Facts Relating To Bee Venom Therapy For Lyme Disease

By Ruth Jones


Venom therapy has been in existence for many centuries. Its first use is believed to have been among beekeepers in South America, Asia and Eastern Europe. The treatment, also referred to as apitherapy has been attempted for many conditions including multiple sclerosis, asthma, Lyme disease and premenstrual syndrome. There are a number of important facts on bee venom therapy for Lyme disease that one should know if considering this form of treatment.

Lyme disease is an infectious condition that is caused by a bacterium, Borrelia burgdoferi that belongs to the group of microorganisms known as spirochetes. Transmission from one person to another is mainly through tick bites. The symptoms are many and systemic. They include chronic fatigue, insomnia, emotional irritability, reduced libido, joint pains, recurrent jawbone and dental infections, poor memory and confusion among others.

There are no specific guidelines to guide the use of bee venom. Commonly, therapy is initiated at high doses and tapered over several months as the symptoms of an illness begin to resolve. Other practitioners do it in the reverse; starting at a low dose and increasing it gradually until therapeutic levels are attained. As far as the source of the therapeutic agent is concerned, two approaches can be used; exposing the client to the natural sting by a swarm of bees or injecting the commercially available product.

How exactly he venom achieves its effects is not clearly understood. However, research has helped identify at least forty active ingredients within it. The most significant among them is a peptide known as mellitin. This peptide has strong anti-inflammatory properties that rival those of cortisone. The peptide also has the ability to inhibit the reproduction of Borrelia burgodoferi which helps to control the infection.

One may experience a number of side effects when the treatment is administered. The effects are similar to what would be experienced when one is subjected to the natural sting. They include itchiness, swelling and redness of the area where the injection is administered. Note that a number of people (about 5% of the population) mount an allergic response when the treatment is administered. Sensitivity testing will help determine if you fall in this category.

The conventional management of this disease is through the use of antibiotics. Metronidazole (the intravenous formulation) is highly effective against the cystic stage. The oral form is not preferred due to its potential to cause liver injury. Tinididazole is an alternative drug that can also be used if available. It has the advantage of being less toxic. Combining the antibiotics with proteolytic enzymes increases the chances of success.

Venom can be obtained commercially in vials. You will be well advised to get in touch with a physician or an allopathic to take you through the initial stages of the therapy. They will help determine whether you have any sensitivity to the therapeutic agent and also teach you how you can administer to yourself from then on.

Bee venom is still a very important treatment for a number of medical conditions. However, you should bear in mind that there is no scientific basis behind some of the properties that it is claimed to have. A lot of research is still needed in this area.




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