Neurotoxins

I am writing a murder mystery for NaNoWriMo and need some help....I need a toxin that can either be breathed or ingested that will cause paralysis, while still leaving the victim conscious and able to feel. I know this is morbid...but this serial killer is very sick! Any ideas?

Here is what I have considered
Tetrodotoxin - While this is my first choice, i cant have the victim dying of respiratory failure first.

Belladonna - but the side effects are so varied...I would worry the death would come of once again respiratory failure first.



Curare, but everywhere I have read also says attacks the lungs first, and has to enter through blood stream





Any other ideas? or know more about above materials that could be useful?

 

yes I need hours...

Just read this about tetrodotoxin

• The first symptoms occur 15 minutes to several hours postingestion of tetrodotoxin-containing food. A recent report on toxicity found that initial symptoms may occur up to 20 hours after ingestion.
• Initial symptoms include lip and tongue paresthesias, followed by facial and extremity paresthesias and numbness.
• Salivation, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea with abdominal pain develop early.
• Motor dysfunction with weakness, hypoventilation (may be from dysfunction of central and peripheral nervous systems), and speech difficulties then develop. A rapid ascending paralysis occurs over 4-24 hours. Extremity paralysis precedes bulbar paralysis, which is followed by respiratory muscle paralysis. Deep tendon reflexes are preserved early in the course of paralysis.
• Finally, cardiac dysfunction with hypotension and dysrhythmias (bradycardia), central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction (eg, coma), and seizures develop. Patients with severe toxicity may have deep coma, fixed nonreactive pupils, apnea, and loss of all brain stem reflexes.
• Death can occur within 4-6 hours. Typically, death occurs from respiratory muscle paralysis and respiratory failure.

 

that is a bit of a bummer...I am sure I could figure out a way...but ugh thats just not how I picture this guy...he is only hands on after they cant move....

 

It was a myth...there was a book about it, and it was disproved in the eighties...Thats the tetrodotoxin I have in my list! lol

 

I like the idea of using pharmaceuticals too...Wiki on that one is confusing...I cant decide if its an upper or a downer! lol...I will research more of it!

 

Thats what I have done now...moved on...just getting it out...I want to be accurate, but i know i need to get moving!