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The Healf Source
Bee Venom Therapy: Exclusive Insights With Stinglab
Written by: Pippa Thackeray
Written on: September 22, 2024
Bee Venom Therapy (BVT) is a controversial health topic gaining traction amongst those seeking solutions for life-altering conditions such as Lyme disease, Alzheimer’s, MS, and chronic pain. It might seem a bit out there for those who are not already aware of it, but this ancient use of bee venom for its therapeutic benefits has spanned millennia; it has even been well documented in the ancient writings of Hippocrates and Aristotle.
To find out more about this intriguing topic, I had the pleasure of speaking with Kate Hinkens of Stinglab, a dedicated practitioner and researcher in the BVT field. Her inspiring journey of self-experimentation led to her sharing her learnings with others suffering from debilitating conditions. Read the full interview to discover the potential behind BVT and why it is advocated for its bright future in modern medicine.
Lyme Disease: Kate’s Journey
P: Thank you so much for joining me today, Kate. To understand your story, we need to go all the way back to the start. So, please could you begin by telling us a bit about how your journey with Lyme disease began?
K: “Of course, thanks for having me! I had a difficult time getting diagnosed. It all started when I became very sick when I was 7. They never figured out a correct diagnosis, even after I spent a year in and out of the hospital at Mayo Clinic seeing countless specialists. My organs were shutting down, I was in a wheelchair, I was in constant joint pain and had frequent migraines— doctors told my parents to prepare for the worst. I eventually recovered and my illness went into remission. I fell ill again in high school— still with no diagnosis. It wasn’t until after college when I hit rock bottom with my symptoms, that I sought out more comprehensive diagnostic tools and was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease.”
P: Wow, that must have been really difficult, especially dealing with it for so long. Could I ask, what were the symptoms you experienced?
K: “It was really difficult. The main symptoms for me were extreme exhaustion and constant pain, especially in my joints. I also had frequent migraines and some really scary memory issues. I’d start a sentence and just completely forget where I was going with it, or try to write something and not be able to make the words come together. I was losing my ability to think, write, and speak.
Discovering Bee Venom Therapy
P: That sounds incredibly challenging. So, how did you go from dealing with these symptoms to discovering Bee Venom Therapy?
K: “I tried everything, both western and holistic. I started with intensive herbal and dietary protocols, Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine, and ozone and stem cells. When the holistic treatments weren’t working, I started intravenous antibiotics and stem cells under the guidance of a top Lyme specialist. It only made me sicker. I had heard of bee venom therapy before, but hadn’t looked into it very deeply. I started reading scientific papers from bed to learn more about it. Once I understood on a chemical and scientific level why bee venom had real therapeutic potential, I decided to give it a try. I ordered bees online and they arrived on my doorstep in a humming, vibrating box. I started stinging myself and began to feel a difference within a few weeks.
What is Bee Venom Therapy?
P: That’s really fascinating… But, it does sound utterly terrifying to let a box full of bees into your home! So, my next question would be, for someone who’s completely new to it, what exactly is Bee Venom Therapy, and what are the intentions behind it?
K: “Bee Venom Therapy is the therapeutic use of bee venom to address conditions ranging from Lyme disease and other chronic bacterial and viral conditions to arthritis to MS to cancer. Bee venom is able to address conditions that have a systemic inflammatory pattern at their root as well as hard to treat bacterias and viruses. The venom contains over 60 active compounds. One of the key compounds, melittin, can break through the biofilms that protect hard-to-treat bacterias and viruses. It can not only kill these pathogens, but also train your immune system to fight them off more effectively.
P: That’s super interesting — the science behind it does seem intriguing. And you said you actually started doing this therapy on yourself? Can you elaborate — how was that for you at first?
K: “It was intimidating at first— being stung hurts and is nerve wracking. The pain is worth it, though. I started feeling a difference in my brain function within a few weeks. I started to get these small glimpses of clarity where I could think a bit more clearly again. These little moments were what kept me going. Over the course of a year and a half, my joint pain dissipated, my migraines stopped, I began to be able to walk and exercise again. I tested negative for Lyme disease after a year and a half.
What does a Bee Venom Session look like?
P: That really is remarkable. So, I guess BVT was all worth it in the end for you?
K: “Yes absolutely. The bees gave me my life back and I am forever grateful. Once I was back to full health, I was ready to get back to normal, non-sick life. I wanted to distance myself from the world of chronic illness, but the universe had another plan— I ended up dating someone that happened to have Lyme disease and I started to teach him how to do bee venom therapy on himself. Watching him begin to heal with BVT made me understand that I needed to pass this medicine on. So Stinglab was born from my desire to share the medicine of the bees.
P: That is truly inspiring! So, can I ask, what does a typical Bee Venom Therapy session look like exactly? What should someone new to it expect?
