The People's Pharmacy® with Joe and Terry Graedon

I just got stung by a red wasp on one of my toes, and what gave me almost instant relief was soaking my foot in epsom salt. I also applied baking soda and vinegar after 15 minutes of soaking. I experienced no pain, and not a lot of swelling, either.

I just got stung and/or bitten (I could not find a stinger) by a wasp on my toe, and having no tobacco in the house, I had heard about using either toothpaste or baking soda. My husband uses a baking soda toothpaste, so I quickly put some of that on the area. I immediately felt a drawing sensation as had been the case when I had gotten stung as a child and was pasted up with chewing tobacco. After that sensation went away, the pain subsided quickly.

I came to your website for another remedy in case this didn't work, though it seemed to. After reading the baking soda/vinegar remedy, I am trying it. I think the baking soda toothpaste worked really well and was handy without having to mix up something. And so far, there's little swelling. Thanks. I love your show and website!

My son got stung by a wasp at his grandmother's house. She put garlic on it, and in less then an hour you coudn't even tell he'd been stung--no swelling, no redness. Slice it in half and put it on. He swears by it--says it takes away the pain right away.

The onion remedy worked great for my son! He was stung by 4 wasps and it took the swelling and pain away. Thanks a million.

I got stung by a Red Wasp last night. I put a paste of meat tenderizer and water on it, then ice, then cortizone.
The ice helped the pain, the paste did not help much nor the cortizone. I have a very red spot the size of a tennis ball on my right upper arm. What can i do now?

This past summer I was at a boy scout campout and the yellow jackets were out in force. Over the course of the weekend, at least 9 kids were stung. One lady there told me about using aspirin. You get a non-coated aspirin, put a little water on it to make a thick paste, and put it on the sting. The pain and swelling went away within seconds, every time.

I was stung today by a wasp on the inside of my thumb. Called NHS direct; their advice was ok, but I logged onto this website and used the method of bicarbonated soda and vinegar, and it work really well. After 10 minutes of soaking, the pain was nearly gone.

My 5-year-old and I were each stung twice by red wasps when we climbed into the enclosed top of a jungle gym while visiting Oklahoma. My 5-year-old got vinegar, ice and benadryl cream on hers by many caring adults. I got much less attentive care (but really, it should be that way). Anyhoo, in a few minutes she was fine and barely had a welt. My back continued to sting like the dickens for hours, and I still have a large, itchy red welt the size of a silver dollar three days later. I try to love all creatures, but red wasps are not on my favorite list.

I'm a pianist, and I also react to wasp stings rather poorly, and I get really worried and freak out when I get stung on the hand.

Yesterday I was stung just below the thumbnail and within minutes my hand looked like a rubber glove that had been filled with air.

I immediately put it under some cold water, found my Apis Mell (great homeopathic for bites, stings, and swells), popped four ibuprofin, and then looked online for some help.

Came to this site and saw the success people had with onions, so I cut a slice of onion and taped it to my thumb.

Within an hour the swelling started to go down. By dinner time, six hours later, my hand was almost completely normal. I could bend my thumb, the swelling was down to hardly nothing, and the only pain I felt was in the joints because of the huge inflammation I had.

Listen folks, the onion WORKS. It doesn't work immediately, but it works. Last year when I got stung in the wrist, I didn't know about the onion and my hand was almost useless over a week.

i got stung by a wasp and not thinking about what works best remembered that i read an article about using dawn dish soap for fire ant bites, i squirted some on the sting and no swelling and the pain was gone within 10 minutes.

I just got stung by a wasp for the first time - I could not believe how painful it was! My first thought was, if it hurts this bad now, what's it going to feel like in a few minutes. I ran back in the house, washed the sting with dish detergent, soaked it in cool salt water, squeezing the area around the sting occasionally hoping to push the poison to the surface while the salt water pulled it out. Lastly, I took half an antihistamine, four advil and continued soaking for about 10 minutes. There's no pain, though there's a slight amount of redness and swelling. Anyway, this worked great, but now I wish I'd had an onion... :)

My Daughter was outside playing and was stung by a wasp I tryed the onion and it worked.

Got injected by a wasp yesterday and this is the second time this summer. Have grown up not being allergic to any stings, but it seems now at 58 my immune system is compromised.

Of all things both stings did not hurt, not at all, stings were done on each opposing hand. The results were a swelling the size of the "Hulk toy fist". Tried the Adolph's tenderizer and that did nothing. Took Benadryl and that also did not work for the spread of swelling.

I went to the emergency room first bite and they sent me home with cortizone and icepack and the swelling went down in a week. Went to the doctor's second time and got same instructions and to continue the Benedryl (plus script for Epipen). But after reading the testimonials with the onion remedy, it's now 22 hours after the sting, I'm going to see if that helps with the swelling: at this late hour. Will get back later with results.

Vicks Vapor rub also works, my son used it and it drew the sting out, I just got stung and am trying it now...

Wasp sting pain can also be relived if you tape a penny to the sting. I have used several other remedies as well but this one is convenient since a penny is easy to find in a hurry.

I got stung by a black wasp on my leg while i was watering my neighbors flowers. After a day my leg was swelled up to about twice the size. I searched the web and found out about the vinegar/baking soda remedy. I mixed 2 tablespoons of baking soda with 1 tablespoon of vinegar and made a paste that I smothered on my leg. soon afterwords the pain and itching was gone and the paste dried up into a sort of cast. i left it on for 20 mins. and it came off easily with water. I have also sprinkled just plain vinegar on the red swelling part of my leg. the inside of banana peels also work very well. Give my remedies a shot maybe they will work on your next insect bite.

Victoria, TX
I used the combination of apple cider vinegar and baking soda on a wasp sting and felt instant relief. The foaming action should amuse children who have been frightened by the sting.

i have a sting on my leg and it started to swell up my friends mom told me to put seasoning salt and water in a bowl and mix it up i did it and put it on the sting then put a bandege on it. it took the sting out right away

I got stung on the back of my hand and I applied a cold wash cloth and then it starting itching sooo bad. I got up and put calamine lotion on it didn't do much. Went to the doctor the next day. I got a shot and celebrex - its been nearly 24 hours and its still swollen but not as bad. Does anyone know how long it stays swollen -- worried here!

I am a school nurse in Tennessee. A teacher got stung by a wasp today that couldn't take Benadryl. (makes him sleepy) We put tobacco and a penny on top of it to apply pressure then topped it off with a bandaid. After about 1 hour, there was no more pain and no more swelling. Couldn't even tell where he had been stung.

My two boys found a hole in ground in the back yard where hornets were going in and out and decided to poke a stick down the hole. One was stung 11 and the other 14 times. I put them in the tub and started cool water. They were screaming in pain! I wet and softened an aspirin for each sting and attached them with a bandaid. I also gave them benadryl. There was no swelling and no sign of the stings the next day. I missed one sting on the back of one of my son's leg and it was very red and swollen the net day so I know the aspirin worked!