Keith Regan of Wailuku said he had eaten from a can of Castleberry Cattle Drive chili July 20 but was not aware of the recall of the product until Friday, when he went to the Maui Memorial Medical Center emergency room for a checkup.

"It just felt like I was fighting a flu for the last five to seven days. I felt really tired. I sleep well so it was not that I wasn't getting enough rest. It didn't make any sense why I felt so tired," he said.

He also suffered other symptoms, including headaches, muscle aches and muscle weakness. The illness is caused by a toxin produced by a bacterium, Clostridium botulinum, that attacks nerve endings.

Regan and a Hana patient, Jonathan Stockton, had both eaten Cattle Drive chili purchased from the Costco store in Kahului.

Stockton, 33, was admitted to Maui Memorial Medical Center on Thursday after he had been suffering from botulism symptoms for about a week, made worse Tuesday when he had a second helping of the canned chili that had been stored in his refrigerator. "That's when I became violently ill. My stomach was all tore up. I felt a really funny pressure and pain, had a dry mouth, was aching all over. It totally wiped me out," he said.

"The next day I was having violent diarrhea. Everything just came out. I told my cousin I think the chili's gone bad."

But he said he didn't really know the seriousness of his illness until he and his cousin drove into Kahului on Thursday, stopped at Costco and noticed a line of people holding similar cans of chili.

"I asked them what's going on, and they told me it's being recalled. My cousin and me, we knew the chili was bad. We didn't know how bad. Living out in Hana, we don't have a TV, we didn't read anything about it."

Stockton went to the Maui Memorial emergency room Thursday and was admitted with severe symptoms of botulism poisoning, although state health officials said the cause of his illness will not be determined until blood tests are completed.

The same diagnosis applies to Regan, who did not require hospitalization.

"The doctor said it's a pretty mild case, I should just take it easy for awhile. It's going to take two to three months to flush the toxin out of my system," Regan said.

Castleberry Food Co. began a recall of its canned products on July 18, after a series of reports of people suffering illness after eating the products. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last week that four cases were reported between June 29 and July 9, all involving Castleberry's Hot Dog Chili Sauce Original. The CDC said botulinum toxin was identified in a container of leftover sauce.

Symptoms of poisoning can appear in patients within six hours, and include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, difficulty swallowing and muscle weakness.

Stockton said he has learned that the toxin attacks nerve endings, causing them to misfire. His symptoms included drooping eyelids, an inability to focus and feeling uncoordinated in his movements.

"My face started feeling like it had a Novocain shot in it, all numb. The CDC said if it's botulism and not something else, what sets it apart is a descending paralysis, from the eyes on down.

"When it started, my eyes were twitching, like I couldn't control them. Then my tongue went numb. And then my chin yesterday, and today, my throat is feeling kind of dry."

He said he's been advised he will feel three to four weeks of nerve damage to his face, and it could take up to a year before the toxin is cleared from his system.

He said his cousin also had eaten the chili, which was used in making burritos, and suffered mild symptoms after they ate it last weekend. But his cousin did not eat the chili that was stored in a refrigerator after the can was opened.

"That was just me the second time. They think it could only have helped the bacteria and toxins in there to grow and get stronger," he said.

Stockton was released from Maui Memorial on Saturday.

Information on the Castleberry recall can be found online at www.castleberrys.com/news_productrecall.asp and at the CDC Web site, www.cdc.gov. Consumers also may call Castleberry's consumer hotline at (800) 203-4412 or (888) 203-8446; or the Food and Drug Administration at (888) SAFEFOOD.

Edwin Tanji can be reached at editor@mauinews.com.