# Need help with wasp stings



## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

Yesterday in the garden I was chopping down some tall grasses and must have stirred up a wasp nest. Two of them got me...both on my upper right arm. My arm is now red, achy, hot, swollen, tender to the touch, itchy beyond belief and swollen from my shoulder to a few inches below my elbow.

I have tried Benadryl, a spray for pain and itching, cold tea bags, a baking soda paste and an ice bag. Nothing is helping much. Any other suggestions?


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## KrisD (May 26, 2011)

SOAK it in vinegar! I mowed over a yellow jacket nest while mowing in shorts and a tank top. You can use your imagination! The vinegar worked within minutes and in an hour all swelling was gone no redness or pain. But you need to soak it good.


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## Guest (Jul 28, 2012)

cortizone cream worked for me when I got stung on the nose last week.


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

a epsom salt paste will help draw out the toxin!


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Meat tenderizer and water to make a thick paste. The chemical dissolves the venom protein.


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## Maverick_mg (Mar 11, 2010)

Baking soda made into a paste works well too!


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

Water Jel burn ointment, very soothing and contains a little bit of lidocaine. How much Benedryl are you taking? You may be able to increase your dosage.


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

Baking soda paste didn't do a bit of good. I've used it before with good results...this time, nothing. 

Of all the suggestions above the only one I have on hand is vinegar. Well, I do have epsom salts out in the potting shed, but I'm not about to go out to the garden where the wasps are lurking! 

I'm going to smell like a pickle when hubby gets home!

Thanks everyone.


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## ArkansasLady (Jan 1, 2003)

my son that passed away was very allergic and the dr told us to crush a charcoal briquet (not the instant light kind) and mix with water to make a paste and put on the sting site


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

Keep up the Benadryl and ice. It can get worse if you quit too soon. My dad is allergic and his forearm swelled up like Popeye's over night when he forgot a dose of Benadryl after getting stung. 

Those little daubers they sell for bug bites and stings have ammonia in them, so if you have some ammonia you might try that to counteract the venom. Charcoal absorbs toxins so that sounds like a good one, too. The charcoal they sell for fish tank filters would be easier to work with than big ol briquets and probably less undesirable ingredients, too.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Pee supposedly works very well. My grandpa and his brothers would rub a little urine on a sting when they were out cutting hay as kids.


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

I'm back to ice and Benadryl. How much Benadryl have I taken today? I'm not sure...enough to keep me knocked out for hours at a time!

Went to the laundry room to get vinegar and I'm out! No charcoal either, but I'm sure I can get some urine!


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## Ruralnurse (Jun 23, 2011)

For any bee string (or any allergic reaction for that matter) use benadryl and pepcid (famotidine). Benadryl is a histamine 1 blocker and pepcid is a histamine 2 blocker. Zantac is too but does not work as well.

When I worked in the ER and we got any type of reaction we used benadryl IV and then pepcid IV and then later a steroid. We did this for bee reactions and even the few rattle snake bites I helped treat. You can also take it by mouth of course.

Be careful of taking too much benadryl in one day, you may start having a hard time urinating and if you have high blood pressure it can cause problems.

I keep benadryl and pepcid in the house and car because I have seen so many bad reactions even in people that had never been allergic before.

Good luck.

Ruralnurse


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## RebelDigger (Aug 5, 2010)

Tea tree oil always helps me. I dab it on the spots full strength and keep up the benadryl too.


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## Calhoon (May 25, 2012)

Ravenlost said:


> Yesterday in the garden I was chopping down some tall grasses and must have stirred up a wasp nest. Two of them got me...both on my upper right arm. My arm is now red, achy, hot, swollen, tender to the touch, itchy beyond belief and swollen from my shoulder to a few inches below my elbow.
> 
> I have tried Benadryl, a spray for pain and itching, cold tea bags, a baking soda paste and an ice bag. Nothing is helping much. Any other suggestions?


:hrm well , much the same thing happened to me . 

for immediate help and relief , put ice on it to reduce the swelling , keep on with the Benadril , it'll help you sleep better tonight .. but if your hurting like I think you are , it's gonna be a long night for you . 

In my opinion , you are on the verge of being allergic to being stung , you have all the symptoms , so this is your bodys way of telling you to go and see a doctor and get tested for an anaphalactic alergic reaction to bee stings... it a life taking reaction that kills a lot of people . 

I've carried an epi-pen for years , it saved my life once , and saved a co-workers life as well . 

Go and get tested , it could save your life the next time you get stung. :goodjob:

meanwhile , for whatever its worth , to get you through the night , until you can get to your doctor , I've tried this before , it worked for me , I hope it works for you . 

You may be having shortness of breath . . . I know I did , , it's plenty scarry . if you can't breathe right , try and calm yourself . .stick your head in the fridgrator and breathe some cold air for a minute , if that don't work , , I'd dial 911 and get some help. NOW.

If you're breathing ok , then you're over the worst part . it may be a long night , but you'll prolly be ok , until the next time you get stung. 

