A bee stung my...

[Susan Otcenas]

...TONGUE!!

4 miles into my ride yesterday. I was just cruising along, mouth slightly open as usual. :o I got hit in the mouth and before I knew it, the bee had stung my tongue! I jumped off my bike - the pain was so intense! And it immediately started to swell.

Jeff went off to retrieve our truck, and I knocked on the door of the house across the street. I wanted to ask if it would be OK for me to sit in the shade in their driveway while I waited for Jeff to come back. The very kind folks who lived there invited me in and gave me plenty of ice cold water (felt good on my tongue) and we chatted while I waited. (Turned out the lady of the house was an every-day bike commuter for years and years.) Meanwhile, my tongue kept swelling - felt like I had a golfball in my mouth.

Jeff came, and we decided to go to Kaiser Urgent Care. I had visions of my tongue continuing to swell and I got kinda freaked out. What I learned was that if you say the words "bee sting" at Kaiser, they immediately whisk you in to see the doctor. They didn't even bother to fully register me - just took me right in.

I'm not allergic, but nonetheless, they took all my vitals. My blood pressure was up there (no doubt the "freaking out" part wasn't helping). The doctor prescribed prednisone (a strong anti-inflammatory), which I immediately filled at the kaiser pharmacy. That stuff is fantastic. Within about 3 hours, the swelling was almost completely gone. I have to take it for 12 days.

I've been stung before on my bike, but this certainly ranks as the most UNUSUAL place ever!

OK, your turn. Share your stories! :D Can you top a tongue sting??? :)

Susan

[tomgrrrl]

owww.....I had a bee fly up my sleeve while driving once....I couldn't stop since I was on the freeway and just had to let it do it's thing and sting.....ouch! My other major bee incident was as a kid when I walked into a bee's nest and received 7 stings on my face....my eyes swelled shut.

[iFKA]

What are the odds to be strug by a bee in a tongue.I imagined myself in that situation - with swelled tongue and in panic. I wouldn't know where to laugh or to cry.




OK, your turn. Share your stories! :D Can you top a tongue sting??? :)

Susan

I'll try... When I was a little kid I was sitting in the shallow sea I accidentally touched the jellyfish :eek: and started crying - of course - and I wanted to clear my tears and I somehow touched my eye :eek: :eek: and it started to pain so much so my older sister wanted to help me (she was about 12 then) so she took me to the showers on the beach to wash it out and I stood on a bee that was lying under the shower :eek: :eek: :eek:
... Now that was quite an adventure... I laugh now every time I remember that but I was crying like a rain than. :)

[Teddyparker]

A couple of years ago I was stung on my lip just about 2 miles from home. I could feel my bottom lip swell and actually touch my nose. I went directly home and applied ice and took benedryl. It took some time but it worked. Now I never go riding without benedrl in my pack.

[bike4ever]

I was stung two Sundays ago on my calf by a wasp. Lower half of the leg swelled up quickly & was very, very itchy.

[Tri Girl]

Ouch- a bee sting on your tongue? Wow-you ladies have topped my story for sure, but here's my adventure:

Aside from the time I stepped on 2 bees and had a swollen foot when I was 9, the other day I was riding and one of those giant flying grasshoppers smacked me right between the eyes (didn't have my cycling glasses on, of course). Freaked me out. We have some monster flying bugs out here, and I'm sure I look like an idiot riding when I'm dodging flying bugs (must look like I'm swerving and dodging invisible things to drivers). :D

[Bikingmomof3]

Susan-how dreadful. I would have freaked out. I do not have aany bee stories, I have swallowed lots of bugs though. My mother swallowed a bee and it stung her throat-as for me, so far so good. I am deathly afraid of bees.

[mary9761]

my worst bee/wasp story was a few years ago. I was doing some yard work and had stopped for a while trying to cool off as it was very warm. We had a car that had been sitting outside the garage for a while because a) it didn't run anymore and b) I couldn't drive. I opened the door to sit down and didn't realize that a nest of wasps were right in the doorway. When I sat down, I was immediately stung 5 or 6 times on the upper arm :eek: :eek: :eek: Talk about freaking out!! Luckily I'm not allergic to bees (knock wood at least not yet) but it was sore and itchy for some time.
This past weekend, I was test riding a Sweet Trek Pilot 1.2 flatbar road bike on the MONON and on my way back to the shop I had some sort of bee/wasp fly into the front of my jersey and promptly get stuck in my BRA :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: OUCH!! It started stinging. Luckily I was able to control the bike as I urged the bee to get out of my shirt and bra. It only hurt for a while and strangely until yesterday afternoon, it hadn't even started to itch. I don't understand why all of a sudden NOW it's flared up red and itchy DAYS later?? :confused:
It was kind of funny when I'd gotten back to the shop and I was telling Jimmy and another rider that I'd gotten stung but managed NOT to wreck the bike of course they asked where and when I told them Jimmy turned the same LAVA RED as the bike!:p :D

