A UNIVERSITY student was rushed to hospital with constipation after eating too many Wingstop chicken wings.
Nea-Jude Ioannou says she was taken to King’s College Hospital after becoming bed-bound with extreme pain in her abdomen.
Nea-Jude Ioannou, 22, was rushed to hospital after days of crippling abdominal pain Credit: SWNS
But her problems were actually caused from eating too many Wingstop takeaways Credit: SWNS
The 22-year-old, who was studying Film and Television at University of the Arts London at the time, claims paramedics believed she had burst her appendix.
But, after six hours in A&E she was finally seen and given a CT scan which revealed that it was actually severe constipation – from eating too many Wingstop takeaways.
Nea-Jude says that she had been ordering two a week and getting the spiciest flavour Atomic on her wings, which doctors said is what caused the problem.
She said: “It started with pains in my lower abdomen that were building and building, then for three days I was basically bed-ridden unable to move.
“It was the worst pain that I have ever felt in my life. I wasn’t able to eat or because of the pain.
“Even the paramedics thought I might have appendicitis, so they immediately rushed me to A&E. It was just severe tummy issues from Wingstop.
“I think I felt a bit silly. I felt like I brought it on myself. The is so overrun already, and I felt like a nuisance.”
Nea-Jude says that the stomach pain, which was in February 2024, came with night sweats, pins and needles, and pain when breathing.
Paramedics found she had severe constipation from eating too many Wingstop takeaways Credit: SWNS
Nea-Jude being taken to A&E Credit: SWNS
The former student who was studying and at University of the Arts London at the time, had hoped it would pass.
But after five days she finally called 111 and operators sent an ambulance to her Peckham accommodation.
She arrived at hospital at around 6pm and didn’t leave until 7am the next morning – with her dad even getting a flight back from New York to be with her.
When she got the results that the problem was actually constipation, Nea-Jude says the doctor told her it is becoming increasingly common in Gen Z.
The marketing worker believes this is partly down to food posting videos known as mukbangs with extreme foods, as she says the Wingstop content inspired her unhealthy obsession.
The flavour she ordered Atomic is made with Habanero peppers and is between 200,000 to 350,000 Scoville Heat Units.
She said: “There is such a culture around spicy food and mukbang culture now with trying the craziest foods. It was Wingstop at the time and now it is seafood boils and hotpots.
“I was getting the most crazy flavours ever. It is all about challenging yourself with food.
“I think mukbangs are contributing to the issue. I see a reel come up on my feed for a new place with a quirk to it and you think ‘I need to try this.'”
She added: “I think it was across my whole diet. It became easy fixes.
“The rise in how easy it is to get takeaways with these high salt low fibre meals just causes more issues with people’s digestive systems.”
The hospital gave her pain relief and a two-week supply of laxatives, which finally kicked in three days later, causing a lot of relief.
Since then, Nea-Jude, who now lives in Crouch End, North London, says she takes her more seriously and goes to the often to get checked.
She also tries to eat more whole foods, but still occasionally indulges in takeaways- including Wingstop – even if she never gets Atomic.
Since posting her experience to this week, she says many others have reached out saying they have had the same happen to them.
Nea-Jude said: “It really made me evaluate what I am putting in my body and since then I have been on a health grind. I have seen so much change in my life and in my energy.
“I still love a Wingstop as a treat. The food in moderation is fine, it is just the habit that I had with it.”
Wingstop have been contacted for comment.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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