The people of TikTok are always after that elusive treasure, the “original experience,” meaning something so bizarre it’s possible that it’s uniquely happened to them, and only them, in the entirety of human existence. Unfortunately, a lot of original experiences aren’t necessarily the good kind, so it’s up to the individual whether the clout you get at the end of it is worth it.
TikToker @knicoledz knows something about that after she had one of the most unique food allergy emergencies you’ll ever hear of: after a whole day of feasting on nothing but pickles, she ended up with her face the size of the moon and a rushed visit to the ER.
Nicole’s day started innocently enough as she recorded herself attending Picklesburgh, the annual pickle-themed festival in Pittsburgh (yes, that’s a real thing). Determined to get into the spirit of things as much as she could, Nicole made sure to try as many pickle-themed foodstuffs as humanly possible — everything from pickle-topped pizza to a pickle-filled egg roll to pickle-flavored candy to munching on a regular whole dill.
Cut to three hours later, and Nicole’s face has swollen up a jaw-dropping amount, with the ER department rushing her through because they’re so concerned.
She couldn’t leave it at that, so thankfully a normal-faced Nicole offered a follow-up video in which she supplied us with some much-needed context. It turns out that, tragically, she had been really excited for Picklesburgh after not being able to make it the past couple of years. After she had gorged herself on all the pickle products, it wasn’t until three hours later that her face blew up. Even then, Nicole admits she was pretty relaxed about it. “I didn’t think it’s a big deal, but the hospital does think it’s a big deal,” she recalled about how she felt while in the ER.
As it happened, the hospital staff believed this was a one-time thing, likely caused by the insane amount of pickles Nicole consumed, and they didn’t refer her to an allergist or encourage her to seek one out. Nicole herself thinks it has something to do with the fact that pickles are very high in histamines.
The amateur doctors of TikTok, however, are once again trying to put WebMD out of a job as they think they’ve diagnosed Nicole’s problem themselves. Many commenters pointed out that it seems Nicole was suffering from sodium overload. Just as it sounds, sodium overload occurs when you’ve consumed way too much salt in your diet, thereby causing your body to retain excess water and leading to “swelling, bloating, and puffiness.” Nicole’s doctors were no doubt right that this wasn’t an allergic reaction as these usually happen immediately upon ingesting the offending foodstuff.
This was a newfound concept for some, though, and they were immediately alarmed. “What, sodium overload?” wrote one concerned commenter. “How am I not dead?” Others helpfully warned us off eating too many fermented foods: “Possible histamine/mast cell activation or sodium overload. Fermented foods are SUPER high in histamines.”
All in all, anyone intending to make the pilgrimage (pickle-grimage?) to Picklesburgh in the future should ensure they are strong enough to survive it. As one user put it, “Picklesburgh is not for the weak.”