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You'll never try anything else for stings

Submitted by J. Bragg

Immediately after the sting, place a clean penny over the sting. Supposedly, there is a chemical reaction with the copper in the penny which causes the pain to stop and the poison to be drawn out. I have 5 active sons and have used this method probably 100 times in 20+ years. Thats it! Thats all there is to it! try it on a child and the crying will stop quickly.

Penny for a bee sting? Comments By: Don Heinrichs on 2007-04-02

Urban Legends doesn't give it much credibility.

Tender Bee Sting Comments By: Lou Rose on 2007-04-15

Been Stung Twice in My Life of 57 Years.

Adolf's Meat Tenderizer Rubbed on/in the Wound WORKED both Times.
Takes the Sting Out

Humbug! Comments By: R Stevens on 2007-04-18

Good way to kill someone with a serious allergy.

Bee Sting Cure? Comments By: anon on 2007-04-22

I am allergic to bee stings, and carry a "kit" with me at all times. I'm not so sure I would take the risk in trying the penny, but it might work for some folks.

Well..... Comments By: Danielle on 2007-06-13

I've NEVER been stung (not stpid enough to get near or mess with) By bees. It may work, it may not. I don't suggest experimenting if your allergic.

It works Comments By: Vickie on 2007-06-19

I was stung yesterday by a wasp, my sisters in Christ laughed when I suggested the penny after reading it on the internet---Naaman was advised to dip in the water seven times, they thought that was silly too---I didn't have anything to lose. I placed the penny on the sting, God allowed it to work. That's all I have to say ---It worked!

what a crock Comments By: steve on 2007-06-23

Anything that 'sounds too goo to be true' probably is just that.
Check everything out at a reliable site such as snopes.com or urbanlegends.com

tenderize the sting Comments By: j.cook on 2007-08-03

The penny I am not sure about, but the meat tenderizer DOES work. You just make a thick paste with water and plop the paste on the sting. The pain and swelling gone.

It took the swelling down Comments By: Anon on 2007-08-19

I tried it. I didn't know what it was that stung me, I was digging through a box of stuff. It still hurts, but the swelling is down. Better than nothing and it cost me nothing.

Not sure.. Comments By: Anon on 2007-08-22

Not sure if this one actually worked, but Try Chewing tobacco, get water, or spit, or whatever, and put it on your finger, and wipe it on the wound, wherever it may be, and then pinch off some chewing tobacco, and lay it on it, leave it there for about 5-10 minutes, and it brings down swelling.
I realized, a few minutes later, that I'd stepped on the wasp another time, and got a sting, so I tried the penny, and it sort of worked..

Fire Ants Comments By: bill on 2007-08-29

I was stung several times on my right ankle. I mixed a little adolph's meat tenderizer on the bits and the sting was neutralized.

Have never tried a penny.... Comments By: anon on 2007-09-14

But it's worth a try. I use moist mud from the garden and make a plaster over the sting, and that does work.

penny thoughts Comments By: noorjahan ismail on 2007-09-20

this works totally..........

Doubtful Comments By: Chet on 2008-05-05

I douby that it will work, especially for me. I have an allergy to bees and as such casrry a kit with me. I avoid bees of all kinds period. I will not risk my life on the penny!!!!

Don't know Comments By: Swell...not an endearment on 2008-05-26

I'm allergic too. I seem to attact bees, I'm a bee MAGNET, they come at me and sting me. If I see one, I go the other way and still I get stung. I swell up something fierce and sometimes I get dizzy. When I was about 3 or 4 I got stung 23 times in my face and right eye area. I love bees, just like I love diarrhea... lol. I'll try the penny, but I put my stock in first putting a spot of Elmer's Glue on the sting, then pulling out the stinger. That works everytime, by then I'm already swelling, then I put a paste of baking soda and water... this works somewhat, but it's what my mother always did for me. By this time I'm too dizzy to stand up, so I lay down and Then take antihistamines, then I go to sleep. When I wake up, it still hurts a little, the swelling is down and I can function somewhat. Next day I'm pretty much ok. Till the next time... I hate summer.

Say "NO" if you are allergic! Comments By: Bobbi, Willamette Valley, OR, R.N. on 2008-06-08

Maybe it's cause I am a nurse, but whenever someone tells me this or that remedy , first I check Snopes, then Urban Legends- that's the best advice anyone except a bee expert can give you!
If you know you have a bee sting allergy, do NOT even try this-use your Epipen, or head for the ER.
Some home remedies may work, but why chance death if you kow you are allergic?

Use a penny, but only to remove the stinger Comments By: br1ght on 2008-06-10

Sure use a penny, but only to aid in removing a difficult stinger from one's flesh... The only thing holding it in place for may be to relieve someone's anxiety

Bee Sting Meat tenderizer cure Comments By: anon mom on 2008-06-11

Adolf's meat tenderizer works if you make a paste of it and put it on the sting within 30-40 minutes of getting stung. Pharmacist told me in 1990 and I've used it many times since. "Kids say it's magic".

