You Might Not Hear the Buzz before the Bite: So Always Keep the Right Homeopathic Remedies With You

Caroline and I went out for a ride. It was a very nice late-fall day. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing—it was a perfect day to drive around with the windows open, allowing the hair to fly away in the breeze. When we had stopped at the gas station to get gas, I had noticed the hornet on the windshield. I never gave it another thought. Unfortunately, neither did Caroline. As we headed out of town to find a hiking trail, Caroline ran her hand through her hair, coming upon a small mass. At first, she thought it was just some of her hair had become tangled by the wind…until she got stung. “I just got stung!” she cried out. The color drained from her face as she squeezed the affected finger as tightly as she could. A look of panic formed in her eyes. She knew her life was about to end. And I knew it too. Caroline had a history of having an anaphylactic reaction to bee stings. Oddly enough, I had been there when it was discovered. And here I was again. I quickly pulled to the side of the road. My first conce was to get the bee out of her hair. A sting in the finger gave Caroline a little time before the severe reaction would take place; but if the bee stung her in the head….well, it wasn’t a good thing. I found the bee and cut it from her hair, then set about stopping the formation of the reaction. Luckily Caroline had quickly cut off circulation to the finger, thus impeding the toxin from reaching deeper into her body. I dialed 9-1-1 then reached for my first-aid kit in which I keep a selection of homeopathic remedies for emergencies. As far from town as we were, I knew the emergency personnel would not reach us before a crisis occurred, even with the best of interventions. Caroline had been prescribed an “Epi-Pen” to help quell the reaction should she get stung by a bee, but it had expired many years ago and Caroline didn’t get another one—she hadn’t used it in 10 years, so she felt she wouldn’t need it again. So my only option was homeopathy. I grabbed the Histaminum (helpful for almost any allergic reaction that causes a histamine reaction), Ledum (great for any puncture wound), and Apis (used often for bee stings if Ledum fails to work). Knowing time was a factor, I opted to give all 3 remedies instead of the usual “give one remedy and wait” protocol. Waiting wasn’t an option. Even with the tou iquet to the affected finger, Caroline still looked “shocky,” so I gave her another dose right away while she was still conscious. Luckily so far, Caroline was still conscious and breathing! As her condition continued to deteriorate, I started alte ating the remedies, giving one at a time, hoping to find the one that would work the best alone. I found the Histaminum and Ledum helped to ease her breathing, so I continued to give them both to her while they were still helping. When the paramedics arrived, Caroline was still alert and responsive. They quickly injected her with epinephrine and took her to the hospital for further treatment. Without homeopathy, Caroline would have died that day. It had taken the paramedics 10 minutes to reach us. The last time Caroline had been stung by a bee, she went into anaphylactic shock within minutes of being stung. At that time, Caroline and I had been at work, in a medical facility, so emergency care had been initiated immediately. Caroline came through the experience without residual problems. And now, she carries an Epi-Pen in her purse year-round….and a bottle of Histaminum and Ledum. Best wishes, Dr. Ronda Disclaimer: The information provided by Dr. Ronda Behnke Theys is for educational purposes only. It is important that you not make health decisions or stop any medication without first consulting your personal physician or health care provider.