If the swelling is getting worse , and you are having trouble breathing , if it was me , I'd dial 911 and get some help . . 

If you can't do that , for whatever reason , you gonna have to try and tough it out . . . a good chew of tobacco , well salivated , and applied directly to the bee stings will help neutralize the venom . it changes the pH somehow. 

I've done this my own-self , and it helped.


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## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

Agree with the above poster...you're showing classic signs of being allergic or close to it.


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## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

My Toddler was stung by something (several tiny red welts) and her hand swelled up huge. Everyone knows apple cider vinegar is the cure all, so I swabbed it on the site and it seemed to take out the sting and the welts subsided in an hour. The swelling didn't though so I took her to Urgent care. The Doc wasn't sure what insect caused it (probably a wasp though, she's been stung by honey bees before and it was nothing like this.) I had the presence of mind to take a photo of the welts and he still couldn't identify the culprit. 

While the ACV made her more comfortable, she still needed a steroid to bring down the swelling, and an antibiotic to ward off cellulitis. 
You would be completely justified to go to urgent care yourself. You may need something a home remedy can't do.


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## KrisD (May 26, 2011)

Vinegar works because the venom is alkaline and the vinegar neutralizes it. Lemon juice probably will also work or any acid like that. Heck I would even try pickle juice if I was desperate. ANY vinegar will work it doesn't have to be ACV.


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## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

plantain.....the weed that grows in your yard. grab a leaf, chew it up and put it on the sting. ds got stung last week. I heard a scream that made me expect to see bones sticking out and blood everywhere. Thankfully that wasn't the case. But his arm was huge! I grabbed plantain and stuck it on his arm. Within minutes the screaming stopped and soon it wasn't hurting as much.


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

DUH...plantain! I use it on hubby all the time. Why didn't I think of that?

I have Systemic Mastocytosis which means I have to many mast cells in my system. As a result I have allergic like reactions to things like insect stings. 

Ruralnurse...I take famotidine and an antihistamine daily for the mastocytosis. Should I double up?


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## barnyardgal (Sep 21, 2009)

I've just recently read that holding a cut onion on the sting takes it away-have not have the opportunity to use it yet-but they swear it works~


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

If the wasps (or hornets...hubby suspects there is a hornet nest in the ground out there) weren't out in the garden I'd go get an onion and try that. Instead, here I sit unable to sleep because my arm hurts so much. It's so swollen it looks shiny now and even my fingers are starting to feel tight.

SIGH...I hate wasps.


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## Miss Kay (Mar 31, 2012)

Sounds like it may be time to go get a shot. I haven't been stung in years but I always have to have a shot and the sooner the better. Otherwise, it keeps swelling and starts turning colors. Not sure how bad it would get without the shot but I didn't want to chance it.


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## CarolT (Mar 12, 2009)

In the ground sounds like yellowjackets. I have bad reactions to them, too, worse than even hornets. Once I got stung on my wrist and it had runners swelling above the veins going up my arm and I was getting dizzy and having trouble breathing. We had tried Benadryl, vinegar, crushed aspirin, meat tenderizer, wetting cigarette tobacco, etc and BIL chewed some tobacco made for chewing and within 30 minutes, it had gone down. And I hate chewing tobacco, nasty stuff, but I sure was grateful then... 

Tell your dh to look for where they are coming out of the ground then go out at night when they are asleep and poke a tall necked bottle with a couple of tablespoons of gas in it down the hole. The gas fumes kill them. DO NOT light it! It only takes a little bit and I've never found anything else that does the job. Being below ground it doesn't kill the plants (why the long neck bottle) around the hole (or never has for me) and that little amount of gas dissipates fast.


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

Rough night...wasn't able to get any sleep until around 6 a.m. and now I'm up again with a bag of ice on my arm.


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## Annie (May 10, 2002)

I had gotten poison ivy and had bought Ivarest for it. It worked alright for the poison ivy but is great for bites or stings. Last year I got stung by a black wasp and my forearm swelled terrible. Tried everything, nothing worked and finally it went down on it's own. This year I got stung on the knee by the same kind of wasp, came into the house looking for something to put on it and noticed that the Ivarest was also for bites. Put some on and felt instant relief. The bite never swelled and all I got was a small reddish spot where the bite was and it was almost gone the next day. It looks like calamine lotion (pink), but it is an antihistamine (to stop the reaction) and an analgesic (to sooth the itch). Just a dab on the spot does it. I use it mostly now for mosquito bites and it works great. Walgreens carries it and it's not expensive. Not for sure if it will work now for you since your arm is so swollen, but might be worth a shot. If not, it's nice to keep around if there's a next time. Hope your arm gets better!


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## Gregg Alexander (Feb 18, 2007)

Tobacco juice---works every time


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## naturelover (Jun 6, 2006)

barnyardgal said:


> I've just recently read that holding a cut onion on the sting takes it away-have not have the opportunity to use it yet-but they swear it works~


Yes, onion helps. I once got stung on the outer corner of my lower eyelid by a yellowjacket and couldn't use vinegar or baking soda on such a sensitive area so tried the onion trick. I used a slice of the inner rings of the onion, dipped it in water and blotted it first then put it on the sting held in place with a bandaid. It did help with taking down the swelling and painful itch, and it didn't make my eye water any worse than what it was already doing.

