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Eating World's Hottest Pepper Sparks Brain Disorder, Thunderclap Headaches (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Extremely hot peppers don't just blister your mouth and bum -- they can also spark fiery havoc in your brain, according to a report published Monday in BMJ Case Reports. An otherwise healthy 34-year-old man developed a blood-flow disorder in his brain and suffered several debilitating "thunderclap" headaches after entering a hot pepper eating contest, U.S. doctors reported. The man had managed to get down a Carolina Reaper pepper, which in 2013 earned the title of the world's hottest chili by Guinness World Records.
The searing pepper didn't sit well in the chili-eating contestant. Immediately after slaying a Reaper, the man began dry heaving and developed pain in his neck and the back of his skull. That morphed into a diffuse, painful headache. Over the next few days, he experienced thunderclap headaches at least twice -- but likely more, he just couldn't recall exactly. Thunderclap headaches are severe, sudden, with quick pains that strike like a clap of thunder rumbling through your skull. They tend to peak within 60 seconds and can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, altered mental state, seizures, and fever. Their stormy aches can be a sign of serious problems, like bleeding in the brain, a brain infection, or a cerebrospinal fluid leak. The pain was excruciating enough that the man went to the emergency room. But doctors didn't find any immediate problems with him to explain the episodes. He didn't have any slurred speech, loss of vision, neurological deficits, muscle weakness, or tingling. His blood pressure was a little high, but not extremely so, at 134/69 mmHg. Initial CT scans found no problems in his neck and head.
The searing pepper didn't sit well in the chili-eating contestant. Immediately after slaying a Reaper, the man began dry heaving and developed pain in his neck and the back of his skull. That morphed into a diffuse, painful headache. Over the next few days, he experienced thunderclap headaches at least twice -- but likely more, he just couldn't recall exactly. Thunderclap headaches are severe, sudden, with quick pains that strike like a clap of thunder rumbling through your skull. They tend to peak within 60 seconds and can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, altered mental state, seizures, and fever. Their stormy aches can be a sign of serious problems, like bleeding in the brain, a brain infection, or a cerebrospinal fluid leak. The pain was excruciating enough that the man went to the emergency room. But doctors didn't find any immediate problems with him to explain the episodes. He didn't have any slurred speech, loss of vision, neurological deficits, muscle weakness, or tingling. His blood pressure was a little high, but not extremely so, at 134/69 mmHg. Initial CT scans found no problems in his neck and head.
I pretty sure the brain disorder is wanting to put that shit in your mouth in the first place.
you often have to sign a waiver for as well as topical pain relief creams (DO NOT TASTE THESE).
Having lived through the Merciless Peppers of Quetzalacatenango grown deep in the jungle primeval by the inmates of a Guatemalan insane asylum, I am ready for the Capsagel Challengem dude!
Or is it brah? I have trouble remembering things since the Tide Pods last week...Can't even figure out where my condoms have gone.
...when she threw out my music collection.
Red Hot Chili Peppers do rot your brain!
PATIENT: It hurts when I do that.
DOCTOR: Stop doing that!
Guy eats neurotoxins. Guy gets brain damage. Somehow I don't see the connection here. Can someone point it out for me? OH WAIT SO HE IS EATING NEUROTOXINS AND HE GETS BRAIN DAMAGE? Well who would'a fucking thunk that could happen?
on top of the usual exit wounds
Today you fancy yourself a fire breathing dragon!
Tomorrow the Rocket Maaaaaaaaannnnnnnn!
It's easy to overdo the peppers though. I ate just half a red bell pepper and drank 12 shots of Tequila and I had a terrible pepper headache the next day.
Nullius in verba