Q. On Wednesday afternoon I saw the doctor to request an appointment for an MRI as I was having such severe hip and leg pain. It was at times unbearable. They had to help me get into and out of chairs because I was in so much pain.
Thursday I went outside to get the mail and saw a large weed I did not want in my yard. I tried to pull it up, but could not so I reached down to break it off. When I took hold of the weed, fire ants swarmed out and covered my right hand. I immediately knocked them off, but a few bit me.
I was sick and dizzy most of the day, but a miracle happened: my severe pain has gone. No one will ever believe this. I don’t even believe it myself, as I had been in pain for over a year. I can’t take pain medication. Could fire ant stings be therapeutic?
A. Fire ant bites can produce a terrible reaction for some people. Heart failure and even seizures have been reported after multiple stings. Some people may experience anaphylactic shock after a fire ant bite.
We could find no evidence of any therapeutic benefit from such bites although there are reports that bee stings (apitherapy) may produce relief from pain and inflammation. We would never suggest anyone replicate your experiment but researchers are investigating the unique properties of fire ant venom.
