
Beekeeping has become a real passion for me, I've enjoyed learning, sitting the exams, this year taking on a beginner and of course participating in this forum.
I feel distraught at having to give up my bees and will miss every aspect of it especially participating here.
I feel it is necessary, for me, to make a clean break and therefore will no longer be on this forum.
I wish all of you all the best in your future endeavours.

Steven Nimmo

[prakel]

Hard to know what to say to such unfortunate news but I wish you all the Best for the future.

[Black Comb]

commiserations.
From what I've read the immunotherapy does work.
All the best

[Bridget]

There are immunotherapy places in Scotland. Aberdeen and somewhere else sorry I can't remember....Glasgow?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[HJBee]

That is a real shame Steven, I hope I don't follow you down this path.

[HJBee]

The Western Inf Glasgow does say they offer immunotherapy for venom. Hope to find out more in the next month or so.

[gavin]

Desensitisation is also offered in Dundee at Ninewells Hospital. I've been through it and I know someone doing it now. 12 weeks of a weekly visit for a couple of hours, then less frequent visits.

Steven, I don't know what to say. However I've been there, perhaps in easier circumstances with help just up the road. I was out of beekeeping for a couple of years, then came back with a vengence.

If that really is it for you, many many thanks for all your thoughtful contributions. I've really appreciated you being here.

G.

[Jon]

You are probably making the right decision in the short term but as the others have suggested, maybe you can fit in the desensitization at some point and come back to beekeeping later. My guess is that they will still be around in a few years with or without neonicotinoids!

[Neils]

Steven,

Having been put in hospital a little while back off an innocuous sting to the finger I hope this is something you can sort out.

I fully appreciate all that you say and dont have a great deal else to add from others' excellent advice except dont be a stranger.

Take some time, explore your options and I really hope we see you back here soon.

Neil

[snimmo243]

Hi everyone, thanks for your kind comments, it is nice to know you have support from others in the beekeeping community, too nice. It would be easier if you all came on and said good riddance your a bam who knows hee haw about bees. :-) I'm hopeful that I can get the desensitisation and take it from there.
Thanks again
Steven

[HJBee]

I'm still enjoying the Tumblr Blog too. Best of luck whatever you do. H

[Adam]

Best of luck whatever you do.

I was going to say that!. Hopefully its Hasta la vista rather than goodbye - and you'll be back!


On another forum it might have been "Cheerio I'm fed up with all this back-biting and rude posts so I'm off elsewhere"

[kevboab]

Fao Mr Nimmo. We have a member who is currently undergoing desentisation treatment at Gartnavel in Glasgow. Here is the response he received from the gaffer there about being referred.

Hi Bud, am in Gartnavel for bee treatment. I asked about new people joining the programme and the word is that new people can join via their GP. The prog leader is Dr Shepherd based at the Western. He does the primary assessment and decides whether to let you on course of treatment.

So maybe you wont need to give up beekeeping after all.

[busybeephilip]

My understanding of desensitization, and I could be wrong, is that it is offered to those who are anaphalatic to the bee sting to offer some protection against a future shock event. It provides a limited protection sufficient to save your life and is definitely not a cure. The idea is that you are tolerant to perhaps one or 2 stings but a larger number than the tolerence level would put one into immediate shock. Perhaps there is an immunologist on the list or a beekeeper who was genuine anaphalactic (not a typical swelling allergy) who has had this treatment and has had a good stinging since who can offer a more knowledgeable opinion.

by the way - the first sting when you discover you are anaphalatic and need adrennaline in a hospital with overnight stay primes the immune system will be a slow response shock which develops over 20 mins or so, the next sting you will only have minutes to get help.

[snimmo243]

Hi kevboab and phillip, my initial reaction was similar to that described above, quite sloe to develop although I didn't get adrenaline. My understanding of the treatment from reading
Harry Riches book, medical aspects of beekeeping, and speaking to the nurses who run the course in Newcastle is that after the initial 12 week period you can go back to the bees but need to be careful.

[busybeephilip]

Yes, I think that one has to have weekly or monthly top ups to maintain tolerance. Also I believe that if one gets 1 sting then one must move away from the hive immediately as a second sting may exceed one's tolerance level and so requiring epi-pen and hospital visit

Its a pity there is not an immunologist that could comment further

I wonder if its a good thing to let yourself be stung deliberately now and again instead of wrapping up in armour, I know that I get stung regularly each week due to bees getting up my sleeves in my hair and crawling about in the car but have never had any adverse effects to date (apart from the slight annoying pain but never expereince any swelling apart from when I first started bees some 45ish years ago at 12 years of age when I joined Belfast beekeepers Association with my first nuc of native bees).

