Reaction to bee pollen and B vitamins

by trish b
(brighton, mi)

I get a rash on my palms whenever I take bee pollen. At first I was told I was probably allergic to the pollen, but it happens when I take a b12 supplement or get b12 shots. I have to take the pollen for a few weeks (yes, I introduced it gradually). I have to take supplements for a few days before the rash starts, and with the shots it starts after several shots which I was getting every other week or so. The doc never put it together that it was the vitamin b and neither did i. He thought it was exzema. He said i would never get rid of it. Here is a $60 tube of cream that wont cure it but might ease the discomfort. That will be $8o. See you in 2weeks. After i'd spent a fortune i got rid of it with a homeopathic remedy. Or so i thought. Fast forward several years to now. I tried bee pollen and the rash appeared again. Then i realized that years earlier I had stopped getting the b12 shots coincidentally at the same time as I started the homeopathic remedy and that I must be reacting to vitamin b. My health food store said I was more likely allergic to the pollen rather than the vitamin b. So, I stopped the bee pollen and tried b12 supplements and they caused the same allergic reaction on my palms. I fear it has to be the vitamin b i am reacting to. I need the vitamin b. Any advice?

Angela's Comments:

Hi Trish,
So you are reacting to both bee pollen and the vitamin B shots? Do you take a multi vitamin?

Angela

Allergic reaction to bee pollen when I increase dose

hi angela,

Since I am not allergic to very many things I decided to start taking 1 Tsp of bee pollen.No problems for the first 6-7 days. About the 9th day started taking 2 Tsp in my smoothie in the morning.That afternoon I started getting itchy and broke out in hives. Obviously my body cant take 2 TSP. What now? Do I stop until itching stops or go back to 1 Tsp a day and work up from there.

Thanks

Jeff

Great questions Jeff. Yes, definitely cut back your dose. We often see this where people keep increasing their dose and then suddenly get symptoms. I would recommend going back to 1 tsp per day and then slowly increasing the dose ONLY if you don't experience any further symptoms. If you do experience symptoms again after slowly increasing your dose, you may have to accept that you might only be able to take 1 tsp per day going forward! For some reason, the odd person can't handle more than small amounts of bee pollen. We do see this every so often.

Bee healthy,
Angela

Reaction to bee pollen

Hi!
I have recently started taking bee pollen for the past 3 days. On day one I actually took several granules (probably should have done
My research before taking it) but nothing happened to me. The second day, I took about the same amount after eating dinner, and later on started feeling shivery,and anxious; even a little nauseated. However I dismissed this feeling thinking it was from an energy drink I drank earlier in the day, and i felt better the next day.

So, last night I read a little bit more on bee pollen and the dosage You should take, which recommendations are to start in small
amounts, and putting it under your tongue.i did that with three granules and as soon as they dissolved my face had this fuzzy feeling.
Soon I was feeling intense anxiety and shaking in my hands as well as Sweating, sinus pressure, tiredness.. It scared me very badly, despite the fact that it very noticeably started causing my stomach to move around and release tons of gas.my stomach doesn't feel tight anymore
Like it had before!! Which is great.
Still, I'm wondering if I should be continuing its use..
I am a very sensitive person I suppose, and very small, 5'4, about 95 pounds so maybe my body is just overreacting because it was too much?
What are your thoughts?? :)


Angela's Comments:

Hi There,
I would be very cautious with proceeding. If 3 granules caused you to react, I would suggest not proceeding with more unless you are under the supervision of doctor. It just sounds like you are very sensitive to bee pollen. I wish I could tell you otherwise...

Angela

Bee Pollen and Allergic reaction?

by Jane
(Chicago, IL )

Hello, I read your website and like you I am skeptical of negative talk from doctors about supplements. I think for me I want to try bee pollen for the claimed health benefits. I do not have seasonal allergies, but I am still skeptical of having a reaction since I have never just ingested bee pollen in a large does other honey. My son however has been tested for seasonal allergies and has them, not so severe but I do give him allergy meds only during a flare up. My main concern is how likely a reaction could be since they can be severe, I don't want to put him into one nor myself. In your site you said that your husband took it slowly until he found his threshold. What of any experiences did you notice someone doing this and having a reaction halfway through? Or more and less did they continually while developing a tolerance not have a reaction?

HOpe this makes sense.

