I can only reply anecdotally because I have not been stung, but the persons I've talked to made an impression. One, when asked what it felt like, said, "You know how bad a wasp sting feels? Well, this is like taking the wasp and inserting it UNDER your skin!" However, that fellow also said that heat dramatically reduced the pain level and may have shortened the time required for healing. In his case, he was out on a dive boat, and hot water wasn't readily available. The captain, however, was resourceful and found a place on the boat's manifold that was hot, but not hot enough to burn skin. The diver held his injured hand on the manifold and within minutes the pain subsided a great deal. I've since read that it takes a temperature of 105 degrees F for the proteins in the venom to degrade.