Re: Bee venom therapy -- CFIDS vs MCS

October 10, 2002

Peggy,

I have moderate MCS along with CFS. I can take some chemical

exposure, but not much.

Interestingly, I have been responding somewhat negatively to the BVT,

like the other MCS people you mention. I am still sticking it out

though, perhaps unwisely?

If you are talking to , she will give you good advice. Just go

slow, would be my only admonition, and of course, keep an ephinphrine

kit on hand, as well as some benadryl or doxepin, just in case of an

emergency reaction.

Let me know how it goes for you !!!

This is all highly experimental, of course. But then again, this is

the CFSEX list, no?

Best,

Zippy

P.S. How many MCSers gave you a negative response on BVT ? I can't

imagine there would be that big of a sampling who have tried it.

=============================================================

> Does anyone on this list who has tried bee venom therapy have MCS

as well as

> CFIDS? I am going to try BVT as soon as I can get my act together,

using a

> desensitization protocol (the BVT guru of this list)

recommended to me

> for MCS, but I'm wondering about its efficacy and safety in my

particular

> case. I posted on an MCS list about BVT, and got only negative

reports --

> their bodies responded to BVT like any other toxin, and they got

very sick

> from it (though all seemed to recover, so it would still be worth

trying as

> far as I'm concerned). My original illness was CFIDS, but I also

developed

> MCS several years after my onset of CFIDS, and now have them in

equal parts.

>

> Peggy

October 10, 2002

Hi Peggy,

You could contact:

Theo Cherbuliez M.D., President of The American Apitherapy Society

(914) 723-0920 (leave a message -- hell'call back)

Email : president@...

He would be able to give you an honest answer if it's safe for you to

use BVT.

As you know, I'm trying to collect data -- positive or negative -- on

the use of BVT for CFS/FM so it could help others. Could you give me

more information on the symptoms these people had that reported a

negative reactionat to BVT? How many people? I experienced

a " healing crisis " (herx) and felt sick with fever after I started

BVT, but it's considered a positive sign indicating that the TH1

immune system is kicking in and reacting to the bee venom. Could

this be what these people experienced when they say got very sick?

Good Luck!

Bzzz...

PS: I don't have MCS, but years ago, before I started to use BVT, I

developed MCS after I started to use a very low dose of the beta

blocker Atenolol. The MCS gradually went away after I stopped taking

it. The only after effect is that my sense of smell to perfumes and

chemicals is heightened now, but they don't make me sick anymore.