Bee sting

[SoupDragon]

I was stung on the ankle yesterday afternoon and the ankle is now very swollen and painful when I put weight on (although this eases up if I walk round for a while). I've taken an antihistamine and rubbed in an antiH sting cream and sitting with it up is great until I put the foot down to walk at which point it's agonising.

When will it go down and/or when should I worry about it? I've been stung before but not with this level of reaction.

Put some ice packs on it when you're sitting down. If it doesn't improve within a couple of days you might need to see your GP. It's usually towards the end of the year that stings become infected due to the deterioration of the insect that's stinging you.

Thanks. Yes, my mum suggested ice packs but it's chuffing freeezing and the prospect is not appealing

Thankfully, I don't think it's infected as it's not red enough. The sting isn't left in there either.

Beekeeper's daughter here. Poor you - it really is painful; in our family we joke that serious injury e.g. James Bond, extreme stuff, is 'as bad as a bee sting'...

It will swell up, but keep an eye on it - unlikely to be infected, but do watch and if it becomes itchy then go to see your GP. Should be back to normal by the end of the week.

I actually ended up at the doctors yesterday afternoon and now have antibiotics. He was mightily impressed with the reaction and couldn't tell if it was infected or just a bad reaction. As the redness was spreading up my leg, he erred on the side of caution.

Not had a reaction this bad before I have to say.

Odd. Must suspect an infection if giving antibiotics? Is it itchy??
I swell up very badly indeed - I'm allergic actually, thanks Dad for keeping bees in the garden, I've been stung more than average!! With me if I'm stung on my hand, it gets massive, like a club, fingers like sausages. But it's the itching that is obvious it's an allergic reaction. (Spreading redness - should stress I'm not a doctor just used to bee stings - sounds like an infection maybe.)

Poor you - hope it's better soon.

It was the spreading redness that I think concerned him. Thankfully I'm not allergic to them beyond the usual allergic reaction IYSWIM. The redness has mostly subsided leaving me with what looks like a bruise around the sting site but i still have one spindly ankle and one like a tree

It was definitely a bee, a whopper of a bumble bee happens. The sting itself wasn't that painful, just the aftermath.

Being allergic to bee stings with a beekeeper dad isn't a great combo!