Electrical Solution to Bites and Stings Comments By: Warren Jeffords on 2008-06-17

The penny does work on most people,in varying degrees on some since everyone's body chemistry is different. Electrical shock neutralizes the venom of bites and stings whether it comes from a high voltage source or from the extremely low voltage of a penny acting as an antenna for the man made or natural flow between the Earth's Poles that constantly surround us. Only the time is different. I have personal experience with three types of wasps, bees and Mexican Fire Antswhere the pain ceased instantly when a mild stun gun or a spark igniter was used. Working in the yard, I and my neighborsfrequently see how effective this is on me and themselves. Others here in Texas and around the World have had great success treating snake bites and poisonous spider bites. As soon as I learned about the penny, I began to spread the word and now know from a recent Fire Ant bite that it can also end the pain leaving no evidence of having been bitten. These procedures are First Aid only and should not replace any medical needs for saving one's life. Why not do both at the same time?

worked Comments By: Amanda on 2008-07-21

Did this yesterday and it worked. Obviously if you know you're allergic--DUH--don't use the penny. Otherwise, try it, that is, if you are "stupid enough" to get stung. *points to idiot post high above mine*
I'll just tell my two year old to be smarter next time and not get stung.

Two time loser Comments By: anon on 2008-08-17

Got stung this summer by yellow jacket on hand. Meat tenderizer worked. Got stung two weeks later by wasp flying up my nose! Don't think penny would fit, so used ice. Worked after awhile.

The pennyThought Comments By: Lyn on 2008-09-17

I just now was stung by a wasp (and not because I am stupid, Danielle)but because some times they can be under a blanket in the barn, and one would not know that Danielle.....
"The penny worked!

Kinda Comments By: Francesca on 2008-10-27

I tried the penny but it stung worse than when I got stung by the bee. Then I tried a cleaner penny and it still kinda stung but the swelling went down. Also try putting a wet washcloth and the swelling goes down almost all the way

Well..... Comments By: Danielle Comments By: Tina on 2009-04-27

It's great that Danielle is not stupid enough to get stung but not smart enough to spell stupid.

I'm curious how someone that lives a normal life can not get near a bee, wasp, or hornet sometime in their life time. I walk outside and there will be one buzzing within a couple of feet.

I'm not allergic to bees or wasps, thankfully, so I will try and remember the penny trick. If that fails I'll try the meat tenderizer. However the last time I was stung I did the tobacco trick and it didn't work. My arm swelled up a couple of days later and itched like crazy.

Maybe God cured it? Comments By: Anun on 2009-05-21

to the person who claimed it worked then made a God reference, maybe God cured it instead of the penny.

It worked for me! Comments By: Jodi on 2009-06-26

I got stung by a wasp a few nights ago. As I was sitting there icing it, watching my hand swell, I remembered my Dad had told me about the penny remedy. I tried it, and it helped immediately. By morning, every sign of the sting was gone.

yellow jacket sting Comments By: Wood on 2009-07-11

I itch really bad day after sting didnt seem to make much difference. Still itching and swollen

It's worked for us Comments By: Mom of boys on 2009-08-04

This summer both of my boys have been stung for the first time in their lives, thank God they were not allergic, I tried the penny on the stings and it worked. They had no swelling and although my older son did experience some pain, the day after he has no swelling and no bad reactions.

Bull Comments By: Anon on 2010-01-25

doesnt work for crap
next time ill try to use a frozen penny
like ice

The Penny Comments By: Al on 2010-08-14

It works!!!

Baker's Venom Cleanser does work guarenteed! Comments By: Brad Baker on 2010-10-29

Search for Baker's Venom Cleanser or BeeStingCure dot com

Antihistamine spray Comments By: Regina1965 on 2011-05-24

Pharmacist recommended over the counter, antihistamine spray on the insect bite. It works on wasp sting. And No, you are not stupid if you get stung as happened to a few people on a local tourist train runing through the woods. The train must have upset a hive and several people were stung. It happens without our knowledge sometimes. For me, the wasp was on the dark blue rug in a darken room, I didn't see it, stepped on it and got stung.

Danielle is "stpid" Comments By: Not "stpid" Danielle on 2011-06-02

I have not been officially diagnosed as being allergic to bees/wasp stings; however, I was pulling weeds in my flower bed was stung on the end of my finger. After a week of being swollen and itchy to my elbow,I went to the doctor told me that I was more than likey sensitized to these stings and would more than likely have a severe reaction the next time I was stung.

I am not going to risk my life over a penny.

As for Danielle, she is "stpid" for thinking someone can avoid a sting when you don't even know they are near and you accidently provoke them into stinging.

less swellin briefly removes the pain Comments By: excavator on 2011-06-13

I would rather be mauled by a German shepherd than get stung by a bee. I avoid it at all costs but while tearing down a building to get a paycheck I was apparently stupid enough to get stung. all the remedies I found required things I don't have right now but I do have a penny. Thus far it seems to work for a bit then the stinging comes back but I keep rubbing it on there and it keeps making it better briefly.

Great if you're not allergic Comments By: Anon on 2011-08-20

I got stung by a bee for the first time ever today- it landed on my arm and I didn't see it, which you do not have to be stupid to do. I tried many methods, and I would say the penny worked best. It eventually stopped working, but that probably means I need to replace the penny. Also, you need to hold it onto your skin. But if you can live with that, and are not allergic, try it!

Remove sting with penny Comments By: Eden on 2011-08-12

Thank you for telling me that because i was always scared of taking out ma sting but then i used the sting tonight and it came out without any pain because i just lightly scraped it and did it gain and again and then it jut came out so thank you soo much for telling me that method.

Penny Relief Comments By: Upda Wazoo on 2011-08-13

I just got stung by bee a few minutes ago and I've applied a clean penny on the spot where I was stung. Does it work?...hard to say. It doesn't hurt as much but maybe the pain is subsiding on its own. Twenty minutes have passed and the spot covered by the penny is no longer raised and the pain is almost gone. Maybe this is a coincidence or maybe it actually works.