[Running Mommy]

The first thought I had was "And NO girls she wasn't riding with ME!!" :D
Though I would LOVE to go for a ride with Susan!! :)

Anyway- YOUCH!!!! That sounds awful!!! I have been reacting wierdly to stings the last few years so I always carry benadryl in my camelbak. I think it's a good idea for everyone.

My worst recent stinging experience was actually ANTS in my backyard! I was trying to mow the overgrown grass and didn't see the huge mound. My throat started swelling so I had to call 911. My husband was out of state at the time and it was just me and Spencer. It was nothing a nice shot couldn't cure, but scary nonetheless. Yes, I need to go get an epi pen!

***But the grossest bug known to man did get stuck in the vent of my helmet once. It's called a tarantula hawk. I almost crashed trying to unclip and rip my helmet off. It was buzzing at my head. NASTY!***

[bcipam]

Susan several years I had the same thing happen. A bunch of us were riding down PCH in Newport Beach. I was talking, had my big mouth open and something flew in. Of course, I tried to spit it out and WOW - I got stung in the roof of my mouth. It hurt! Of course I was about 15 miles into a 50 miler so had along way to go. For some reason no one felt sorry for me or would listen to me whine. Oh well!

[7rider]

Ouch, Susan...I feel your pain.
The same thing happened to me 2 weeks ago - well, inside the lip, not the tongue. I just posted a bit about it under the "wildlife" thread in Adventure Stories.
I was up to softball sized swelling by the time I got to the Dr's.
One thing my brother in law told me - who's an emergency room physician in Vermont....is that I didn't need to take ALL the prednisone. I could stop once the swelling went down (it's very slow release), and keep the remainder on hand for the NEXT time I got stung, and just mimic the Day-1 dosage from the start.
Little did I know, I'd be using it 3 days later, when I got stung AGAIN walking back from the compost pile. But then I was prepared with Benadryl Allergy, Advil (another anti-inflammatory), and the Prednisone all on hand! No problems at all with that sting....but BOY! was I sleepy! :D
But anyway...if your swelling's down, you may want to confirm that with your DR and/or pharmacist.
Regina

[oxysback]

Wow! Can't top a tongue sting, but I'm glad your story had a happy ending.

I must confess, however, that I'm chuckling just thinking about having to say "bee sting" with a swollen tongue. "Bee thhhhhting!"

Reminds me of the time I had some major dental work done...both sides of my tongue were numb and I had to order my daughter's birthday cake. I'm sure the cake person wanted to start laughing as I told her the name on the cake..."Thessssssssica" (Jessica) complete with flying spittle! :eek:

[mimitabby]

T

***But the grossest bug known to man did get stuck in the vent of my helmet once. It's called a tarantula hawk. I almost crashed trying to unclip and rip my helmet off. It was buzzing at my head. NASTY!***

was it under the influence?

http://www.desertusa.com/mag01/sep/papr/photos/thawk.jpg

Predator and Prey

Only a few animals, such as roadrunners, eat tarantula hawks. The wasps are "nectivorous," and they have been known to become "flight-challenged" after consuming fermented fruit.

[Brandy]

***But the grossest bug known to man did get stuck in the vent of my helmet once. It's called a tarantula hawk. I almost crashed trying to unclip and rip my helmet off. It was buzzing at my head. NASTY!***

Oh, oh, oh!!! Tracy (tprevost) and I took the kids on a bug hike in Bommer Canyon on Saturday and we saw a tarantula hawk vs. tarantula battle. Here are the pictures...obviously the tarantula hawk won. R.I.P. Mr. Tarantula. :(


http://static.flickr.com/96/215767210_bacee19c37.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/67/215767212_71d12e76b1.jpg

Tarantula hawks paralyze tarantulas during the battle, drag them to a burrow and then lay an egg on them. When the baby tarantula hawk hatches it has a meal (still alive, by the way) waiting for it. It sucks juices out of the tarantula, avoiding vital organs to keep it alive. :eek:

[massbikebabe]

Susan;

Glad you are O.K., if it were me I would be dead. The last time I was stung I ended up a hospital patient for three days...it was yucky!! My youngest is also allergic...we have epi-pens everywhere!!!



karen

[Running Mommy]

UGH! Just seeing that gives me the willies!! Yeah, it was one of THOSE!!

