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Bee venom

Bee venom is produced by bees. Bee venom is the poison that makes bee stings painful. Bee venom is also used to make medicine. Bee venom should not be confused with bee pollen, honey or royal jelly. Bee venom is administered in the form of injections to treat rheumatoid arthritis, nerve pain, tenosynovitis, multiple sclerosis and muscle diseases such as fibromyositis and enthesitis, as well as for desensitization in people who are allergic to bee stings.

How does bee venom work?

With repeated and controlled injections of bee venom under the skin, the immune system can become accustomed to bee venom, which can reduce the severity of an allergy to bee venom.

How effective is bee venom?

Bee ven om is likely to be effective in reducing allergic reactions to bee stings. A series of injections of bee venom under the skin, also known as bee venom immunotherapy, appears to reduce the reaction to bee stings in people who suffer from severe allergies to bee venom. Bee venom immunotherapy provides 98 to 99% protection against allergic reactions to bee stings. Once immunotherapy is stopped, the risk of allergic reactions over the next 5 to 10 years is between 5 and 15%.

Bee venom may be ineffective in treating the following diseases.

Arthritis: It was once thought that bee venom could be a useful treatment for arthritis. This theory was largely based on the supposed anti-inflammatory effects of bee venom and the observation that many beekeepers did not get arthritis. However, scientific research does not support this theory.

Multiple sclerosis: The "administration" of stings by real bees with a gradual increase in the "dose" to up to 20 stings three times a week does not appear to reduce the symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Treatment over 24 weeks does not appear to reduce fatigue and disability or improve quality of life.

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of bee venom for the treatment of nerve pain, tendonitis and muscle inflammation. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of bee venom in these applications.

Are there any safety concerns?

Bee venom is safe for most people when injected under the skin by a doctor. Some people may experience redness and swelling at the injection site. Possible side effects include itching, anxiety, breathing problems, chest tightness, palpitations, dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, drowsiness, confusion, fainting and low blood pressure. Side effects are more common in people with severe allergies to bee stings, people treated with honey bee venom and women. Live bee stings have been safely administered under medical supervision in "doses" of up to 20 bee stings three times a week for up to 24 weeks.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Bee venom appears to be safe and safe for pregnant and lactating women when injected under the skin in the recommended dosage ranges and administered by a physician. Although there are no reports of dangerous side effects at the usual doses, some doctors reduce the maintenance dose by half during pregnancy. High doses of bee venom are not safe during pregnancy because they can increase levels of a chemical called histamine, which can cause contractions of the uterus. This can lead to miscarriage. For this reason, pregnant women should avoid high doses of bee venom.

"Autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and others: Bee venom can make the immune system more active and this could exacerbate the symptoms of autoimmune diseases. For this reason, it is best to avoid bee venom if you suffer from such a disease.

Interactions

Care should be taken when combining the following medications with bee venom.

Drugs that reduce the function of the immune system: Bee venom might increase the activity of the immune system. By increasing the activity of the immune system in this way, bee venom could reduce the effectiveness of drugs that reduce immune function.

Dosages

The following dosages have been investigated in scientific studies.

Intramuscular: To reduce the severity of allergic reactions to bee stings: Doctors administer bee venom in the form of an injection to achieve desensitization in people who are allergic to bee stings.

References

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