People’s Pharmacy | Can bee stings really ease arthritis pain?
Q. My grandmother told me that bee stings or yellow jacket stings would relieve arthritis for an extended time. I’d like to believe her, but I don’t know if I should. Do you have any information on using stings to relieve arthritis pain?
A. Back in the early 20th century, some doctors actually prescribed bee stings to treat arthritis. Hospital pharmacies stocked the venom. This treatment fell out of favor after World War II, though.
We heard about this approach many years ago, when one reader wrote: “While snoozing on the porch I was stung on the finger by a tiny bee. The result: intense pain, and after that a great reduction of arthritis in my arm.”
According to one study, bee venom contains many components with anti-inflammatory action (Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology, Aug. 2025). Some researchers are working on nanotechnology to deliver this natural medicine more effectively.
No one should undertake bee venom treatment on their own, though. That’s because some people are deathly allergic to bee stings and would need immediate emergency treatment if they were stung. People who are interested can visit the American Apitherapy Society website for more information.
Q. When I was a kid, I had a couple warts on my fingers. This condition was embarrassing, as it happened at a time when I was becoming aware of my appearance, probably around fourth grade.
A friend of the family had a grandmother who told me removing warts was safe and simple. She said to rub the wart with a potato. That’s all. I tried it.
Imagine my surprise when the warts disappeared within a month. Uma, the grandmother who shared this treatment with me, told me this was an old cure her ancestors used to remove warts in 19th century Germany. I have no idea why it worked, but it did.
A. We have been collecting wart remedies for decades. The potato “cure” dates back to the 19th century, if not earlier. Other approaches involve banana peel, turmeric, castor oil or hot salty water applied to the skin around the wart. The hot water soak has actually been written up in a medical journal, Cleveland Clinic Quarterly (July, 1962).
You can learn about many more wart treatments in our eGuide to Favorite Home Remedies. This online resource can be found under the Health eGuides tab at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.
Q. I’ve had chigger bites three times now. I used clear nail polish on the bites, and it immediately took the itch away by suffocating the chiggers. This definitely works!
A. Dermatologists have long maintained that nail polish is worthless, since chiggers don’t actually burrow into the skin. But we have learned that these invisible critters can remain attached to a person’s skin for days. During that time, they inject irritating enzymes that can trigger a severe inflammatory reaction.
Once we discovered this behavior, we began to suspect that perhaps nail polish could suffocate these tiny arthropods while they are still feeding. Since so many people have found this remedy helpful, we think it might well be worth a try. Even better would be to avoid chigger bites by wearing permethrin-treated gaiters over long pants when venturing into the woods or a berry patch.
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In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or e-mail them via their Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.com. Their newest book is Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them (Crown).