How to Prepare for Starting BVT
If you’re one of the many Lyme sufferers considering starting bee venom therapy, wrapping your head around this out-there treatment might still be a challenge. When we put ourselves in the hands of the medical system—even with “alternative” practitioners such as naturopaths—we’re told exactly what to do: which prescription to fill, how often to take it, and so on. But with BVT and other self-healing modalities, it’s up to us to take matters into our own hands, assembling all the needed supplies and preparing our bodies for this sure-to-be-interesting journey.
Luckily, BVT isn’t as complicated as it sounds—personally, I never did any other Lyme treatments, but I’ve heard it’s far simpler and less taxing on the body than pharmacological protocols or even herbal ones. So let’s go over getting ready for BVT, shall we?
Preparing your body for BVT
I’m going to keep this section shorter than some other BVT sites that you might know about are inclined to. For me, making sure your body is ready for BVT is simple: you’ll want to start off by ascertaining if you’re allergic to bees. Less than 2% of the population is, so you’re likely good to go, but in order to find out, you’ll want to do a test sting.
For this, you’ll want to have an Epipen on hand, an epinephrine auto-injector that you can shove into your thigh if you get a true allergic reaction to venom—that is, anaphylaxis, or your throat closing up. On the very, very small chance that happens, you’d use the Epipen to stop the reaction, then call 911. You can source an Epipen from your physician by telling them that your neighbor has started keeping bees and you want to be safe, or you can just order one over-the-counter from the New Zealand website Kiwi Drug. If you keep the pen in a cool, dark place like a drawer, it should last you the entirety of your BVT treatment.
To do a test sting, you’ll grab one bee and sting one inch out from your spine, on either side, anywhere between your natural waist and the bottom of your shoulder blades. You’ll sting, pull away the bee, and leave the stinger in for 15 seconds. You can then pull it out, and if your throat doesn’t close up within the next 15 minutes, you’re not allergic to bees!
I think it’s a good idea to clean up your diet before beginning BVT by unequivocally removing—that means no “cheating”—all gluten, processed sugar, and vegetable oil-containing foods from your diet. You’ll also want to nix all alcohol, which can cause a negative reaction when it’s consumed during BVT treatment (and overall is a toxin to both the body and the spirit), and make sure you’re primarily eating whole-food, organic ingredients at all times. Some people believe you need to go on a low-histamine diet for BVT, since the venom does produce a histamine effect in the body, but I never did and haven’t seen too much evidence that’s necessary. Also, make sure you’re drinking filtered water, and go ahead and install a quality water filter in your shower, as well.
For many in the Lyme world, the topic of mold is a hot one. I know that when I got sick, the online groups all scared the bejeezus out of me, stating that mold was probably lurking everywhere in my apartment, and that if it was there, I would never heal. I plan to devote a whole blog post to this in the future, but I no longer agree with the whole crazy-making mold detective work the Lyme community goes on about.
If you live in a place that has visible water intrusion—either from outside, like a leak in the roof where rainwater comes in, or inside, like under a sink or behind the toilet—I do believe these to be potentially dangerous sources of mold growth, and you’ll want to use a reputable remediation service to repair those areas before starting BVT. Likewise, if you smell dampness in your home (or, obviously, see visible mold growth on your walls or ceilings), please find the source and address it. Otherwise, I believe the human body is strong and able beyond our wildest imagination, and can of course coexist—and heal—with a little bit of mold present. Unless there’s a reason to suspect mold growth, like those I list, I do not recommend using air or swipe mold testing in your home, because you’ll of course find mold and then go absolutely nuts over it. Mental distress is not good for an already-sick body.
What about lab testing? Most folks will want to do a reputable Lyme test such as IGeneX before commencing treatment, just to make sure they actually have Lyme, which is called “the great imitator” because its symptoms can be indistinguishable from so many other ailments. These tests can also be helpful for identifying coinfections. For me, it’s the only testing I ever did, though I would probably suggest people also get a simple lab test for their liver markers; since bee venom is processed through the liver, it’s important to know that the organ is working well. Oh, and I also wish, in retrospect, that I had checked my serum B12 levels; after BVT, I wasn’t 100% well, and it turned out that I had a severe deficiency that I now address with injections. You can learn more about this condition and how to diagnose it at The B12 Society.
