Why is it dangerous to receive bee venom therapy outside of a controlled study?
We would not advocate the use of whole bee venom of stinging insects. I think the dosing is very erratic and potentially dangerous. When you’re giving this material through stinging insects, you don’t know how much venom is being administered. We knew exactly how much we were giving. But even with this type of study, there is a potential danger whenever you administer a protein such as venom extract to a patient. Allergists treat patients with allergic disease with extracts all the time. They safeguard against any adverse reactions by using very small doses and then gradually increasing them and watching the patient very carefully after every injection for a period of about 20 or 30 minutes. The one danger that we worry about most is an allergic reaction called anaphylaxis, in which there is a swelling of the tissues. Swelling could lead to low blood pressure, respiratory failure and shock . Fortunately, we didn’t encounter this, but there is that potential danger. What is your advice
