Every time someone has suggested this to me, they have warned me that if I have serious allergies, don't take it. They say to eat local honey instead.

If they were real bad, I'd see about the allergy shots. Something about having a known dose rather than the crap shoot of taking bee pollen or local honey seems safer, but I just can't put my finger on it...

And stay clear of the dogs with bee supplements, and when they bark they shoot bee supplements at you.

In the patient's defense, she WAS unaware of any allergy vis-a-vis pollen.

Like most supplements, these have little to no potency after sitting on shelves for months on end. If you're really concerned about your health, eat a few fresh bees each day. You can thank me later.

Ed Finnerty: Like most supplements, these have little to no potency after sitting on shelves for months on end. If you're really concerned about your health, eat a few fresh bees each day. You can thank me later.

This is why i keep a pile of sugar in my backyard. Fresh bees are deliciously stingy.

I_Am_Weasel: And stay clear of the dogs with bee supplements, and when they bark they shoot bee supplements at you.

Well done.

Ed Finnerty: Like most supplements, these have little to no potency after sitting on shelves for months on end. If you're really concerned about your health, eat a few fresh bees each day. You can thank me later.

That's pretty good advice except that fresh bees should be taken rectally.

meat0918: Every time someone has suggested this to me, they have warned me that if I have serious allergies, don't take it. They say to eat local honey instead.

If they were real bad, I'd see about the allergy shots. Something about having a known dose rather than the crap shoot of taking bee pollen or local honey seems safer, but I just can't put my finger on it...

But then you'll get the autism. Do you know any autistic bees? I didn't think so.

My wife has a severe semen allergy. As soon as it touches her tongue, she gags and throws up. Even vaginally, her stomach swells up. She says I have to masturbate four or five times before I'm allowed in her, but by then I'm exhausted.

Does bee pollen give you a nice buzz?

Just because someone is allergic to flower pollen doesn't mean they should assume they're allergic to bee pollen. Bees and flowers aren't even in the same kingdom.

Warning people allergic to bee pollen to stay away from bee pollen is like telling people with peanut allergies that peanut butter is dangerous!

Someone please cue Bill Engvall and his collection of signs.

RTFA
"Sussman is a consultant for drug maker Pfizer and has received grants from Novartis and CSL Behring."

So there is a drug manufacturer's representative (think Clairatin) saying that natural remedies such as bee pollen do not work because of ONE case of an allergic reaction. Both pollen and honey have their benefits to people suffering from seasonal allergies, without the side effects of otc medicine. But then again everything in moderation, including moderation.

/If subby is this stupid we should just let her go

csb: years ago my Dr. and I decided that would be a good idea to desensitize me to bee stings since I have a real problem with stings (read: anaphylactic shock). He orders serum, decides it would be good idea to start with 1/10 recommended dose. He shoots me up, I hit the floor. Gets me going again, we wait 2 weeks, he says "Let's try 1/100th the recommended dose", I say "ok by me". He shoots me up, I hit the floor. Gets me going again. After that, we just hunted quail together.

Will probably die from bee sting.

Interestingly, only minor pain and swelling from other Hymenoptera (for now).

PEOPLE PEOPLE, please stop confusing bee pollen (the type eaten in the article) with flower pollen (the kind of pollen most people are allergic too.) Yes they are related but not the same.

/Your sister is not your brother just because they are in the same family

I'm not trying to start a flamewar here, but bee pollen and flour are not the same thing.

I remember a hilarious blog post from a blogger I used to really enjoy about having to rush her new boyfriend to the hospital after discovering that he was allergic to bee pollen.

After wearing bee pollen lipstick on a date.

And the swelling and pain wasn't from kissing.

Well, it was, just not from kissing his mouth.

Sadly, the blog appears to be dead and The Googles do nothing to find it.

spentmiles: I'm not trying to start a flamewar here, but bee pollen and flour are not the same thing.

Isn't bee pollen basically flower pollen with some extra additives?

Do the bees need to declare how much flower pollen is in their bee pollen? "Contains 10% flower pollen"

Mcaffolder: PEOPLE PEOPLE, please stop confusing bee pollen (the type eaten in the article) with flower pollen (the kind of pollen most people are allergic too.) Yes they are related but not the same.

/Your sister is not your brother just because they are in the same family


Peanut butter isn't peanuts either.

Considering that bee pollen (aka bee bread) is just flower pollen that's been mixed with nectar and whatever else worker bees happen to collect on themselves, it would be silly not to equate them for purposes of determining what might trigger an anaphalactic reaction.

lordargent: spentmiles: I'm not trying to start a flamewar here, but bee pollen and flour are not the same thing.

Isn't bee pollen basically flower pollen with some extra additives?

Do the bees need to declare how much flower pollen is in their bee pollen? "Contains 10% flower pollen"

Abort, abort, do not engage spentmiles. Also notice the spelling of flour vs. flower...

Mcaffolder: RTFA
"Sussman is a consultant for drug maker Pfizer and has received grants from Novartis and CSL Behring."

So there is a drug manufacturer's representative (think Clairatin) saying that natural remedies such as bee pollen do not work because of ONE case of an allergic reaction. Both pollen and honey have their benefits to people suffering from seasonal allergies, without the side effects of otc medicine. But then again everything in moderation, including moderation.

/If subby is this stupid we should just let her go

Subby's a man, baby. (Although I am wearing a skirt in my profile...) I would suggest that remedies flogged by anyone as the One Great Cure, be they from a Big Bad Pharma rep or a Perfect Natural Homeopathic Guru, should be taken with a grain of salt and a glass of water.

CSB moment:

My brother's got a nut allergy, anaphylactic. Years ago he was complaining about being tired all the time and how, since moving, his pollen allergies were really acting up. While we were talking, he was mixing himself a protein shake.

"Hey, that's praline flavour!"

"So?"

"That's almonds and caramel!"

"WHAT??"

He stopped the daily poison shake and started feeling better.

I think we should just let them go.
Because, Man, they're gone.
- J. Handy

Taking bee pollen is no different than getting allergy shots. If they give you too much, anaphylaxis for you. Thats why they give you an epipen. Local honey is the best as the pollen residues in the honey are representative of the local pollen varieties. Serums are developed for you in a custom way but include only ratios of tested allergens and true allergens may never be identified and treated as a consequence of the limits of the tests. Local honey is like a shotgun blast but will include your pollen allergy. This lady probably took too much. Had shots for 3the years, still had allergies until 31, cutting out milk did reduce them drastically though not really sure why.

If after washing vegetables from a grocery store or garden, you're not eating pollen.. then it's not a supplement.

I don't care if the pill is labelled a supplement I might add.

Screw that label.

self correcting problem, it seems