Allergic Reaction to Bee Pollen

by Harold
(San Leandro, CA, USA)

I started taking bee pollen and got a serious allergic reaction. At first I started with a couple granules and it didn't bother me. Then next day I took a teaspoon and all was well. Last night I experienced an adverse reaction after having a tablespoon and had to go to the emergeny room. This happened after about the fourth day of taking it. At first it started with stomach pain then hives, nasal congestion, rashes, and fast heart rate and swelling to the face. All is well with me now.

I put a pause on the bee pollen for now. My question is should I stop forever or work my way back up slowly again? I would like to enjoy the benefits of it but don't want to end up in the ER again.

I'm also taking raw honey and royal jelly. I experience no problem with raw honey. I'm kind of worried about royal jelly and will start with 1/4 teaspoons and build up to make sure my body is fine with that.

Angela's Response:

First of all Harold, glad to hear that you're alright! I am very serious when I say that people need to start slowly with bee pollen and work their way up to a full dosage. Otherwise they risk having a reaction like you did, which is no fun at all and very scary.

It has been my experience that those having bad reactions to bee pollen are able to resume taking it if they re-introduce it properly.

If you are going to continue taking bee pollen, I'd suggest you start with very small doses (a few granules) and work up to a teaspoon over a 30 day period. Continue taking a teaspoon a day for a further 30 days and then begin increasing your dose again to 2 teaspoons over the next 30 days. You are likely sensitive to the higher doses of pollen and need to give your immune system some time to adapt. If after this time period you're experiencing no allergy symptoms to the pollen, you can slowly increase your intake up again as you approach a full tablespoon. If at any time you feel symptoms, take a few days off from taking bee pollen and then re-start with half the dose you were consuming when you reacted. This may seem like an overly conservative approach to taking bee pollen, but it is better to be slow and safe than to end up in the ER again!

Harold, you should be very conservative with introducing royal jelly into your system as well as it is very potent.

Start with small doses and work up from there. I would suggest taking 1/8 or less of tsp for a week or two to be ultra safe and then moving up to to 1/4 tsp from there. Error on the side of caution!

Continue taking raw honey. It will help stabilize your immune system and helps with pollen allergies.

By the way Harold, what brand of bee pollen did you take?

Bee pollen allergic reaction symptoms?

by Bobette Cianteo

The dosage on my jar of bee pollen was smuged and I mistakenly took just under a Tablespoon for my first try. I had an itchy throat and congestion which has lasted for several hours now. I took a benedryl to be safe but wondered how long the allergic symptoms tend to last?

After reading your very informative site, I will be starting a LOT slower after these symptoms settle down. Also, have you ever heard of bee pollen used for menopausal symptoms?

Thank you,
Bobette Cianteo
Ann Arbor, Michigan


Angela's Response:

Hi Bobette,
Usually these type of symptoms only last a few hours. In rare cases, they can last for longer but with you taking a Bendadryl to be safe was a good idea and will control any further symptoms. Very good idea to start out with much smaller doses to build up. If your symptoms persist for longer than 12 hours, I'd highly suggest you speak to a pharmacist.
Many of our customers use bee pollen for menopause symptoms. I highly recommend using royal jelly with the bee pollen for maximum effectiveness. There are many studies now on royal jelly for hormonal issues and I have several testimonials from customers who have used this comination successfully. Just like starting out with bee pollen, start out with small doses of the royal jelly and gradually increase.

Bee Healthy,
Angela

Bee Healthy,
Angela