THank you for answering.
Jane

Angela's Comments:

Hi Jane,
To be honest, I have yet to receive a reaction report from anyone who has started out using the protocol I recommend and slowly increasing over the span of several weeks. Not to say that it can't happen, but it is certainly much rarer than those who simply start taking bee pollen in the full dose right from the start. So yes, you would be correct in that it appears that people slowly develop an immune tolerance to the pollens.

Hope that helps,
Angela

Bee Pollen caused vomitting?

Hello Angela

I had started taking a tsp or 2 of bee pollen about 2 wks ago. After 1 1/2 weeks, I'm at about 21 grams/day with no ill effects. This past friday, I'd had my regular servings but felt slight sharp pains in my stomach after consumption. Much like hunger pangs. The pains would last 10 minutes to an hour, depending on how much I consumed. Sunday, I had my regular bowl of cereal with about 2 tsp of pollen. After about an hour, I was in horrible pain. My wife was so afraid she wanted to take me to the hospital.I have a cast iron stomach and have not thrown up in 22 yrs. That ended Sunday. About an hour after puking, I slept for 4 hrs.
Today, things are happening on the other end. And I'm starting to feel better. Thanks for the condolence.
I assume a have some kind of flu. I've had flus before and was good enough to go to work.
What I cant figure out is what happened this time.
How can such a healthy food cause such pain?
Could it be Acidity or Alkalinity?
Expansion of pollen?
Reaction with virus?
I'm 44, 6', 185 lb and in very good shape. This makes no sense to me.
Do you have any ideas what would have cause such a reaction?
Thank you.

Sheldon

Hi Sheldon,
Its difficult to say exactly but I have seen this happen in the past when people cross over a certain threshold of consumption of both pollen and even royal jelly. The only way to truly know is to stop taking the pollen for a week and then re-introduce it. If you are able to replicate the symptoms, then you are either sensitive/allergic to it or you have a bad quality pollen. You may simply need to only consume 1 tablespoon per day and discontinue the higher amounts.

But you may also be correct in that you may simply have a stomach bug and your symptoms have nothing to do with your bee pollen consumption. Are you feeling any better now?

The other possibility is that your body went through a form of detoxification/elimination due to the pollen. This has been known to happen as well.

Hope that helps. Update me on your status if you have a moment.

Angela

Allergic to bees, can I take bee pollen?

If im allergic to bee stings is the bee pollen product(capsules) ok for me to take.


Angela's Comments:

There is no bee venom in bee pollen so it is common for people who are allergic to bee stings to be able to consume bee pollen. As always, start out with one or two granules and increase by a couple of granules per day if you tolerate the bee pollen well.

Bee healthy,
Angela

How long before allergic reaction begins?

I can't seem to find a clear answer. I took about a tablespoon, because that's how much the person reccomended for doses. They never said anything about starting small!

Now what? That was a couple hours ago.

Angela's Comments:

Chances are if you've experienced nothing at this point (no itchy throat or stomach distress) you're fine and tolerate bee pollen well. Reactions usually begin quite soon upon ingestion. In a small amount of cases they can take longer to surface and are dose dependent meaning that as you take more, a threshold is crossed upon which symptoms occur. Again, this is very rare but increase your dose slowly and observe how you feel.

Hope that helps,
Angela

Allergic reactions - Itchy Throat

by joan gallagher
(toms river, nj)

I have food allergies. I tried bee pollen in small doses and after a week I went to a 1/4 teaspoon and my mouth and throat was really itchy. I stopped taking it. I started today with a teaspoon of local honey and had an itchy mouth again. I want to purchase your cream and royal jelly. Should I wait a while until I build up more slowly and then start to introduce the jelly after I dont' feel allergic any more. I still want to try the lotion for my daughter who has acne.


Thank you for your help.
Joan Gallagher

Hi John,
I would suggest starting out extremely slowly with the bee pollen. For example, try one granule on day one, two on day two and so on until you reach 1/4 teaspoon again. I suspect this will give your body time to properly adjust. Same process with the raw honey. You need to be ultra conservative so use micro doses. I see this process work very well for most people and have seen it work well for people with food allergies. (my husband is one example who has food allergies and got an itchy throat as well but used this process successfully) I would recommend you wait to introduce the royal jelly until you are comfortably taking the bee pollen.

Hope that helps!
Angela

Having a reaction to the Bee Pollen

Hello,
It would appear that I have several of the temporary allergy symptoms from taking bee pollen. Sneezing, runny nose, sweating, etc.! I typically do not have seasonal allergies so I have deducted it is from the bee pollen as I have discovered from reading through this wonderful web site.

