Hello.  I have no sources for what I am about to say, and I'm not even
going to swear that I am right.  But this is what I've been taught.

Your friend is half right and half wrong.  See, bee venom IS cumulative -
within a short timeframe.  That is to say, a person who wouldn't even blink
at getting ONE sting, might develop an allergic reaction to TWO stings.  A
person who can take two stings might not be able to take three.  Some
people can take 20.  No two people have the same limit.  But regardless,
everyone DOES have a limit.

A bee sting that you got yesterday, compounded with a bee sting you got
today, might cause you trouble, if your threshhold is two stings.

However, a bee sting you got last month has absolutely no effect on stings
you get today, or next week, or next year.  You do work the toxins out of
your system.

And yes, you can build up a greater tolerance for bee stings through
desensitization.  I don't know exactly how it works biochemically, but I've
heard about that treatment too.

Hope this helps you figure out where to look for authoritative help (my
word simply doesn't mean squat, frankly).....

The closest I can offer as proof is, my father can take two stings but not
three; whereas I have not yet discovered my tolerance limit (and hope not
to).



>So, my request is for information, citation, articles, references, etc.
>that you
>may have or know of that would help me to set this person straight before he
>continues to spread misinformation to people who are in a sensitive situation
>right now (beekeeper family member died from complications stemming from
>anaphylaxis.)





--Jenny
   Reed.
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