Sorry for the thread hijack! :o

[latelatebloomer]

There is a "weed" called "plaintain that grows in most unsprayed lawns and vacant lots.* As a kid, you probably shot the little dried flower heads in the air for fun. One indian name for it is "white man's footprint" because it quickly appears wherever soil has been disturbed. It is GREAT for stings. I got chin-stung last week on a ride, pulled the bike over to the first lawn I passed, pulled a leaf, chewed it a bit, and rubbed it on the sting. The sting ebbed and was a minor itch in minutes. If I can find a good picture, I'll post it.

*Hmm, I'm talking about the east coast. Don't know about the deserts, etc.

[bikerchick68]

oooh... hurts huh? I was out riding one day and felt a trickle of sweat in my cleavage... pushed in with my jersey to absorb it and YOW! WASN'T sweat tickling but little bee feet... well, little SMASHED bee feet... :eek: I was with my brother, and screeched to a stop on my bike, screaming like a banshee... jersey off over the head, bike stuff flying out the pockets... completely stopped traffic... must've been pretty funny to see some cyclist disrobing while hopping around by the side of the road... :D

I had not been stung before and had no idea if I was allergic so he insisted on following behind me so he could keep an eye on me then entire way home... I think he just wanted to draft...;)

glad you're OK Susan... it was bad enough between the "boo-bees" as the ladies here kindly dubbed them after my write up... can't imagine having one in my mouth :eek:

[ladyfish]

I rode with my son to a bike rodeo for his Cub Scout Pack in June. While he was doing the rodeo stuff, I felt something biting my leg. I grabbed it, and thought it was a tick. It hurt, but I didn't think much about it. It started itching too. Luckily my DH was picking us up because I didn't want my son riding in the dark.

Leg got swollen, and was warm to the touch at the point of the bite. My husband said it wasn't a tick, because they don't hurt when they try to latch on. Leg continued to get red and warm to touch--then the red tentacles started spreading out from the wound.

Time to go to the doctor!!! I still never figured out what bit me, but I had to take antibiotics and it continued to itch and be swollen and uncomfortable for several days.

I sure hope that doesn't happen again! Wish I knew what bit me!!!:confused:

[corrine]

I was riding my bike in Rock Creek Park and came up on the backside of a bee that ended up stinging me on the edge of my nostril. My eyes watered so much I could barely see. My husband didn't have much sympathy for me and wouldn't listen to me whine. I got a few minutes break and then it was back on the bikes. It was bad enough on my nose - I am very glad it wasn't my mouth!

[aka_kim]

All these stories make me realize it's been a few years since my last bee sting while riding, so I must be overdue ...:( My more interesting stings (from about ... hmm, 7 or 8 incidents):

While on a 25 mph downhill a wasp flew right at my jersey zipper. I felt it crawling around inside my jersey, then sting #1. I unzip about half way and start patting around but continue riding ... sting #2. Then it crawls around to my back as I claw away at my jersey and yell bad words ... stings 3 and 4. By then I finally wise up and stop, and almost remove my jersey. Problem is, I don't wear a sports bra, so passing motorists probably got a good laugh from the crazed, partially undressed, flat-chested cyclist doing odd things along the side of the road.

Two years ago while riding through a park I was stung on the finger by "something", probably a yellow jacket, that hurt like hell - more than any sting or bite ever did before. Never having had any type of allergic or swelling reaction to stings I didn't think much about the ring on that finger. An hour later I got home and removed my gloves to find that the finger was already so swollen I couldn't remove the ring. Ice packs did little to help the swelling, and I woke up that night to find the ring was starting to cut into my finger, which resembled a hot dog more than a finger at this point. The next day my doctor cut off the ring and prescribed antibiotics, but it took nearly a week for my finger to return to normal size. Now I know - bite or sting on finger, remove ring at once!

[newfsmith]

I was prepared with Benadryl Allergy, Advil (another anti-inflammatory), and the Prednisone all on hand! No problems at all with that sting....but BOY! was I sleepy! :D
But anyway...if your swelling's down, you may want to confirm that with your DR and/or pharmacist.
Regina

I don't know human medicine at all, but in dogs we are very careful to never use NSAID's (Advil being one) and steroids (Prednisone) at the same time because both can cause GI bleeding, and together they almost guarentee it. Please be sure to get your MD's OK before taking Advil and Prednisone on the same day. In dogs we want at least 3 days between.

