Bee Venom

• Overview
• Uses
• Side Effects
• Precautions
• Interactions
• Dosing

Bee venom is made by bees. This is the poison that makes bee stings painful. Bee venom is used to make medicine. Don't confuse bee venom with bee pollen, honey, or royal jelly. Other venoms are derived from related members of the insect order Hymenoptera.

Bee venom is given as a shot forrheumatoid arthritis, nerve pain (neuralgia),multiple sclerosis(MS), reducing the reaction to bee stings in people who are allergic (desensitization) to them (venomimmunotherapy), swollen tendons (tendonitis), and muscle conditions such as fibromyositis and enthesitis.

How does it work?

Giving repeated and controlled injections of bee venom under the skin causes theimmune systemto get used to bee venom, and helps reduce the severity of anallergyto bee venom.

Likely Effective for...

• 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.

Possibly Ineffective for...

• Arthritis. People used to think that bee venom might be a useful treatment forarthritis. 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 multiplessclerosis. Treatment for 24 weeks does not seem to improve fatigue, disability, orquality of life.

Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...

• Nerve pain.
• Painful, swollen tendons (tendonitis).
• Muscle swelling (inflammation).

More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of bee venom for these uses.

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate(detailed description of each of the ratings).

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, heartpalpitations, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sleepiness, confusion,fainting, andlow 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 areUNSAFEduring pregnancy because they can increase release of a chemical calledhistamine, which can cause theuterusto 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.

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Medications that decrease the immune system (Immunosuppressants)Interaction Rating:ModerateBe cautious with this combination.Talk with your health provider.

Bee venom might increase the immune system. By increasing the immune system, bee venom might decrease the effectiveness of medications that decrease the immune system.

Some medications that decrease the immune system include azathioprine (硫唑嘌呤), basiliximab (Simulect), cyclosporine (Neoral,Sandimmune), daclizumab (Zenapax), muromonab-CD3 (OKT3, Orthoclone OKT3), mycophenolate (CellCept), tacrolimus (FK506,Prograf), sirolimus (Rapamune),prednisone(Deltasone, Orasone), corticosteroids (glucocorticoids), and others.

The following doses have been studied in scientific research:

INTRAMUSCULAR:

• For reducing the severity of allergic reactions to bee stings: Healthcare providers give bee venom as a shot (by injection) to "desensitize" people who are allergic to bee stings. Purified bee venom for under-the-skin injection is an FDA approved product.