K: “I teach people how to administer the bee venom themselves through a six-week intensive course. Before treatment, we start with the fundamentals, building an understanding of the science behind Bee Venom Therapy, then moving onto lab testing, supplement protocols, and eventually, the practical side — how to safely sting yourself. By the end of the course, people are ready to start their own therapy process, and we provide ongoing support through forums and digital platforms. Everyone is unique, and no BVT journey is the same. That is where my support, both online and in person, comes into play to help people understand their presenting condition holistically.
Bee Venom Therapy: Conditions with potential for treatment
P: I love the idea of a truly comprehensive approach to treatment. I’m also curious, you’ve mentioned Lyme disease a lot, but could you provide some detail regarding other conditions that Bee Venom Therapy appears to be effective for?
K: “Absolutely. It’s been studied for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, MS, fibromyalgia, and various autoimmune conditions. It’s also shown promise in treating certain types of cancer and even post-COVID symptoms. This is a really exciting area for all sorts of chronic and serious conditions: It is particularly useful for anything rooted in chronic systemic inflammation. BVT is a powerful therapy and is already shaping the future of how we treat chronic illness.
Bee Venom Therapy Misconceptions: Dispelling the myths
P: It sounds like a deeply powerful therapy. But I imagine there must be some misconceptions out there. What’s the biggest pushback you get from people about BVT, in general? Are people sceptical about it and what it might do to their bodies?
K: “Besides the obvious hesitations about the inconvenience and absurdity of working with a medicine that involves stinging insects, the primary discourse opposing BVT is actually around the wellbeing of the bees themselves. When a bee stings, it dies, so bee venom therapy does involve the loss of life of bees. I take this very seriously, as bees are one of the most important species for our ecosystem and for the survival of humanity. Killing bees is never a good thing, but I do think it’s important to understand a few more layers of nuance in this conversation. Firstly, we use bees that are nearing the end of their lives for bee venom therapy. In a single colony of bees, there are anywhere between 20,000-130,000 bees at any given time.
Second, we need to understand the role of bees in our agricultural system and how bee venom therapy can actually improve bee populations. The majority of commercial beekeepers in the United States rent out their bees for crop pollination, which in many cases exposes them to pesticides and mono crops, both of which ruin the bees’ delicate microbiomes.
Commercial beekeepers lose up to 2/3 of their hives every year. However, when beekeepers are given an alternate revenue source in the form of selling bees for apitherapy, they are able to keep colonies healthier, resulting in fewer bees dying. Bee venom therapy actually helps support overall bee populations.
The pain factor
P: That’s a really interesting perspective. I have to ask, however, what about the pain? I mean, it’s got to hurt a lot, right? Does this ever put people off the treatment?
K: “Yes it hurts! But you have to reframe it from the perspective of someone suffering from a chronic condition. When you’re dealing with chronic illness, you’re in pain constantly, so anything that provides real, lasting relief is worth it. The pain of bee stings pales in comparison to the pain people are suffering everyday from their conditions.
P: Interesting! Oh, and one last thing — I have been wondering why you use the actual bee stings instead of simply extracting the venom?
K: “Using live bees is currently the most effective way to administer treatment because bee venom is an extremely unstable substance. As soon as it’s exposed to oxygen or light it begins to degrade.
P: That makes a whole lot of sense. Thanks so much Kate! As a bit of a BVT outsider myself, this chat has been truly eye-opening. But, before we wrap up, what’s next for Stinglab? Any exciting developments or projects on the horizon?
K: My pleasure! Sharing the medicine of the bees is my life’s work and I’m so grateful for your and the Healf’s team’s openness and interest in sharing cutting edge therapies like this. My goal with Stinglab is to share the intelligence of the bees to improve human and planetary health, which will take many forms across the disciplines of science, longevity, healthcare, and art. I’m excited to share more of what is in development soon!
We will be watching the space for sure. Bee Venom Therapy shows real promise for chronic conditions, though it may not be the most appropriate treatment for everyone. It’s important to consult a healthcare professional to explore what’s best for your specific needs.
This article is for informational purposes only, even if and regardless of whether it features the advice of physicians and medical practitioners. This article is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice. The views expressed in this article are the views of the expert and do not necessarily represent the views of Healf
Pippa is a content writer and qualified Nutritional Therapist (DipNT) creating research-based content with a passion for many areas of wellbeing, including hormonal health, mental health and digestive health.
As a contributor to The Healf Source, she regularly attends seminars and programmes on a plethora of contemporary health issues and modern research insights with a drive to never stop learning. In addition, interviewing experts and specialists across The Four Pillars: EAT, MOVE, MIND, SLEEP.
In her spare time, she is an avid swimmer, mindfulness and yoga lover, occasionally bringing a raw, honest approach to the topics she faces. You may also discover some personal accounts of eye-opening wellbeing experiences amidst the reality of a disorientating, and often conflicting, modern wellbeing space.