.


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

My arm is somewhat better tonight. The swelling/redness has stopped spreading and, while still itchy, the ice bags and Benadryl seem to be working finally. It's tolerable...it wasn't last night. Last night my elbow joint and hand were aching...deep muscle/joint pain. Haven't had that today.

Both sting sites are bruising now. The raised red welt extends from my arm pit to about four inches below my elbow and wraps all the way around my upper arm. 

Thanks for all the suggestions. When I go to town Monday I am getting some supplies so I'll be prepared next time. Calhoon, hubby agrees that I need to have an Epi-pen on hand. I see my doctor in five weeks and will discuss it with him.


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## Cliff (Jun 30, 2007)

Glad you are better. Did plantain not help it at all? In our experience it's better than the best otc medication for stings itches and just general topical healing.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Very topical thread. My wife just got nailed 6 times.


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## home~girl (Nov 26, 2005)

I would get to a doctor fast if things didn't improve very soon. I'm allergic to stings like that. I was stung by honeybees last year, but yellow jackets are the worst ( don't want to even know what a hornet would do, those things are fearsome!) Wasps do it too. 

I have been rushed to the ER and spent time in the hospital due to throat swelling and inability to breath. Don't wait if you feel all those allergic symptoms.

Secondly THIS post about gas is a good option for getting rid of them. They were in a small hole in the ground right beside my bedroom window. I live in an old house so it's not tight and I was finding dead ones on the floor. My son found the nest /hole by accident. He poured some gas down it when it started getting dark.

Oh and I won't even include the story of the time they built a nest in my kitchen wall and started coming in from a tiny space between where the molding on the top part of the ceiling and the wall was. Again old house, not tightly sealed. What a nightmare. We battled them for about two weeks and drilled numerous holes in the wall which i've covered up with baskets on top of cabinets. We used wasp spray then, my husband got stung probably 20 times or so, my sons a few, me, I stayed the heck out of the kitchen but I was on the verge of moving out! 

Get rid of them, they can grow into large nests. 




CarolT said:


> In the ground sounds like yellowjackets. I have bad reactions to them, too, worse than even hornets. Once I got stung on my wrist and it had runners swelling above the veins going up my arm and I was getting dizzy and having trouble breathing. We had tried Benadryl, vinegar, crushed aspirin, meat tenderizer, wetting cigarette tobacco, etc and BIL chewed some tobacco made for chewing and within 30 minutes, it had gone down. And I hate chewing tobacco, nasty stuff, but I sure was grateful then...
> 
> Tell your dh to look for where they are coming out of the ground then go out at night when they are asleep and poke a tall necked bottle with a couple of tablespoons of gas in it down the hole. The gas fumes kill them. DO NOT light it! It only takes a little bit and I've never found anything else that does the job. Being below ground it doesn't kill the plants (why the long neck bottle) around the hole (or never has for me) and that little amount of gas dissipates fast.


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## happybluebird (Aug 23, 2005)

My father in law used to work as head maintenance for a school system. A trick that was passed on to him by a exterminator was to use sevin dust to kill them. You wait until dark, place some dust in a ketchup squeeze bottle, and squirt it in the entrance hole. It doesn't have to go in very far or anything, because it will get on some and they will spread it around. The entire hive will be dead in the morning. We have used that method for years, and it works every time. I even passed the knowledge on to my area school system when they were having problems with yellow jackets. We also had them in an interior wall in our house, that was crazy! We used the sevin dust and it took care of the problem. A better solution than gasoline in that type of situation.

OP I'm very sorry about your suffering with the stings, I sure hope you are feeling better!


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

tinknal said:


> Very topical thread. My wife just got nailed 6 times.


Goodness, I hope she is okay! If that happened to me I'd be in the hospital.

Hubby got me some hydro-cortisone cream and it is really helping. The nonstop itching has subsided quite a bit and the redness is fading to a nasty looking bruised color. I finally got some sleep last night (thanks to Tylenol PM).


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## giraffe_baby (Oct 15, 2005)

When my husband got nailed by red wasps... same thing happened to him... Swelling itching ect... He broke open a ciggarette, chewed the tabbaco and put on the stings.. .took the pain away ( of course it was gross but it worked!!)


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## greenacres (Feb 21, 2003)

My daughter was nailed in the face by one last year at a softball game. One of the dads put Copenhagen tobacco right on her cheek. It took care of the pain and there was no swelling. My sister was stung years ago when we were younger and at home alone. We went to the neighbor's. She cut open a potato and put on it. It took care of it too.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

a cut potato was what mother used on us also. ~Georgia.


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

I've tried all sorts of home remedies in the past. None of them worked as well as the hydro-cortisone cream. We'll never be without it again.


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