Comments on: Bee Sting Allergy or Coincidental Flu?

Question: Bee Sting Allergy or Coincidental Flu?

Alabaster — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 21:57:23 -0800

I need inside information from the "hive" mind. Did a bee sting give me flu-like symptoms, or did I just get an unrelated virus on the same day as the sting? More inside:

I got stung by a bee on the bottom of my foot around noon a few days ago. Didn't have much of a reaction at first, not much swelling, and only minor pain.

That night I woke up around 3am with the chills. The whole next day I felt horrible, like I had the flu or something -- bad headache, fever, chills, aches and pains all over the body. Took a nap when I got home from work, and woke up around 9pm in a cold sweat -- my fever had broken and most of my aches were gone.

Next day, most of my flu-like symptoms are gone. But my middle toe is red and very swollen around the area of the sting. It's not especially painful, but it's itchy and uncomfortable -- it feels like it's going to pop when I step on it (you know that feeling when you wrap a rubber band around your thumb?).

If any of this persists I'll be sure to see a doctor, but I thought I'd check on everyone's experience (don't want to say 'hive mind,' it brings back bad memories):

1.) Can a bee sting allergy cause these flu-like symptoms? Or is it just a coincidence that I happened to get some 24-hour virus the day after a bee sting? (I'm not aware of being in contact with anyone sick recently, but of course there's no way to be 100% sure).

2.) Regarding the foot, is it normal for the swelling/redness to not manifest until 24+ hours after the sting? How long can I expect the swelling to last, and at what point should I seek medical attention?

I don't have any history of allergies, but there's not much to go on--I have only been stung once before, by a hornet, over 20 years ago when I was a young child. My father has a severe bee sting allergy but I don't recall anything flu-like about it.

By: metasav

metasav — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 22:13:25 -0800

IANAD, Alabaster, but I am slightly allergic to bees and their more evil brethren. Every time I have been stung I've had a similar response. Fever, aches, swelling beyond what is normal. Give your doc a call and let her/him check you out. With your family history, you can never be too careful. Heck, you might (read:should?) even want to ask your doc about an epi-pen.

I developed a shellfish allergy in my late twenties, though my brother has been severely allergic his whole life. For whatever that is worth.

Good luck!

By: Iamtherealme

Iamtherealme — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 22:15:59 -0800

It definitely could be an allergic reaction. Did you take a Benadryl while it was going on?

By: Steven C. Den Beste

Steven C. Den Beste — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 23:30:28 -0800

It's also possible that the sting got infected. Bees are not in the habit of sterilizing their stings just before they use them.

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 00:18:46 -0800

Yep, sounds like you're allergic. Me too.

Go to the doctor. If you have benadryl around that you can take, I might pop one of those in the meantime & see if it helps.

By: hot soup girl

hot soup girl — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 06:45:56 -0800

For what it's worth, you should get a tetanus shot if it's been a while since your last one.

By: solipsophistocracy

solipsophistocracy — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 11:02:17 -0800

When I was younger, I used to have an almost identical allergic reaction to bee and yellow jacket stings. It was never life threatening, but I did get really unpleasantly ill for a few days. I always took Benadryl, and usually felt back to normal the third or fourth day after a sting.