DETROIT, Michigan – Doctors have issued a warning after an American man who ate the world’s hottest chilli pepper was struck by excruciating “thunderclap” headaches and neck pains.
The 34-year-old developed agonising symptoms and had to seek medical attention after trying the “Carolina Reaper” during a hot-pepper competition in 2016, said an article published in medical journal BMJ Case Reports.
The man then developed intense neck and head pain, and for several days experienced brief but intense “thunderclap” headaches. Each lasted several seconds.
Doctors, who have published details of the incident in journal BMJ Case Reports, warned being part of hotchilli contests could have unexpected consequences.
The man has not been identified.
The pain was so severe that he sought emergency treatment and was tested for multiple neurological conditions.
A CT scan showed several arteries in the man’s brain had constricted and he was diagnosed with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS).
The condition, which involves a temporary artery narrowing often accompanied by “thunderclap” headaches, can be caused by certain prescription medications or illegal drugs.
But the authors said this is the first time it has been linked with eating chilli peppers.
The man’s symptoms cleared up on their own and a CT scan five weeks later showed his arteries had returned to their normal width, the authors said.
For those who dare, the Carolina Reaper has a fruity, sweet taste with a hint of cinnamon and chocolate undertones, as well as being extremely hot, according to the website of Guinness World Records.
Last year it named the Carolina Reaper — a cross between Sweet Habanero and Naga Viper chillies — as the hottest pepper on Earth. It is grown by a producer in South Carolina.
It rates at an average of 1,641,183 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), according to tests conducted by Winthrop University in South Carolina in 2017.
