Bee Venom

Other Names: Apis mellifera, Apis Venenum Purum, Apitoxin, Apitoxine, Bald-faced Hornet, Bee Sting Venom, Bombus terrestis, Bumblebee Venom, Frelon à Face Blanche, Frelon Jaune, Guêpe à Taches Blanches, Honeybee Venom, Mixed Vespids, Pure Bee Venom, Veneno de Abeja, Venin d'Abeille, Venin d’Abeille Mellifère, Venin d’Abeille Pure, Venin de Bourdon, Venin de Guêpe, Vespula maculata, Wasp Venom, White-Faced Hornet, Yellow Hornet, Yellow-Jacket Venom.
Bee venom is made by bees. This is the poison that makes bee stings painful. Bee venom is used to make medicine. Other venoms are derived from related members of the insect order Hymenoptera.

Special Precautions of Bee Venom

• Don’t confuse bee venom with Bee Pollen, honey, or Royal Jelly.
• Bee venom is safe for most people when injected under the skin by a trained medical professional. Some people might get redness and swelling where the injection is given. Side effects include itching, anxiety, trouble breathing, chest tightness, heart palpitations, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sleepiness, confusion, fainting, and low blood pressure.
• Side effects are more common in people with the worst allergies to bee stings, in people treated with honeybee venom, and in women.
• Live bee stings have been safely administered under medical supervision in doses up to 20 bee stings three times weekly for up to 24 weeks.
• Pregnancy and breast -feeding: Bee venom seems to be safe when injected under the skin by a trained medical professional at recommended doses. Though harmful effects at usual doses have not been reported, some healthcare providers decrease the maintenance dose by half during pregnancy. High doses of bee venom are UNSAFE during pregnancy because they can increase release of a chemical called histamine, which can cause the uterus to contract. This might lead to miscarriage. Avoid high doses of bee venom if you are pregnant.
• “Auto-immune diseases” such as multiple sclerosis (MS), lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), or other conditions: Bee venom might cause the immune system to become more active, and this could increase the symptoms of auto-immune diseases. If you have one of these conditions, it’s best to avoid using bee venom.
• Medications that decrease the immune system (Immunosuppressants) interacts with Bee venom.

Benefits and uses of Bee Venom are

• Reducing the severity of allergic reactions to bee stings. A series of bee venom shots under the skin (bee venom immunotherapy) seems to be effective for reducing reactions to bee stings in people with severe allergy to bee stings. Bee venom immunotherapy provides 98% to 99% protection from reactions to bee stings. Once immunotherapy is stopped, the risk of reaction over the next 5 to 10 years is about 5% to 15%. Purified bee venom for under-the-skin injection is an FDA approved product.
• Arthritis : People used to think that bee venom might be a useful treatment for arthritis. This theory was largely due to supposed swelling-reducing (anti-inflammatory) effects of bee venom and the observation that many beekeepers don't develop arthritis. However, research results have not supported this.
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Administering live bee stings in gradually increasing doses up to 20 stings given three times weekly does not seem to improve multiples sclerosis. Treatment for 24 weeks does not seem to improve fatigue, disability, or quality of life.
• HIV/AIDS : Melittin is a powerful toxin found in bee venom. It can poke holes in the protective viral envelope that surrounds the human immunodeficiency virus, as well as other viruses.