I started beekeeping in 1980 and until 1999 never had any reaction. In the
spring of 1999 I was reversing brood boxes late one evening after work,
without my suit, gloves and only using a veil. I dropped a box. The
resulting stings that I received after putting the boxes back togather
caused immediate iching, flushed feeling, increased heart rate, nausia, and
vomiting. Luckily my wife is a nurse and she did all the right things.
I went to my doctor who recommended me to a specialist( allergy doctor).
At the first meeting I caught this specialist reading up on bee stings
because he/she did not know much about them. After being tested I was
told/pronouced to be allergic to honey bees and hornets. It took 3 1/2
years of shots to be pronounced non-allergic.
  I recommend that you find a professional that is familiar with these
types of allergic reactions. Keep searching until you find someone that
does not have to refer to a book ,but has experience in this field. I have
since been told by my current physican, that the reaction I experienced
from the large number of stings in his opinion was venom poisoning and not
an allergic reation. I spent money every week that may not have been needed.
There is a lot of information on the internet concerning allergic reactions.
But, there is nothing better than an "experienced physican".

Since 2002 there have been no reactions, I work the hives without gloves
(except when taken honey) and seldom can even find where I was stung that
day.

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