My question: How long do these symptoms typically last and should I stop taking it during these symptoms?

I'm 90% sure that I don't have a cold or seasonal allergies.

Thanks for any input as I really don't want to stop taking my bee pollen.

Angela's Response:

It really varies from person to person as to how long these symptoms will last. I've seen them dissappear over a matter of a few days and I've also seen cases where they never disappear and the user has to stop consuming bee pollen. I would suggest you back your dose way down to even a few granules and slowly, gradually work your way back up. This will let your immune system settle down and stop 'over-reacting' while also allowing it to modulate itself.

Let me know if this works for you.

Angela

Stomach issues/diarrhea

I just recently moved to Phoenix from Australia and my allergies went haywire. A friend suggested bee pollen so i tracked some down and started taking it. My allergies have almost disappeared but i'm now having bowel aches and diarrhea. I was curious if you've heard of this reaction before. I'm trying to determine if i just caught a stomach bug or if i'm reacting. Thanks.

Hi Chris,
Yes, I have heard of this happening in very rare cases. I would suggest you stop taking the bee pollen for at least a week to see if the stomach issues clear up. If/when they do, slowly re-introduce the bee pollen. If you are taking granules, start with 5 granules per day and increase gradually over a month if you have no symptoms of stomach distress.

If you go off the bee pollen and the stomach issues continue, you have your answer in that it is not the bee pollen causing your issue.

Bee healthy,
Angela

Headaches?

Can consuming bee pollen and raw honey cause headaches?

Angela's Response:

It certainly could, yes. Most likely it is the bee pollen but while extremely rare, side effects are possible. Try going off both products to see if the headaches stop. If they do, then re-introduce one product at a time to determine which one is causing the headaches.

Angela

Itchy reaction to bee pollen

Hi Angela,
Love the site, I have been in contact previously re our South Australian pollen. WE are selling it a local farmers market, but feel a bit nervous with all the warnings required about reactions, allergy etc, that go with bee pollen. We have found that many people who do get hay fever do get a tingling feeling in the throat or a mild tongue reaction such as an itchy feeling after trying the pollen. This is really starting to worry us, as we don't want to end up in trouble or have someone experience a major reaction to our pollen! Even someone who was used to taking pollen, but another brand, from WA, got the throat thing & it freaked her out as she didn't expect it as she takes big amounts everyday of her lot. I have really enjoyed reading your story about your husband & his allergies, with bee pollen. But I feel that people who need it most i.e. those with hay fever history, are advised not to take it unless under medical supervision?
Can you shed any light on all this for us, thanks kindly Ang for your time.

Regards
Kathryn Borrie


Hi Kathryn,
Great post. Thank you for taking the time. I'd love to respond at length and will do so as you bring up an important point. I will post more here, I am just short on time tonite.

Angela

Gas & pain when taking bee pollen

by M D Singh

My father suffered gas, pain and stomach bloating after taking 2 tablets daily for 2 days. Without allergy test now he fears the bee pollen most. Please guide what to do when this problem comes and how to start his bee pollen diet again because he felt very good and energetic the first day.

Angela's Comments:

I would suggest taking a few days off of the bee pollen first of all. Once his symptoms disappear, begin taking the bee pollen again but only a half a capsule per day. Open up the capsule and dump half of it out to consume. After 1 - 2 weeks, if no symptoms reappear, up his dose to one full capsule. Again wait for 1 - 2 weeks to observe if not symptoms reappear. Up his dose again if he can tolerate this level and continue to do so until you reach his preferred dose each day.

Hope that helps,
Angela

Side effects of bee pollen

I am currently taking zxt gold bee pollen. I have heard that one of the attributes to taking this is clear complexion, however since using this product (I am on my second week) I have noticed an increase in pimples. Is this normal?

Angela's Comments:

Hi there,
I wouldn't say that pimples are normal, but it does happen. There is no definitive answer as to how and why we respond to bee pollen in certain ways but I have several theories. First of all, by the name of it I would say you are consuming a Chinese bee pollen. We have no way of verifying the quality of that product. It could be low quality and this may be contributing to the issue. Another theory would be that you are having a cleansing reaction whereby the pollens are helping the body rid itself of toxins. The skin is one of the body's main organs of elimination. (the bowel's and our respiratory system the others) So, it is quite difficult to say what is happening exactly. I would suggest stopping the bee pollen for 1 - 2 weeks and observing if your skin clears up. You can then choose to either continue with it or not.

