I think it would be speculation to declare anything. Uh, what are bottom leaves?

First off, don't pull off the leaves. Your little tree needs those leaves to transpirate. I would definitely re-pot both your plants. Sounds like your soil is not doing a good job drainage-wise. There are several messages in this forum about good potting soils, especially the "Gritty Mix" formulation. If you're not inclined to mix your own potting soil, then try to find a good Cactus Mix potting soil. I use EB Stone's Cactus Mix, which for us in S. California, where we are much drier than other parts of the country, works well for my potted plants. Patty S.

I suspect that it is because it is in a pot rather than being a disease. How big is the container? What is the potting medium? And have you fed it? These can grow enormous and in a pot they are going to need a lot of care. If it is stressed by lack of food and moisture, which would be likely in a pot, it could exhibit premature fall symptoms.

It's oedema is a physiological disorder that can affect all plants. It occurs when the plant takes up more water than it can rid itself of via the process of transpiration. In afflicted plants, internal water pressure (turgidity) can become so high that some leaf cells rupture or cell contents leak into inter-cellular spaces in leaf tissue. Oedema is most often driven by excessive water retention in the soil, but cool temperatures, high humidity levels, low light conditions, or partial defoliation can individually or collectively be additional contributors, as can anything else that slows transpiration. As well, nutritional deficiencies of Ca and Mg are known contributors to the malady. Symptoms vary by plant, but can include wet or weepy areas on the foliage, blisters that turn from white or tan to dark brown or black, then gradually turn corky/ scaly/ ridged, and wart-like or gall-like bumpy growth. Peppers don't like wet feet, so allow your soil to dry to the point you can't detect moisture with your finger or a wooden dowel stuck deep into the pot. A 1/4 or 5/16" dowel rod sharpened in a pencil sharpener & stuck deep into the pot works very well as a 'tell'. If it comes out moist or stained from the soil, it's not yet time to water. Try this occasionally: Note the date of a thorough watering and watch for the first signs of wilting. This will give an idea of how long you can go between waterings. Adjust your watering so you're watering a day or 2 before you would expect the plant to wilt. Habitually allowing the plant to suffer drought stress isn't a good practice, but used occasionally as a tool, it can be very useful. Also, if a volunteer weed (or other plant) pops up in the pot, leave it, and use IT as a 'tell'. Water when the weed wilts - the pepper will have deeper roots and will likely be more efficient at extracting water from the soil than the young weed. Al