Someone else has written about Ciguatera at last… here is a link to that site to read more about it… Nothing new from the information I have but its more up to date which might help some…
I dont think I would trust the bleed test at all after suffering this for so long… nothing would make me trust fish ever again… always take great care when eating fish….
https://surfsimply.com/magazine/dont-eat-that-fish-about-ciguatera-french-polynesia
Ciguatera Fish Poisoning is still rife all over the world, people suffering and frightened when they get the first symptoms so quickly and violently… yes! its violent on the body. Ciguatera is a maotoxin and 1000 times stronger than arsenic poisoning. It can kill quickly as well. Most people’s first symptoms are terrible pain – everywhere, especially legs and feet, hands.
Please be careful over the holiday period about what fish you are eating.. anything over 30cms or 3kg can be deadly and you cannot tell if a fish has CIGUATERA. People who are aware of it give a piece of fish to a cat or dog (yes, its true!!) and if it gets sick or dies fairly fast, then they throw the fish out… there is no way to know. There is NO blood test for you to have, there is no cure, there is no support, research or help.
THINK TWICE before eating fish and if you do not know the original size of the fish, dont risk it! I know people who had sushi in a restaurant and have been sick for a long long time now.. a simple meal that can affect your life forever. I read once that it can also disable you… well, it did to me. I couldn’t walk for around 5-7 years and most of that was bed ridden in dreadful pain. DO NOT EAT FISH without knowing this…
Not every fish has Ciguatera… but how can you know…. you can’t.
PLEASE INFORM YOURSELF AND READ ABOUT THIS AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE CAREFUL TO NOT GET THIS DREADFUL POISONING
/div>
Hi all… I dont write much on Ciguatera these days but having had 2 more serious emails this last week has me concerned… this is becoming so common now and people are still suffering terribly and the media and doctors are still not doing anything about it… I have suffered this for 18 years now and no new findings or research or even a blood test has been done… THIS IS AWFUL!
I am putting this new email here to show you that someone can have it and live normally til seafood is ingested again and it can come back at you… I cant believe that no one is helping this issue.. I have written to tv stations and shows, newspapers, all sorts of people; spent a fortune on mail and publishing my boring book cost me a lot as well and I never got a thing back from it… I was hoping for awareness and something to be done. Does anyone know anyone who can get this into the media and have some awareness done about it… let me know…
Latest Email: (persons name is kept confidential)…. I Was diagnosed with this quite a few years ago now but have been a bit sceptical from time to time.
Just this last week I’ve eaten some sashimi and then was invited to dinner on NYE and ate some salmon quiche which I never do.
Since then I feel like rubbish. Tingling in my lips, sore back of neck, throat, fatigued, itchy, vision worse than normal.
Maybe I believe it now. Especially going back through all your notes.
I also had the most horrific vertigo attack last Eater when I was under quite a bit of stress – dehydrated, had a few drinks, during a competition ( I endurance ride horses believe it or not).
The wandering blood pressure, etc. This caused me concern b/c it was always a toss up whether I could donate blood or not.
Thinking about it. Should I even consider this – would my blood be toxic for someone else?
My GP not long referred me for this to a cardiologist who I am due to go and see next week. As in her tests for the wandering BP I had one renal artery scan with narrowing.
She did some prelim tests which have my noradrenaline higher than it should be and I think they’re going looking for ectopic sources of that adrenal tissue.
Now I read that due to the effects on Ca2+ gating that this is one of the symptoms?
IF ANYONE WANTS ONE OF MY BOOKS I AM HAPPY TO SEND YOU ONE FREE…
Since writing that I have improved greatly but it has cost me a lot of money at naturopath and still does… disability aids cost a lot which I dont have to use now…a trip to Bali saw me doing a 3 day healing, purge with a Bali healer and I have been able to be free of the ciguatera in mind and body for several years now… however, I will always have physical limitations due to the poison changing my muscle structure forever so I am very limited to physical activity. I am also always paying for a special treatment I get every 2 weeks (wish it was weekly but cant afford it) and this fellow helps my muscles recover from the stress of movement and allows me to have a better physical life. This will never go away but it is manageable and better than lying in bed in pain!! This is what you life can become if you get Ciguatera… and I am one of the lucky ones!!!
