Hornet sting

[Snowgirl65]

As a quick follow up to my recent post about anxiety over a downed tree triggering my a-fib episode, can I please add something? During my chain-sawing of the tree, I encountered a hornets nest and was stung on my hand. It hurt as expected, and a few days later my hand swelled and itched. That part's beside the point. I later read that hornet stings can trigger a-fib. Could it be that's what led to my a-fib episode and not anxiety after all? I guess I'll never know.

[PlanetaryKim]

I think the histamine response to a hornet sting could potentially trigger afib. Antihistamines are part of some people's "rescue cocktail" for converting to NSR.

[Leilani63 in reply to PlanetaryKim]

I am confused…antihistamines and supposed to trigger Afib episodes not stop them —please explain

[PlanetaryKim in reply to Leilani63]

Where did you hear that, and which antihistamines? Because as far as I know, the opposite is true.

[PlanetaryKim in reply to Leilani63]

There are quite a few scientific papers showing a correlation between excess histamine and atrial fibrillation... And that giving an antihistamine can convert the afib to NSR. Here is one example. It's talking about histamine production during anaphalaxis... But any instance of histamine production is relevant, whether bee sting or the increase in hsitamine from a meal and digestion or allergic reaction to anything...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

"Histamine is one well‐known mediator in allergic and in inflammatory conditions as physiologically regulates several cardiovascular and endothelial functions with arrhythmogenic potential. The increased oxidative stress, measured by the redox potentials of glutathione, has been correlated with atrial brillation incidence and prevalence. The use of antazoline, a first‐generation antihistamine agent used for rapid conversion of recent‐onset atrial fibrillation in patients with preserved left ventricular function and for rapid atrial fibrillation termination during accessory pathway ablation denotes that anaphylaxis‐induced histamine production could be the cause of atrial fibrillation at least in some instances."

There is quite a bit more out there on the correlation between histamine and atrial fibrillation... and the usage of anithistmaines for the conversion of afib to NSR. Although it doesn't always work. But that could be because not every episode of afib is triggered by excess histamine.

[PlanetaryKim in reply to PlanetaryKim]

Here is another paper on same thing, only this one pertain to H2 histamine receptors, so the relevant antihistamine in these cases would be one that targets H2 receptors like Cimetidine (Tagamet) or Famotadine (Pepcid).

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

"Histamine is known to lead to arrhythmias in the human heart... These arrhythmias in H2-TG could be blocked by the H2-histamine receptor antagonist cimetidine...."

[Leilani63 in reply to Leilani63]

Antihistamines can and often do raise the heart rate. Don’t work for me.

[Ppiman]

Bad luck and quite likely! My 4-year-old grandson was stung last year by a hornet. Nasty things! They look to be on the increase with an invasion of Asian variety, sadly, a species that eats honey bees for supper!

Steve

[Auriculaire in reply to Ppiman]

We have had Asian hornets for many years. They hung round our hives and over plants bees are feeding on. Their stings are worse than those of European hornets and can be deadly. The Gov here did nothing about trying to eliminate them when they first arrived and now it is too late. This despite the pleading of beekeepers. The UK government needs to have a campaign of elimination as being an island there is more chance of success.

[Ppiman in reply to Auriculaire]

The chances of our Mr Sunak doing anything to help wildlife is slim I feel given his recent pronouncements.

Are the French honey bees surviving? The Asian harlequin ladybirds decimated our own variety some years ago.

Steve

[Auriculaire in reply to Ppiman]

There has been a diminution especially in areas where lots of pesticides are used. Luckily round us it is mostly cattle country. There are apple orchards but our most local one gave up. Proprietor got one of the apple pesticide related cancers. We have lost our bees - the last lot died last year but of wax moth. No swarm came to occupy the empty hives this year. We have lots of honey bees in our garden but they are visitors. My husband is less keen to restart as the hives are heavy and extracting the honey a lot of work though he has a half share in an extractor with a friend who also keeps bees. I don't mind not having our own bees anymore as they could be aggressive if I was weeding too close to the hives. I react badly to the stings so I had to wear bee gear which was hot and cumbersome. Plus the hives attracted Asian hornets

[Ppiman in reply to Auriculaire]

I worry about those pesticides!

Steve

[Snowgirl65 in reply to Ppiman]

I read the same thing about invasive hornets. And our poor honeybees (and people like your grandson and myself!) suffer.

[BaileyC57]

My heart doctor said that stress and anxiety does not help with AFIB! I have anxiety and it starts my Afib!

[FancyPants54]

Apparently there are at least 2 nests of Asian Hornets in our village this summer. But the people who know where they are are insisting on trying to kill them themselves. That's never going to work! There's a great pest controller 1 village over but they don't want to pay! One of the nests is in a cottage roof! The owner hopes they will die off soon!!

[Snowgirl65 in reply to FancyPants54]

I'd never risk it on my own if a nest was attached to my house. In my case, I went to my local DIY store and bought a powerful hornet killer that sprays 20 feet. I stood well back from the tree limb and 'let her rip!' The nest was about 6 inches diameter and it killed all of them inside.

[bassets]

I once sat by an open garden door, was bitten by something ti ny - it had to be I didn't see it - and had to go to hospital with a bad allergic reaction which caused an episode of AF.

[FancyPants54 in reply to bassets]

Spider bites could do that.

[bassets in reply to FancyPants54]

Yes it probably was a spider

[FancyPants54 in reply to bassets]

My husband got bitten good and proper by a big spider a couple of decades ago. It was on the curtain. It was an outside spider looking for a mate. I could not get it into the spider catcher I have because it was on the curtain. He picked it up and went to carry it out, but it got out of his fist and fell on the floor. He grabbed it again and this time it was angry and bit him on the base of his ring finger.

It first came up red and hurt a bit. We went to work (we worked together) and then later his finger went white and swelled up. He had to take his ring off quickly before it was too late. Then both his ring finger and middle finger spent 2 days swollen, white and numb.

This is why I can't like spiders.

[Snowgirl65 in reply to FancyPants54]

Wow! That really sounded nasty!

[FancyPants54 in reply to Snowgirl65]

He's never picked one up since! He used to just pick them up and take them out because I really don't like them. Now it's usually me that deals with them with the spider catcher.

Mum now lives in our garden in a small barn. She doesn't like them either so I have to get them out for her!

[bassets in reply to FancyPants54]

Not the best job! I don't like them either but have one of those brush affairs that seems to work and it's usually me that moves them.

[Snowgirl65]

Yours must have been pretty bad then.

[lovetogarden]

yikes! Hornet stings hurt! Seems like a possibility that contributed to the afib. 😢