Man suffers rare bromism following ChatGPT diet tips. All about dangerous condition and its symptoms

A case of bromism has come to light after a man developed this rare condition following an interaction with ChatGPT about removing table salt from his diet. An article in the Annals of Internal Medicine reported a case in which a 60-year-old man developed bromism, also known as bromide toxicity, after consulting Chatgpt, according to Guardian.

The article described bromism as "ingestion of bromide can lead to a toxidrome known as bromism. "While this condition is less common than it was in the early 20th century, it remains important to describe the associated symptoms and risks, because bromide-containing substances have become more readily available on the internet," it read.

The case also highlights how the use of artificial intelligence (AI) can potentially contribute to the development of preventable adverse health outcomes.


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What is bromism?

The man told doctors that after reading about the negative effects of sodium chloride, or table salt, he consulted ChatGPT about eliminating chloride from his diet and started taking sodium bromide over a three-month period. This was despite reading that “chloride can be swapped with bromide, though likely for other purposes, such as cleaning”. Sodium bromide was used as a sedative in the early 20th century.

On admission, the patient shared that he maintained multiple dietary restrictions and that he distilled his own water at home. He was noted to be very thirsty but paranoid about water he was offered.

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According to the journal, Bromide toxicity, or bromism, was once a well-recognized toxidrome in the early 20th century that precipitated a range of presentations involving neuropsychiatric and dermatologic symptoms. Bromism was thought to have contributed to up to 8% of psychiatric admissions at that time, as bromide salts were found in many over-the-counter medications targeting a wide array of indications, including insomnia, hysteria, and anxiety.

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"The incidence of bromism declined dramatically when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration eliminated the use of bromide between 1975 and 1989 (3). However, case reports of bromism have reemerged within recent years, including from dietary supplements, bromide-containing sedatives, and excess dextromethorphan.

While cases of bromism may remain relatively rare, it remains prudent to highlight bromism as a reversible cause of new-onset psychiatric, neurologic, and dermatologic symptoms, as bromide-containing substances have become more readily available with widespread use of the internet," according to the journal. Bromism was diagnosed as the lab results of the patient were weird and his blood shows what looks like high chloride levels.

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What is bromide intoxication and what are its symptoms?

Bromide intoxication happens when too much bromide — a chemical element related to chlorine — builds up in your body. You won't find bromide normally in your everyday food items but it can still get into your system from certain medications, supplements, or imported products.

What's the problem with bromide? Your body doesn't get rid of bromide super quickly. It competes with chloride (yes, like in table salt) for space in your cells. When bromide sticks around, it starts messing with your nervous system.

The symptoms of bromism headaches, confusion, memory problems, dizziness, slurred speech, tremors, and in severe cases, hallucinations or psychosis. Because the symptoms are vague, people sometimes go months without realizing bromide is the culprit.