This is not to say that itвЂ™s totally wild for a chili pepper to cause such extreme symptoms. But no one had ever managed to reproduce the effect by participating in a pepper eating contest-until now. Most people get RCVS from certain prescription meds, but they sometimes stem from illicit drug use (since many of them cause changes to the blood vessels), and the syndrome can occasionally occur during pregnancy. It turns out the pain likely came from intense constriction of the blood vessels in his brain, a condition called reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. They basically make you feel like youвЂ™re dying, and sometimes theyвЂ™re an indicator that you are. He experienced a bout of what doctors call thunderclap headaches they come on suddenly, causing excruciating pain that peaks within a minute or so.

ThatвЂ™s all probably to be expected when you enter a pepper-eating contest, but whatвЂ™s unexpected is for that pain to come on suddenly several times in the next few days. This man apparently ate a Carolina Reaper-the hottest chili in the world at 2.2 million Scoville units-then developed intense pain in his neck, at the back of his head, and behind the eyes. The case study is possibly the first ever to link the oh-lord-is-my-head-going-to-explode kind of pain known as a thunderclap headache to eating a pepper. Or, if youвЂ™re the unnamed 34-year-old man in the latest issue of BMJ Case Reports, you get so-called thunderclap headaches and dry heaving.

ItвЂ™s trying to save you, so you throw up and sweat and your vision goes blurry.

You know the feeling: YouвЂ™re just trying to compete in a pepper-eating contest and your poor stomach thinks youвЂ™ve maybe swallowed a whole fire.

Carolina reaper pepper side effects