I hope these notes and warning reach as many people as they can, please pass this information on and around so that everyone knows and can be aware that
EATING FISH IS PLAYING RUSSIAN ROULETTE WITH YOUR LIFE !! Dont eat anything over 30cm or 3kgs… it can kill you and it will if it has CIGUATERA… you cant see it, taste it, feel it, cook it, delete it in any way… it is a silent poison and it frightens me that more and more people are suffering…. take care all and pass it around please
Christine
It seems negative to always talk about something that is so difficult to live with but I believe it helps those suffering. It helps to express your frustration, anger and pain and in time it will get better. When I first got Ciguatera I read about long term disability. I didn’t, for one minute, think that it was really possible for me. I had eaten only a small amount of fish and symptoms were horrible but I could still do everything I wanted to. At the time I didnt know that to continue normal activity etc is not the right thing to do for a body that is coping with poison.
However, with time my symptoms lessened until I took more physical work and this tired me out so much that the poison began to ‘awaken’ again. The symptoms were quite different this time, second attack is nothing like the first, in fact it is much much worse. It took me a while to realize, actually I didnt even realize as my body just collapsed and I could not get out of bed or walk at all. This happened in small doses, a few days at a time. I continued working but eventually collapsed and became disabled.
I initially used the typing chair to get around on as it has wheels but the attack continued to get worse until I had to purchase a disability scooter to get in and out of bed and around my small house. For quite some time I spend all day on the day lounge and all night in the bedroom – for years. No shopping or driving or gardening, getting to the post box was a major achievement. Cooking meals and just taking a shower became the goal for the day. By this time the toxin was very active and my muscles were in enormous pain. Nerve endings were so alive I could not even tap my finger on a surface without hours of pain from it. I spent many hours, days and night just crying in pain. The toxin definitely affects the brain, sight and other important faculties as it is moving through the bloodstream at all times. It becomes especially active 2 hours after eating. In digesting food we are re-ingesting the toxin as well… each person must watch the body carefully and I cannot say strongly enough that you need to REST. Rest does heal the nerve endings which are being attacked and bi-carb & water or chlorophyll to keep the stomach alkaline will help your suffering lots. The toxin creates an acidic environment in the stomach and this helps it remain active. I always have a very fiery itch – everywhere – when the toxin is active, especially after eating. This is one reason so many people get so thin, eating becomes quite scary! Do not eat more fish, eggs, chicken, some oils, peanuts or any peanut products to name the most common.
Toxins cannot remain active in an alkaline stomach, so this is one of the best tips ever!
So, I just with all sufferers the very best. If you choose not to slow down or take proper care of your body while you are suffering the toxin, then you may very well end up more sick. Please take heed of what is happening to you at all times. Bless this poison (not!). Everything is for a purpose, so try not to wonder why it happened but attend to doing what you can in the best way you can. It has changed my lifestyle forever but I have found new ways to enjoy things. Good luck to everyone out there and
DONT EAT FISH
Unfortunately, another 2 people have fallen victim to Ciguatera! I have contacted these girls to try and help them but I just want to remind everyone that CIGUATERA does not go away, it is not curable, there is no
One of the welts that come up and itch and burn. Burns all over body.
real help for this awful suffering. People –
DONT EAT FISH !! Get educated about Ciguatera so you do not suffer.
“My sister and I had Amberjack last Friday and have become victims of Ciguatera. The gi symptoms have abated however the muscle weakness and the severe itching and temperature symptoms have not. We have been using ibuprofen, Tylenol and benedryl with limited and minimal results. Topical applications of hydrocortisone are futile. Any suggestions you might have would be appreciated. We are both very uncomfortable”
I am still trying to get awareness out there about this dreadful POISON. Did Ciguatera Fish Poisoning kill these women? The news says they have been returned to the family now and more tests will be done. I pray this is named. It might not be this but it sure sounds like it. Nothing kills us like Poisons! Tell all your friends and family that this is caught from fish all around the world now. You do not know you are eating it, it does not taste, smell or anything that will alert you to it. It strikes within minutes and the lucky ones live!
I have been living with the poison for 14 years or more and it changes your life completely. I am quite well now but it has taken a long time to recover from the symptoms and I will never be completely free of it. Others I know are still dreadfully ill and one lady I spoke to who has had it 35 years, still gets sick if she eats any seafoods. Lets get the news out there people and please look into it for yourself.
EATING FISH IS LIKE PLAYING RUSSIAN ROULETTE WITH YOUR LIFE!!
One of the welts that come up and itch and burn. Burns all over body.
I have had CIGUATERA FISH POISONING for almost 13 years now and suffered enormous pain, burning skin and itching beyond belief causing a lot difficulty during those years. The Ciguatera Fish Poison is not a new poison but been around our planet from birth. It is caused by fish eating weed on DYING CORAL & ROCK which has the Ciguatera toxin contained within it. When the fish grows to 3kilos or a larger fish eats it, the ciguatera toxins are generated into the flesh of the fish and it becomes fatal to small mammals and some humans. There are many cases of deaths in recent years around the globe.
The ciguatera toxin contains 5 other toxins within it and is 1000 times more powerful than arsenic poisoning so it is very detrimental to ones health and well being if you happen to ingest it. OFTEN mis-diagnosed for MS, Skin problems, Mental problems and anything else they can think of because it is so little known about. I have known only one GP in many years who was a little familiar. Not one GP ever offered to help me look and learn!?
There is NO blood test for this however the ITCH & BURN is often the way this is diagnosed and redness, burning and intense itching of palms of hands, inner mouth, throat etc all at the onset especially. This subsides (sometimes) and changes into other symptoms; it moves about your body and attacks are recurrent depending on diet and activity. Some people can continue to work and have a fairly normal life, often reporting a re-attack when eating sea foods, chicken etc… others…. suffer horribly and it changes their life forever, permanently and its real!! One’s hot and cold feelings become opposite as the nervous system is affected. Nausea, weight loss, loss of balance and thinking abilities, loss of muscular ability, amongst a myriad of other symptoms.
YOU DO NOT WANT TO GET CIGUATERA FISH POISONING so please educate yourself now
I hope this site will bring in stories from others who are suffering and some more information on how to cope with this insidious poison. I welcome and invite everyone to have their say, write their story and tell us your information on eating habits and maintaining a lifestyle.
I have written a small book called LIVING WITH CIGUATERA FISH POISONING and welcome anyone to purchase it as an e-book from Xlibris, Amazon and other book stores. It is available as a soft cover for $20 plus postage and hard covers are available. I am happy to donate a book to any health organisation or library that would use it for reference material.
For more information or link to purchase this book please click here:forecast4fortune.com
CIGUATOXINS are amongst the deadliest mammalian poison known to us, volume for volume it is 1,000 times more potent than arsenic.
This frightening poison has been around for centuries – perfectly natural to our world for many centuries.
WE ARE NOT INFORMED and more importantly there is very little knowledge and even less help for anyone who gets ill from this toxin. I ate fresh fish with cigutera and my life has never been the same since.
WHY ARE WE NOT INFORMED? –
WHY DOESN’T ANYONE TALK ABOUT IT? –
WHY IS THERE NO AWARENESS ABOUT THIS POISON when just about everything else on the planet has a medicine for it. Possibly, this is a reason why. The medical field cant figure it out. However, I rarely find a medical person who has even heard of it so how can they diagnose people correctly.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
is about the most common misdiagnoses – among other things that people are reported as having when doctors cant diagnose them….. dermatology problems, mental problems, imaginings!! ie. making it up. I have read of many many people who experience this before they are diagnosed, sometimes for years.
I have had CIGUATERA FISH POISONING for almost 13 years now and suffered enormous pain, burning skin and itching beyond belief causing a lot difficulty during those years. The Ciguatera Fish Poison is not a new poison but been around our planet from birth. It is caused by fish eating weed on DYING CORAL & ROCK which has the Ciguatera toxin contained within it. When the fish grows to 3kilos or a larger fish eats it, the ciguatera toxins are generated into the flesh of the fish and it becomes fatal to small mammals and some humans. There are many cases of deaths in recent years around the globe.
The ciguatera toxin contains 5 other toxins within it and is 1000 times more powerful than arsenic poisoning so it is very detrimental to ones health and well being if you happen to ingest it. OFTEN mis-diagnosed for MS, Skin problems, Mental problems and anything else they can think of because it is so little known about. I have known only one GP in many years who was a little familiar. Not one GP ever offered to help me look and learn!?
There is NO blood test for this however the ITCH & BURN is often the way this is diagnosed and redness, burning and intense itching of palms of hands, inner mouth, throat etc all at the onset especially. This subsides (sometimes) and changes into other symptoms; it moves about your body and attacks are recurrent depending on diet and activity. Some people can continue to work and have a fairly normal life, often reporting a re-attack when eating seafoods, chicken etc… others…. suffer horribly and it changes their life forever, permanently and its real!! One’s hot and cold feelings become opposite as the nervous system is affected. Nausea, wieght loss, loss of balance and thinking abilities, loss of muscular ability, amongst a myriad of other symptoms.
YOU DO NOT WANT TO GET CIGUATERA FISH POISONING so please educate yourself now
I hope this site will bring in stories from others who are suffering and some more information on how to cope with this insidious poison. I welcome and invite everyone to have their say, write their story and tell us your information on eating habits and mainting a lifestyle.
I have written a small book called LIVING WITH CIGUATERA FISH POISONING and welcome anyone to purchase it as an e-book from Xlibris, Amazon and other book stores. It is available as a soft cover for $20 plus postage and hard covers are available. I am happy to donate a book to any health organisation or library that would use it for reference material.
Please send in your experiences to me so we can make this the hub of healing ourselves and each other, while making others aware of this dangerous poison & how easily it gets ingested.
You may not know about it before you get it but believe me you will know VERY QUICKLY if you have ingested ciguateric fish. Get to hospital and get a MANNITOL shot. You will need a great deal of medicine to help your body cope and there is NO MEDICAL HELP. Natural medicines – naturopathic and homeopathic are the only medicines that have helped me gain wellness and many others suffering. Please get natural help as soon as you can.
For any further information or inquiries please contact me at cooeechris1@gmail.com or see the support group on Facebook.
HOW DO YOU TELL IF FISH HAS CIGUATERA FISH POISON IN IT?
There is a lot of information around now about Ciguatera. Read my small book if you would like up to date information and personal experiences. You can find the link to the book on this link.
There is no real test for ciguatera in fish. Many chefs have not even heard of it and would not know. The toxin cannot be cooked, frozen, tested or anything. Small things like: flies will not land on fish with ciguatera – a silver coin or ring under scales will turn black – or the most common is to give a piece of the fish to a small mammal and if it dies – well, you know it is toxic. YES! It is recorded that people do this in some places.
I got Ciguatera because the fisherman forgot to test the fish and then the resort owners forgot as well. They were all well aware of it but thought each one of them had “tested” it. So it was cut up and set out for us to cook on a BBQ, along with a wonderful platter of crustaceans – which I can’t eat having an allergy to them. Consequently, I ate more fish than anyone.
The fish looked and seemed fresh – as it was – only 2 hours out of the ocean – yum. We didn’t see the initial size of the fish but there were many large fillets for us and we cooked several at once. The were cooked for more than the several minutes that it takes to cook fresh fish. Instead of that, it seemed uncooked – almost still spongy or raw to feel – not to look at. It looked cooked. On eting we decided it must be still raw so back onto the BBQ for another cook. It was so well cooked now, or so we thought it should be that it was decided “there was something strange about it” and we mostly discontinued to eat anymore. As I mentioned, I kept eating some, but only from the very edges as this part seemed cooked.
So, the most UNUSUAL thing I could say about the fish was this strange texture, even though it was well cooked.
Japanese cooking uses a lot of fresh fish and also the internal organs. The toxins go to this area of the fish more than the flesh so the toxin is much stronger if you eat pate and this sort of food that is made from fish organs. I know people who got Ciguatera eating at a Sushi bar in Sydney, New South Wales.
In Melbourne in the late 1990’s at a Japanese Fish Banquet 90 people died and 300 were taken ill. New York has a similar incident where 30 people died after a banquet. You can find these facts if you look.
WHY ARE WE NOT INFORMED ABOUT SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN ON OUR PLANET SINCE IT BEGAN
THIS IS NOTHING NEW!! PLEASE TELL EVERYONE TO AVOID BEING VERY ILL.
WARNING!! Please read below for the latest advice from Fijian islanders about Ciguatera Fish Poison!
NEW POST: I received this message 4/10/12 via a private facebook page. I am amazed that this person’s cat lived as it usually kills small mammals. I am amazed to hear that the people she met from Nevada (who had not eaten fish before?) had no reaction. Never heard or read about this either, so I will ask her for more information on that.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
More people who are suffering… please read: WARNING!!!
NEW POST INFORMATION IS FROM/THROUGH NATIVE ISLANDERS WHO KNOW AND HAVE KNOWN FOREVER, ABOUT SUCH THINGS. THIS LADY LIVES ON A SOUTH PACIFIC ISLAND WITH THE ISLANDERS AND LIVES LIKE THEM. I BELIEVE THEY WOULD KNOW THE MOST SO LETS TAKE NOTICE
Hi Chris, Ive experienced Ciguatera Fish Poisoning once. My daughter Coral and out cat Tinkles got it from the same fish. So did the cook and the waitress. Strangely enough a large Mangrove Jack carried the algae induced poisoned flesh. Another 12 people all from the Nevada Desert ate from the same fish the same night. The fish was brought in freshly speared that day. The funny thing about Ciguatera is that if a persons diet consists of plenty of fish from the sea there is no immunity to contracting the violent sickness. The people from Nevada didn’t flinch the next day they were healthy as could be without a trace of poisoning. Unlike us I actually felt it coming on barely four hours after eating a modest portion. Cat nearly died and for 10 days Coral and I kept her strength up by eye-dropping liquids down her throat. Summer time in Fiji its not a good plan to eat Red skinned fish over 40cm in length especially if they are caught inside the reef lagoons. This is where the algae blooms which these fish feed off which poisons there flesh for human consumption.
Sega na lega A very important fact is that Ciga carrier fish, are actually predators of algae eating fish while not being algae eaters themselves. Thereby the Ciga carrier fish become contaminated, poisoning human and or mammalia who consume their fishy flesh. The specific type of algae prevails prolifically during summer in the tropics mainly. This the a dangerous time to be eating Coral Trout, Red Bass, and a few others after they exceed a length of 30cm. They are bound to be poisonous. However I speak from knowledge gleaned from Fiji Island communities, experience, and from my own research.
About 3 weeks ago when in Fiji Noelene and I were in SavuSavu. We were yarning to a extremely well seasoned sailor on his mono about to sail north. He relayed a very disturbing story. When he sailed across the Atlantic he had a crew on board who had this Gigarecorder laser thingy and they ran it along the body of a 2okg Walu (sorry my Fijian entering again) Spanish Makeral and the Giga went ballistic recording 75% over the healthy normal limit of radiation in this poor pelagic body.
HOW CAN WE GET THIS MESSAGE OUT TO EVERYONE SO THEY KNOW?!?!?
I am hoping to raise awareness of this so everyone can have a choice of knowing that they can die or be very ill from eating fresh fish!! Yes!! fresh fish… no, its not man made, its a perfectly natural toxin that can be deadly to mammals – small or large.
Fish eat the weed or algae on dying rock or coral that is toxic. When they are either consumed by a larger fish or grow to 3 kilos they pass the ciguatera toxin up the food chain. Nothing new but it was new to me when I got so sick….
DO NOT TRUST FISH OILS!!
DO NOT TRUST EATING FISH
DO NOT TRUST CANNED TUNA
DO NOT KID YOURSELF THAT YOUR CANT GET IT
CIGUATOXINS are amongst the deadliest mammalian poison known to us, volume for volume it is 1,000 times more potent than arsenic.
This frightening poison has been around for centuries – perfectly natural to our world for many centuries.
WE ARE NOT INFORMED and more importantly there is very little knowledge and even less help for anyone who gets ill from this toxin. I ate fresh fish with cigutera and my life has never been the same since.
WHY ARE WE NOT INFORMED? –
WHY DOESN’T ANYONE TALK ABOUT IT? –
WHY IS THERE NO AWARENESS ABOUT THIS POISON when just about everything else on the planet has a medicine for it. Possibly, this is a reason why. The medical field cant figure it out. However, I rarely find a medical person who has even heard of it so how can they diagnose people correctly.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
is about the most common misdiagnoses – among other things that people are reported as having when doctors cant diagnose them….. dermatology problems, mental problems, imaginings!! ie. making it up. I have read of many many people who experience this before they are diagnosed, sometimes for years.
I have had CIGUATERA FISH POISONING for almost 13 years now and suffered enormous pain, burning skin and itching beyond belief causing a lot difficulty during those years. The Ciguatera Fish Poison is not a new poison but been around our planet from birth. It is caused by fish eating weed on DYING CORAL & ROCK which has the Ciguatera toxin contained within it. When the fish grows to 3kilos or a larger fish eats it, the ciguatera toxins are generated into the flesh of the fish and it becomes fatal to small mammals and some humans. There are many cases of deaths in recent years around the globe.
The ciguatera toxin contains 5 other toxins within it and is 1000 times more powerful than arsenic poisoning so it is very detrimental to ones health and well being if you happen to ingest it. OFTEN mis-diagnosed for MS, Skin problems, Mental problems and anything else they can think of because it is so little known about. I have known only one GP in many years who was a little familiar. Not one GP ever offered to help me look and learn!?
There is NO blood test for this however the ITCH & BURN is often the way this is diagnosed and redness, burning and intense itching of palms of hands, inner mouth, throat etc all at the onset especially. This subsides (sometimes) and changes into other symptoms; it moves about your body and attacks are recurrent depending on diet and activity. Some people can continue to work and have a fairly normal life, often reporting a re-attack when eating sea-foods, chicken etc… others…. suffer horribly and it changes their life forever, permanently and its real!! One’s hot and cold feelings become opposite as the nervous system is affected. Nausea, weight loss, loss of balance and thinking abilities, loss of muscular ability, amongst a myriad of other symptoms.
YOU DO NOT WANT TO GET CIGUATERA FISH POISONING so please educate yourself now
I hope this site will bring in stories from others who are suffering and some more information on how to cope with this insidious poison. I welcome and invite everyone to have their say, write their story and tell us your information on eating habits and maintaiing a lifestyle.
I have written a small book called LIVING WITH CIGUATERA FISH POISONING and welcome anyone to purchase it as an e-book from Xlibris, Amazon and other book stores. It is available as a soft cover for $20 plus postage and hard covers are available. I am happy to donate a book to any health organization or library that would use it for reference material.
Please send in your experiences to me so we can make this the hub of healing ourselves and each other, while making others aware of this dangerous poison & how easily it gets ingested.
You may not know about it before you get it but believe me you will know VERY QUICKLY if you have ingested ciguateric fish. Get to hospital and get a MANNITOL shot. You will need a great deal of medicine to help your body cope and there is NO MEDICAL HELP. Natural medicines – naturopathic and homeopathic are the only medicines that have helped me gain wellness and many others suffering. Please get natural help as soon as you can.
For any further information or enquiries please contact me at or go to this link to see more.
THANK YOU
I was talking to a fellow recently who has had ‘cig’ for years and said he was only sick initially but when he thought about it…. he did have reactions when he ate spanner crab. I have never heard about that either. I have come to believe from research that crustaceans are safe as they do not consume fish or the algae/weed that has the toxin.
SO how can we know if such different reactions are from person to person. I would never take the risk of eating any more seafood especially fish but people do and they do have further reactions. Obviously, it isnt severe enough to stop them eating fish! Amazing…. There is so much to wonder at, learn about and research.Anyone out there know some rich scientist who wants to look at this???I am continually blown away just how many people are suffering it but often don’t know, don’t talk about it or don’t live to find out! Really!
I talked to a lady recently who said her aunt died 20 minutes after eating fish out and they never found out what she died of….. WHAT!!!
how can doctors not find out for them or know something??!?!?
Anyone out there got your own experience with this horrid poisoning. ATM I cannot do much at all and the poison is quiet! Still it is a whole lot better than being in constant pain each day like it was during “flashes” or attacks. Anyone who is coping with it got any wonderful ways for healing? France has come up with a possible “cure” as they have worked out the DNA of the ciguatoxin and it sounds exciting. Let’s all hope something soon comes out to help many all over the globe..
Living with Ciguatera Fish Poisoning 