BVT equipment
The list of things you’ll need for BVT is a short and sweet one. For those who live in the U.S. and plan to order bees by mail—did you know that was even a thing?!—you can choose between bee-mailing services Allen’s Bees, located in northern California; Ferris Apiaries, located in South Carolina; and Pollen Peddlers, located in North Carolina. Those on the West Coast will probably want to order from Allen’s, and those on the East Coast from either of the latter ones. Personally, I started BVT using Allen’s, and found the bees to overall be weak and die very quickly; I don’t know if this has changed. Eventually, I switched to Ferris, and those bees were amazingly strong, lasting up to 3 weeks sometimes.
These services will ship small quantities of live bees in a little crate with air holes; you’ll start out ordering smaller amounts, then increase as you ramp up your stings per session on BVT. When the bees arrive, you’ll need to transfer them to a little “bee hut,” where you’ll provide food and water so they can live a couple of additional weeks. I loved my two-section Beezza Hut that I used all throughout BVT, available on Etsy; the two compartments are for two different shipments of bees, so that there’s no chance the “strangers” will fight amongst themselves. I also had a smaller, one-compartment hut that was great for traveling. Ferris also offers a Bee Buddy I know some people used, though opening it just a little to get a bee out seems more challenging. Note: If you live in a warm climate year-round, you can simply contact a local beekeeper to get bees, or forage them off of flowers outside prior to each session using a long, capped jar, like I did during the latter 2 years of my treatment.
For grabbing the bees and lining them up for stinging, you’ll need a few more things. You’ll want one straight reverse-locking tweezer (this means that instead of closing when you squeeze, the tweezers will open, allowing the bee to stay put when you release your grip) for grabbing, and about 5 curved tweezers, which you’ll use to grab the bee gently by its thorax, from the straight tweezer, and to sting your back. I had 10 tweezers so I could line up all my bees at once, but I don’t think it’s necessary. I think you can grab 5 and sting, then grab 5 more and repeat, and you can ask for the tweezers when you place an order with Allen’s, or look around on Amazon—make sure to stretch the tweezers a tiny bit, releasing the tension a bit, when you get them, to ensure you won’t crush any bees. You’ll also want a wooden tweezer holder, also from Beezza, to hold the bee-loaded tweezers; or you can simply place the loaded tweezers in a tall drinking glass.
BVT supplements
The only non-negotiable in terms of BVT supplementation is a high-quality, whole-food vitamin C. High doses of vitamin C help protect the adrenals, which take a hit from BVT due to the nature of the venom. The C helps counteract this effect, which is why stingers take a minimum of 3000 mg per day, and more if experiencing low adrenal symptoms. Liposomal is recommended, and throughout my treatment I took 12foru’s whole food C which you can blend up at home and is an economical option if you buy it in bulk. Healthy Drops, which is also affordable if you buy a larger bottle, is also recommended. Personally, I’m not sure if I would take either of these now, because they both include sunflower lecithin, which can create gut permeability. If anyone knows of a good C alternative, leave a comment!
I took a less-is-more approach to my healing and it’s also what I encourage in one-on-ones. I think Lyme people tend to go off the deep end when taking supplements and potions, instead of just letting the body do its (infinitely wise) thing. I didn’t take any other supplements besides vitamin C during BVT, though obviously some patients might need to fill in vitamin and mineral gaps, etc. I also took quite a bit of propolis, another product of the hive, which is a potent antimicrobial said to target Bartonella. I consumed bee pollen on occasion as a multivitamin.
BVT contraindications
No antihistamines on BVT!
Is there anyone who isn’t eligible to do BVT? Yes! Children under the age of 12, pregnant women, and breastfeeding women can’t. As for supplements and medicines, potent herb tinctures are generally not recommended in conjunction with stinging (except for short-term use) because we just don’t know if they can block or alter the venom’s effect. Antihistamines cannot be taken with BVT, as they block the histamine pathways the venom is thought to utilize, and beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, and steroids are all unsafe to use during BVT. Any painkiller that is not natural should be avoided at all times, but especially during BVT, as NSAIDS can increase the risk of an anaphylactic reaction.
So there you have it: all you need to start bee venom therapy. Questions? Comments? Let me know below!
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