Hope that helps,
Angela

BEE POLLEN UPSET STOMACH AND SOME HEART PALPITATIONS

SHOULD I QUIT TAKING BEE POLLEN, I TOOK ABOUT A TEASPOON FOR A WEEK I HAD SOME MINOR ITCHING NOTHING TO BAD, THEN I STARTED GETTING NAUSEA AND SOME HEART PALPITATIONS. IF I CUT BACK WILL THESE SYMPTOMS GO AWAY....

Angela's Comments:

Yes, you should definitely stop. Hard to say if the symptoms will stop but the only way to find out if it is the bee pollen causing them is to stop immediately. If they do stop when you cease taking the pollen, discuss with your Dr. or pharmacist whether or not to continue taking. Some customers we've known who have had these types of symptoms start out with one or two granules at a time and work up to a teaspoon over 4 - 6 weeks. This allows them to adapt to the pollens.

Bee healthy ~ Angela

Allergy to bee pollen

by Rosanne
(Rock Hill, SC)

If I am allergic to bee pollen, would I be allergic to bee hives next door to my home?

Angela's comments:

Not necessarily. If you are allergic to bee pollen you are allergic to the pollens. If you are allergic to bee stings, you are allergic to bee venom.

Bee healthy,
Angela

Itchy throat when I first consumed bee pollen?

by Lisa B.
(Mississauga)

I experienced an itchy throat the first time I took bee pollen. I waited a few days and tried it again because the first time I was fighting a cold but I experienced the same thing. Why is this? I tried it again but this time I mixed it in boiling water with lemon and honey and I didn't get the itchy sensation.

Angela's Response:

Hi Lisa,
Great question. The itchy throat you experienced was a small allergic reaction to the pollens. Do you have allergies at all in the spring/summer? It also could have been an over-reactive immune response due to the cold you had at the time. Your immune system would have been elevated at the time as it was fighting the virus/bacteria you had and simply reacted to the pollens as invaders. Your immune system had probably 'cooled down' a bit by the next time you took the pollen and that is why you didn't react. By adding the hot water, lemon and honey, you would have absorbed the pollens better I suspect too so that may play a role. The only way to know for sure is to try the pollen again dry and see if you get the itchy throat again.

Bee pollen & stomach pain?

I have been trying bee pollen for a couple of months and found at first I had no reaction and felt absolutely great (but ever so slightly nauseous)this encouraged me to take more - I then began to get stomach pain (quite severe) and had to stop. So I went back to building up gradually and would then reach a point when the pain would return - this has gone on for a few weeks - I did try mixing the pollen with honey which made no difference and then tried Agave cactus syrup - with this I don't get the pain but I do feel the onset of other reactions i.e more fatigue/irritably/headache & other symptoms. I have had quite sever allergies for most of my life and have had M.E type symptoms for more than a year - I am keen to continue trying as the initial positive benefits have given me a taste of what is possible but not clear if I am doing the right thing to get to that point with the pollen.

Angela's Comments:

The first thing I would suggest doing is finding out if it is the brand of pollen that is causing the stomach pain and nausea. Have you been using the same brand for the entire year? If so, I would suggest trying out another quality brand to see if it is the specific blend of pollens that you are consuming that is causing you problems. If you do try another brand, be sure to start out with very small quantities and build up to the full dose again as companies source their pollens from different parts of the world. You could be exposing yourself to completely different types of pollen in the new brand and with your allergic tendancies, you'll want to be ultra careful.

I would also suggest that you find out where the pollens you were buying that caused the stomach pain were sourced from. It could be a matter of low quality pollens that were contaminated that was causing the nausea. The fact that you experienced more nausea with larger doses leads me to wonder if this might not be the problem. Trying another high quality brand will help determine if this is the issue.

Let me know once you've tested this out. If you do get symptoms from the new brand as well, I would suggest you try blending your pollen into a smoothie with several other foods etc. (protein/greens powder/flax seed/efa's etc). (I'm assuming you're currently taking your bee pollen on an empty stomach?)

You might also want to try soaking your bee pollen in water for 12 hours before consuming it. This will help make the pollen more easy to digest. I often recommend this to people who have impaired digestion - something you likely do considering you have allergies. Most people who have allergies have something called Leaky Gut, which will be impairing your digestion.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.

Bee pollen side effects

Can bee pollen cause vaginal bleeding in postmenopausal women?