[Susan Otcenas]

I don't know human medicine at all, but in dogs we are very careful to never use NSAID's (Advil being one) and steroids (Prednisone) at the same time because both can cause GI bleeding, and together they almost guarentee it. Please be sure to get your MD's OK before taking Advil and Prednisone on the same day. In dogs we want at least 3 days between.

That's interesting because I asked the doc about what I should take for the throbbing (since the prednisone was just for the swelling). And he said ibuprofen (Advil), 800mg. I did that only the 1st day, as by the end of the day the prednisone had done it's job on the swelling and I didn't hurt anymore.

As a side note - the prednisone seems to have done wonders for my neck. I have terrible neck issues, which had been particularly bad the past two weeks. Cycling, regrettably exacerbates it (my recumbent friends are trying to woo me to the dark side, but I digress...) Since starting the prednisone,my neck has felt soooo much better.

So, how irresponsible of me would it be to quit taking the remainder of my prednisone, and keep it for my realy bad neck days?? :)

Susan (who is apparently hijacking her own thread!)

[mary9761]

There is a "weed" called "plaintain that grows in most unsprayed lawns and vacant lots.* As a kid, you probably shot the little dried flower heads in the air for fun. One indian name for it is "white man's footprint" because it quickly appears wherever soil has been disturbed. It is GREAT for stings. I got chin-stung last week on a ride, pulled the bike over to the first lawn I passed, pulled a leaf, chewed it a bit, and rubbed it on the sting. The sting ebbed and was a minor itch in minutes. If I can find a good picture, I'll post it.

*Hmm, I'm talking about the east coast. Don't know about the deserts, etc.

http://www.garden.org/images/App/articles/2376a.jpgHow's this?

[Running Mommy]

Susan-
Prednisone is a tricky creature.. Your suppose to taper yourself off of it. I was on it one year while mary training and had some funky reactions when I ran while taking it, so I wanted to stop cold turkey. My doctor was adamant that I taper off of it as she had prescribed.And my cousin- who has every health issues known to man- so also had a history with it- agreed. So i did the step down does thing.. Not fn. Personally I hate that stuff. My body did not play nice with it..:(

[7rider]

It was my doctor also who handed me ibuprofen while calling in a prescription to the pharmacy for the prednisone.
Granted, it was 2 pills and that was the end of it....
Perhaps long-term might cause problems....but my doctor (and Susan's from the sounds of it) didn't seem overly concerned about that.

[Susan Otcenas]

My doctor was adamant that I taper off of it as she had prescribed.And my cousin- who has every health issues known to man- so also had a history with it- agreed. (

The prescription was written with a taper. 4 days of 3 pills, 4 days of 2, and 4 days of 1. So, I guess I will be a good girl and take as prescribed. I'll enjoy my pain-free neck while it lasts!

Susan

[7rider]

Susan-
Prednisone is a tricky creature.. Your suppose to taper yourself off of it. I was on it one year while mary training and had some funky reactions when I ran while taking it, so I wanted to stop cold turkey. My doctor was adamant that I taper off of it as she had prescribed.And my cousin- who has every health issues known to man- so also had a history with it- agreed. So i did the step down does thing.. Not fn. Personally I hate that stuff. My body did not play nice with it..:(


How long were you on prednisone???
Sounds like a long time.

[Dianyla]

The prescription was written with a taper. 4 days of 3 pills, 4 days of 2, and 4 days of 1. So, I guess I will be a good girl and take as prescribed. I'll enjoy my pain-free neck while it lasts!

Yep, definitely do the taper thing. But then go back and tell this to your doctor - maybe you can get a local cortisone shot for your neck to help with inflammation? :cool:

[Duck on Wheels]

I used to keep bees. Until I developed an allergy. First big allergy reaction was when I got stung through the beehat veil -- right in the middle of my upper lip. It swoll up to the point of my having trouble breathing. Goose egg size, or maybe even baseball (not softball, though, luckily). I looked like a cross between Daffy Duck and Mick Jagger. I thought it was to save me embarrassment that the ER staff let me right in with no wait, but there could also have been good medical reasons for that. They REALLY turned sympathetic when I filled out the patient card. It was my birthday. And I was alone -- DH in India, daughter in the mountains, in-laws possibly dropping in expecting cake.

Now I keep an adrenalin injection kit with me when biking. Thanks for reminding me why. Sorry for your pain, though!

[cosc]

Last week a bee bite me on my thigh through my shorts while going down a long descent with many cut backs. I couldn't look down or swat it away. I just grinned and beared it till at the bottom of the mountain.