[HJBee]

Hi Snimmo, just got my referral letter through to be tested and to see where that takes me. Luckily the pen as an emergency back up and having someone with me at all times is working well. Even with the strongest Antihisthamines I've still been swelling up but only at the sting location rather than the full body rash and puffy eyes. I will take that over giving if up. HJ

[snimmo243]

Hi Hj
When I got my referral it was a bit of a shock for me (see original post) they basically explained that :
1) with bee venom the anaphylaxis can take hold quicker than you can use your pen.
2) the epipen may not contain enough adrenaline to save your life!
They took my blood then I had to wait about a month for the results and am now awaiting the further referral for treatment. At my meeting with the consultants they were absolutely clear that I was risking my life going anywhere near the bees even with the epipen. My advice is to press them and insist on the treatment although it is a big commitment. Because I work for the railway I get discounted rail travel but even with that it will cost me £17 per week for 12 weeks to get to Newcastle and back then £17 per month for 3 years to make the same top up trips!
I would suggest that alk beekeepers and especially those going through this allergy process should read the harry riches book I mentioned earlier. It clearly sets out the causes and signs of anaphylaxis and the treatment process including the risks! There is a chance the treatment itself can kill you!

[brothermoo]

Yes, I think that one has to have weekly or monthly top ups to maintain tolerance.

I wonder if its a good thing to let yourself be stung deliberately now and again instead of wrapping up in armour, I know that I get stung regularly each week due to bees getting up my sleeves in my hair and crawling about in the car

I watched a number of videos on youtube, recommended on this forum, during the winter and one or two beeks across the pond advocate getting stung at least once a month. So I decided to not wrap up so much.. using bare hands on sunny days and nitrile gloves on mot so fair days.
Hopefully the 50 or si stings thus season will protect me from anaphylaxis!

[snimmo243]

I watched a number of videos on youtube, recommended on this forum, during the winter and one or two beeks across the pond advocate getting stung at least once a month. So I decided to not wrap up so much.. using bare hands on sunny days and nitrile gloves on mot so fair days.
Hopefully the 50 or si stings thus season will protect me from anaphylaxis!
The problem is that the process you describe to protect yourself from anaphylaxis is the same process that causes it. Exposure to bee venom can lead to immunity or allergy. If you have had any history of hayfever and/or asthma then you are more likely to become allergic as I did. I got stung fairly regularly with just the usual side affects until the sting I got in may

[brothermoo]

Yeah I know its different with different people I just know that allergies to bee venom are 200:1 in joe public. . In beekeeping families it is 10:1 due to you/spouse/kids being exposed to dried beevl venom on suits which activates your e cells rather than t cells apparently

[Trog]

That's interesting. I spent a year beekeeping with a pen in my pocket and a phone in my boiler suit before discovering I'd been misdiagnosed. Been stung a few times since with no reaction. Ironically, I've since discovered I've a crazy immune system which has put me in hospital three times in a year, so not much beekeeping anyway. Currently into my fourth week in hospital, which is the longest stay yet, hence the rather silent Trog on this forum, though at least I'm chirping and flapping my wings a bit now!

[gavin]

Great to hear that you're feeling chirpier and looking forward to hearing that you're back flying with the rest of us soon!

[HJBee]

Hope your back to full flying soon Trig, sorry to hear you've been ill. HJ

[Trog]

At least they've ruled out both foul broods, dwv, varroa, nosema and acarine ;)

[Troutnabout]

The problem is that the process you describe to protect yourself from anaphylaxis is the same process that causes it. Exposure to bee venom can lead to immunity or allergy. If you have had any history of hayfever and/or asthma then you are more likely to become allergic as I did. I got stung fairly regularly with just the usual side affects until the sting I got in may

I'm starting to get concerned about this now. My reaction to stings has become more and more significant over the past couple of years. I'm at the stage where the site of the sting now swells to a diameter for 4" or 5" with extreme itching for a few days. The last reaction was so bad I had to go to the Doctor who unsurprisingly recommended I give up beekeeping, he was really surprised at the swelling from one bee sting. I have also in the past month become allergic to epoxy. I'm wondering if my immune system changing?

[HJBee]

The immune system definitely has a part to play in this. I carry the glandular fever virus, have since I was 5 and a common cold floors me like the flu. So the allergy clinician was not surprised to hear this when my results came back positive to bee venom. My reactions were gradual in the increased reaction, but when it came to a body wide reaction, not contained to the site of the sting, that's when I knew I had to do something about it. I am pensive about the treatment, but I would rather try than not.