Dublin woman suffered seizure from eating liquorice
A Dublin woman has been told to quit her daily liquorice habit, after suffering headaches, vision problems, and even a seizure.
The 56-year-old was at the Emergency Department of St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin when the seizure happened, and it lasted about a minute.
According to the Irish Journal of Medical Science, she told doctors she had been eating liquorice every day because it was on special offer in her local shop.
Doctors think a substance in the sweets, called glycyrrhizic acid, could have been the cause of her symptoms, which also included nausea and high blood pressure.
A known effect of glycyrrhizic acid is the retention of water, alongside headaches, visual loss and weakness. However, the Dublin woman's case is one of only a handful ever connected with eating liquorice.
After taking their advice, the woman's condition improved in 24 hours, and she completely recovered within three weeks.