Angela's Comments:

It shouldn't and I have never heard of this occurring but I have learned that anything is possible and that even the rarest of reactions can occur. Stop taking the bee pollen and see if the condition improves.

Bee healthy,
Angela

Purging after taking 2 granuals

I just took bee pollen for the first time. I started with 2 granuals under the tongue and found myself in the bathroom vomiting within 5 minutes. It was quick, painless, and shocking. A slight tightness in the lower throat (like bad heartburn, without the acid...similar to a contraction of the area) lingered for a while. I now feel fine. I actually feel pretty good for someone who had 4 hours of sleep last night, a long drive home from a family gathering, went shopping with the husband and 3 year old (fun city) took 2 bee pollen granuals and promptly evacuated my system. Should I stay away, any advice on proceeding?

Catherine

Hi Catherine,
Yes, you should definitely stay away from bee pollen. It sounds like you are very, very sensitive to it. Normally for people who are very sensitive, we have them start out with one or two granules and slowly immunize themselves to the bee pollen. But if you are that sensitive to even the smallest amounts, I'd suggest staying away from it. If you do decide to proceed, do so only under the supervision of a Doctor.

Angela

Head aches from Pollen?

by Pauline
(Bedfordshire)

Ever since I have been taking bees pollen I have had constant headaches, I have never suffered from them before, could there be a link?

Angela's Comments:

Absolutely. Try stopping for one to two weeks and then observe if the headaches disappear. Let me know how things go.

Angela

Problems with itching and burning in esophagus from Bee pollen

by Tom
(IL )

I started taking Bee Pollen about 3 and a half months ago to my surprise I didn't realize that it was going to help my depression. I no longer have depression I can hardly even think bad thoughts, before bee pollen I could never think a good thoughts all I could think of was negative thoughts. I've never felt this way I've always suffer from the negative thoughts now everyday I wake up I have more energy I can't wait to live I love living I'm 50 years old and never thought that I could ever feel this way.

But now after 2 weeks my 29 year old son has itching and burning in his esophagus, so he stopped using it for 3 days problem went away but negative thoughts are back any ideas??

Angela's Comments:

Hi Tom,
First of all, congratulations on the success of treating your depression. That is truly amazing! As for your son - he is reacting allergically to the bee pollen. Have him stop for one week and then begin again by starting with only 1 or two granules. Have him increase the following day to 3 or 4 granules. And so on each day, slowly increasing the dose but always in tiny increments. He should aim to work up to a teaspoon over one month's time. This should allow his immune system to adapt to the pollens.

Hope that helps! Please let me know how he makes out.
Angela

Been getting headaches

by Lauren
(NJ, USA)

I have been taking raw bee pollen for 2 weeks now. Because I work 3 nights a week, I will sometimes wake up at 3 in the afternoon but not have work that night so I won't take any bee pollen so I can go to sleep at a regular time. When I don't take the bee pollen that day I get a headache. It usually resovles itself without any medication after a few hours. Should I take the bee pollen anyway so I won't get the headaches?
Also, a few times I have taken the bee pollen on an empty stomach only to feel nauseated a few minutes later. One time I actually vomitted. Can you not take bee pollen on an empty stomach? What is the best way to take it?

Angela's Comments:


What brand of bee pollen are you taking? You are definitely reacting to the pollen. It could be low grade pollen or you have an strong sensitivity to bee pollen. Do you have allergies?

Angela

Headaches and heart palpitations

by sarah
(sydney)

Hi, I have been taking bee pollen now for about four weeks, I slowly have brought it up to having 1 tablespoon a day I also take one royal jelly and 1 proposal tablet in the morning, in the 3rd week I felt really sick, Got very bad headaches and heart palpitations constantly, after 5 days I was really worried and I didn’t know what was wrong with me, I went to the docs and she said my blood pressure and sugar levels had been fine and my heart sounded good, but I felt terrible, so she ref me to a cardiologist, I thought this was extreme, anyway my husband suggested maybe it could be the pollen and bee products, so I stopped them over the weekend and now I am back to normal, So I really think it’s the bee stuff, I want to take this stuff so what do you suggest I do and do you think it could be the bee products and have you heard of anyone getting like this??

Angela's Comments:

I would certainly say it is the bee products causing your issues. You need to figure out which product is causing the issues so introduce one product at a time in very, very tiny doses. Work up to the full dose and then, if you have no symptoms, introduce the second product. Repeat this for the third as well. Hopefully you are able to identify the product that is causing the issues.

Bee healthy,