Bee stings--a remedy for postherpetic neuralgia? A case report.
OBJECTIVE
This case report describes the effects of bee stings on painful postherpetic neuralgia in a 51-year-old man.


METHODS
The patient was stung by 3 bees in the distribution in which he had been experiencing postherpetic neuralgia. One day after the bee stings, the patient's painful postherpetic neuralgia was completely relieved, and the relief lasted for 1 and a half months. Subsequently, the patient's pain returned, but at significantly less intensity and frequency than what he had experienced prior to the bee stings.


CONCLUSIONS
Bee venom and bee sting therapy have been shown to have both antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties, which may explain why the bee stings relieved the patient's postherpetic neuralgia. Bee sting or bee venom therapy should be further investigated as a potential treatment modality for postherpetic neuralgia.
Department of Anesthesiology and Pain, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, USA. james.janik@chw.edu
James E
JE
Janik
Lana
L
Wania-Galicia
Donna
D
Kalauokalani
D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007299:Insect Bites and Stings; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051474:Neuralgia, Postherpetic / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology