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Clinical effects of the |
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Detoxification: The use of L-Cysteine supplement in the treatment of ulceration caused by spider bites. |
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CONFIDENTIAL QUESTIONNAIRE |
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SPIDER
BITE VICTIMS’ |
| ...5... | TO MEMBERS OF THE SENATE |
| ...6... | Home Remedies: Poultices |
| ...7... | HELEN MIDGLEY, President |
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Detoxification after Spider Bite: |
SPIDER BITE VICTIMS’ SUPPORT GROUP
INFORMATION
The white-tailed spider is a native of Australia. A bite from the male or female of the species CAN cause extreme itching, painful blistering and ulceration in certain individuals. Confirmed cases from our files have ranged from 6 month old babies to people in their 80’s.
* If not treated promptly, the possible onset of gangrene is a real concern. Untreated gangrene carries the risk of amputation of a limb.
*The usual method of first aid has no place in the care and treatment of this spider’s bite. The Poison Information Centre advises applying ice while making one’s way to the hospital.
* These spiders can be found in homes, in heaps of clothing left on the floor, in shoes and boots, under chairs, in piles of newspapers, woodpiles and in the garden.
If you have been bitten by a white-tailed spider or any other, make every attempt to catch it and take it with you to hospital. It can then be correctly identified for treatment purposes. If you have squashed the spider, scrape it up carefully, because spiders have relatively indestructible parts and could still be identified.
The longer-term effects from the bite can cause circulation problems, depression, loss of confidence, loss of independence and can virtually ruin your way of life.
To date there have been two reported deaths and a suicide from the bite of this spider. The white-tailed spider represents a significant hazard to the public and their pets. Our case files document 2 dogs and 1 cat affected by white-tailed spider venom resulting in their euthanasia.
Should you have any queries please contact 08 8558 2738 or susim@senet.com.au
SPIDER BITE VICTIMS’ SUPPORT GROUP
Fact Sheet
Detoxification: The use of L-Cysteine supplement in the
treatment of ulceration caused by spider bites.
Human hair and skin can consist of between 10 - 14 % cysteine. Cysteine is one of the many amino acids or proteins that make up the human body. Many spider bite victims have reported improvements in ulcer healing times and recovery rates due to the addition of this supplement. At one time cysteine was being investigated as a possible initial treatment for spider bite at the University of South Queensland. This research was inconclusive. Nevertheless, many anecdotal reports exist of improved recovery and healing by Support Group members, when it was included in the detoxification regime of the individual.
Foods that are rich in cysteine and it’s precursor methionine are also rich in saturated animal fats and high amounts of uric acids once digested. It is for these reasons that persons choose the supplements that are easy to take during the healing process and are then stopped.
L-Cysteine is an amino acid that is closely related to cysteine. Both have roles in skin formation, the detoxification of harmful toxins and anti-aging. It can also be used to aid recovery from burns, wounds and surgical operations such as skin grafts.
Consult a trained practitioner for the correct supplement and dosage. The Support Group members have reported the many brands on the market and a particular product has proven to be superior above all others. It is readily available in Health Shops and from the Internet. Remember to check the use-by-date. The Support Group advises you consult with your Medical Practitioner.
SPIDER BITE VICTIMS' SUPPORT GROUP
Your name:_______________________ Phone:_________________
Address:
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
6. Did you have the spider identified? Yes/No By whom?
_____________________________________________________
7. What resulted from the bite?
a. Did you find blisters? Yes/No b. Did you find a hot reddened area? Yes/No
c. Did an ulcer follow? Yes/No
d. Did you experience breathing problems? Yes/No
e. Did you go into respiratory shutdown? Yes/No
Anything more? ___________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
8. Did you consult a Doctor or Casualty Department? Yes/No
_____________________________________________________
9. Do you have to use Adrenaline for breathing problems? Yes/No
10. Name and Address of treating GP/Specialists
11. What method of treatment was used?
a. Antibiotics Yes/No
b. Antihistamines Yes/No
c. Other
Any comments _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
12. Are you allergic to Penicillin? Yes/No
13. How long did you suffer? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
14. Have you had further satellite outbreaks? Yes/No
If Yes:
Hot reddened area Yes/No
Ulcers Yes/No
Gangrene Yes/No
d. Was skin grafting necessary? Yes/No
e. Were blood/tissue samples taken? Yes/No
Details:________________________________________________
f. Did you spend time in hospital? Yes/No
How long on each occasion? _____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
15. Are you still experiencing problems? Yes/No
If Yes, please detail, together with anything else which might be relevant.
Thank you for taking the time to complete this.
SPIDER BITE
VICTIMS’
SUPPORT GROUP
CONTACT: Helen Midgley
Phone/Fax : (08) 8558 2738
Have you been bitten by a white-tailed or other venomous spider?
Don’t feel alone in your suffering.
We can offer you:
* Someone to talk to who understands.
* Information on how to safely detoxify your body.
* Information to educate you about the venomous spiders of Australia. and the appropriate first aid to use.
* Referrals to practitioners experienced with the spider bite condition.
* Information on common sense and safe pest control.
* Updated newsletters on the progress of research in the areas of treatments and venom research.
We aim to develop a register of spider bite victims around Australia and New Zealand, particularly those of the white-tailed spider (Lampona sp) and Wolf spiders(Lycosa sp).
Petitions are being distributed will be presented in the Australian Federal Senate.
A mail out service has been established at minimal cost by donation.
Information meetings will be held in the future as the number of members increases. It is extremely important that those who are suffering should be able to get the correct advice and treatment, and that the current situation is brought to the attention of the Local, State and Federal Governments.
PETITION
: We the undersigned wish to bring to the attention of the Government the urgent need for funding, to enable scientists and doctors involved in researching the bite and damage caused by the White-tailed spider, to find a test and anti-venom to be used in treating victims who are suffering unnecessarily because funding was cut. This is very urgently required.|
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SPIDER BITE VICTIMS’ SUPPORT GROUP
Fact Sheet
Home Remedies: Poultices
Home Remedy 1
Apply this poultice three times daily.
Recipe: 2 dessertspoons each of brown vinegar, lemon juice, honey and grated velvet soap.
Mix all the ingredients to a paste. Apply to the bite site. If possible, leave overnight, covered with a bandage. Change poultice completely in the morning.
Home Remedy 2
This poultice should be applied as soon as possible after the bite occurring.
Recipe: 5 brown onions, finely sliced, 1 carton buttermilk or 1 carton organic or biodynamic yoghurt.
Mix all the ingredients together. Apply to the wound and cover well. You should see a change in 1 ½ to 2 hours.
If possible leave on overnight.
When the poultice is removed put the bite into a clean basin with enough cold water to cover. Add ice blocks and 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda. This process needs to be repeated until a pink skin is formed.
When healing advances add silicone solution to the water - 10mL per 10 Litres of water.
Then use Vitamin E cream and Aloe Vera cream to maintain the healthy skin. It is important to take Vitamin B complex and Vitamin C 1000mg and to drink at least 2 Litres of water each day.
Home Remedy 3
This is the remedy of choice especially for young children. Follow the poultices with a plantain ointment or aloe vera gel until healing is completed.
This poultice should be applied as soon as possible after the bite has occurred.
Method: Steam equal parts of the herbs Rue and Plantain in between 2 pieces of gauze large enough to cover the bite. Allow to cool until warm to the touch not hot.
Place the poultice over the bite and cover with a clean bandage, just to hold the poultice in place. Leave this in place overnight.
Remove the poultice and to the bite area, apply a few drops of Swedish bitters onto a clean piece of ironed flannel or sterile gauze not cotton wool. This poultice may be repeated once more for an application of 4 hours.
Home Remedy 4
Lightly dab on a thick layer of calamine lotion to the bite area. Repeat every 4 hours. Then use Vitamin E or aloe vera gel.
Home Remedy 5
Warm a small amount of Magnaplasm™ cream and allow it to run over the bite area . Cover with gauze but not wrap.
Home Remedy 6
This remedy consists of aloe vera and lots of it. Aloe vera juice, aloe vera gel or fresh aloe vera from the plant. Just get it on the bite and keep it there. Do not freeze aloe vera at any time.
Home Remedy 7
Place a thick paste of bicarbonate of soda mixed with sterile water on the bite area.
Home Remedy 8
Place a thick paste of Activated Charcoal 100% mixed with sterile water to the bite area. A commercially available BLACK PASTE is produced by Nature's Sunshine Products.
SPIDER
BITE VICTIM’S
SUPPORT GROUP
HELEN MIDGLEY, President
P.O. Box 156,
YANKALILLA 5203
South Australia
Phone/Fax 08 85582738
Mobile 0418 812 667
susim@senet.com.au
Thank you for contacting the Spider Bite Victims' Support Group. Established in 1997 by Helen Midgley, who suffered a bite from a white tailed spider and had to put her life on hold while she sought treatment from a poorly informed medical establishment.
Her recovery took nearly two years and still has lingering systemic problems that she is now successfully controlling with the information and products that the Spider Bite Support Group has uncovered in their search for knowledge about the clinical effects of spider bite.
The Support Group welcomes persons who have been bitten by spiders - people who have recovered from the trauma to people who continue to suffer.
We can learn something about spider bite from everyone that has experienced it.
The Group firmly believes that it has been successful in it's counselling of bite victims' from the comments and letters from members, recording of cases on a database and supporting the sufferers of spider bite with it's referral service to practitioners in the orthodox and alternative medicine fields.
The Group is in constant contact with researchers in this field all over the world and information that comes from these sources will benefit members of the Support Group when they receive their Annual Newsletter.
The Support Group is a non-profit community group run solely by volunteers from their homes. Donations are what keep Group running and members benefit from the flow of information from the volunteer(s) researching about spider bite. Please consider sending a donation after receiving your Information Pack - many send a donation in the same envelope as their questionnaire.
The information you have received today is only a beginning - more will be coming to you in the initial Information Pack. As more information becomes available it will be sent to you.
Please maintain your contact with the Group with an occasional phone call or email - we can pass on new information to you in that way. We hope to help you more in the future.
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
Yours sincerely,
Susi Messenger
Secretary
SPIDER BITE VICTIMS' SUPPORT GROUP
Fact Sheet
Detoxification after Spider Bite : The role of diet
A spider bite is an assault and an insult to the human body. It affects the immune system and loads the circulatory system with toxins that it is not adapted to deal with.
After the initial pain and swelling of the spider bite, many members have reported on their questionnaires that they have been left with headaches, liver problems, gastro-intestinal complaints and diseases relating to their immune systems that they did not have any signs of before the spider bite.
As well as informing the general community about the injuries that spider bite may cause, research into detoxification and the role that diet plays in recovery in on-going. Research is being carries out by a volunteer with a background in nutrition and health. Sources range from books, the Internet and contact with naturopathic practitioners and dietitians.
Many members mention in their questionnaires that certain foods trigger certain reactions in their bodies during recovery and we have found their reactions to range from very individual ones to great similarities amongst all members.
Many members have benefited from allergy testing by a qualified practitioner - we have many in our register contact us for their name and number. The Group recommends this plan of action because food reactions can have an effect on the recovery rate of the spider bite sufferer by creating another toxic load for the already exhausted liver to deal with.
The issue of the ingestion of sugar by spider bite victims has created some useful debate within the Group- members report that eating any sugary foods especially chocolate bring on unpleasant symptoms. These symptoms have included headaches, migraines, rashes, muscular problems and joint pains. Eliminating the offending food saw an improvement in their symptoms.
If you would like a more comprehensive booklet about the role of detoxification and dietary guidelines for recovery please contact the Support Group on 08 8558 2738.