Bee Sting---when should I get worried?

I am going to 2nd the stinger theory. If it was an allergic reaction it would have been much worse by now, and more sudden. I have had a bee sting swollen for a day or so though, from just the venom.

Try a baking soda paste on it healthwyze.org/reports/225-natural-remedies-for-bee-wasp-and-hornet-stings

Sounds completely normal.
The only reason you'd need to see a doctor for an insect sting/bite would be if you are having trouble breathing or if other vital signs are affected - rapid heart rate, low blood pressure BUT these are signs of a severe allergic reaction and would occur in the first hour or so after the sting.
Pain, itching, redness and swelling at the site are completely normal and to be expected.
Benadryl is probably overkill, but it will reduce the itch and swelling, but you don't need to take it. If you have any, you could apply some hydrocortisone cream to the area and/or some ice. Also some simple analgesic such a Tylenol will help with the pain.
Most stings will be red and itchy for several days.

Rarely a bite might get infected, then there would be increasing pain, redness, pus from the site and potentially a red line running up the limb...then you'd need to see a doctor for antibiotics, but unless you have a compromised immune system, that would be unlikely to occur.

I have nothing to add (it's nice to have a nurse in the thread also ) -- but, isn't it amazing (in a bad way) how painful bee stings are?? I mean, the darn bee isn't very big really, yet they hurt like heck. The last time I was stung was a few years ago on my finger and I remember that hurt for ages.

Hope yours feels better soon. 

In my not so humble opinion there is nothing that a visit with Jose won't fix.

I agree, they do hurt. People seem to forget that and assume if something hurts and is red and itchy there must be something seriously wrong...but it's just normal. I've dealt with patients who completely freak out over bee/wasp/ant stings and want to rush their kids to ER! Yes in a few people they can cause serious life threatening allergies, in everyone else they just hurt and people seem to think that they should be able to take one dose of something and it should all be cured. The idea that something will be painful, red, itchy swollen for a few days seems to be a foreign concept and people mistakenly think something must be seriously wrong.

I'm not referring to the OP specifically here - just from my interactions with the general public over the years.

People also mistakenly think they "have" to take antihistamine...you don't. If it's particularly painful and itchy you can take some and it will help lessen the symptoms a bit, but it's not necessary, some ice and Tylenol are also fine and will reduce the symptoms as well.

Where I used to work the protocol was to refer people to a doctor if they still had symptoms after a week.

FWIW the recommended way to remove the stinger (which will often just look like a small black dot at the site of the bite) is to scrape across it with a firm action, you can use your nail or if you have one handy a bank/credit card, hold the card (or fingernail) at about 30deg to the skin and scrape over the bite gently but firmly in one direction. That's usually enough to remove the stinger and if the sac is still attached to the stinger this will avoid injecting the rest of the venom.

I was stung last year on my foot. It hurt like heck and my foot got really red and swelled up. Just when I thought it was getting better, it got worse and I learned that this is fairly typical. I did try the benadryl but didn't see much change. I did try the baking soda paste and also recently read that dabbing vinegar over the spot helps relieve some of the stinging. And I warn you now, the itching that follows makes you want to scratch your skin off - at least that was the reaction I had and heard it was quite common. I had issues for just shy of a month. Crazy, right?

Cellulitis can develop - but it is a bacterial infection; most commonly staphylococcus or streptococcus bacteria.
For that to occur you have to be scratching it, breaking the skin and introducing bacteria. It doesn't just occur from the sting itself.

So yes, logically do not scratch it or keep touching it and risk breaking the skin and/or introducing bacteria that can lead to an infection...but that's true of any skin wound and not specific to insect bites & stings.

I am a beekeeper. You wouldn't believe how many people tell me they are allergic to bees. Actually so am I, I swell up like a balloon and it itches for days. But it's normal

If you get stung in the face, it's just like free botox

Oh TankTop, sorry your still feel like the hot dog is in your foot. I pray it is better today!