The social media fad on the TikTok application "Benadryl Challenge" proved itself again that it is dangerous after sending at least three teenagers to hospital in Texas last May and caused the death of the 15-year-old teen in Oklahoma last week.
The challenge coaxes participants to take numerous doses of Benadryl which is an over-the-counter antihistamine drug diphenhydramine up to the point that the challenge becomes lethal as the person doing it hallucinates and trips out.
According to Fox News, Dr. Adam Berman, a toxicologist and emergency medicine physician at Northwell Health/Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York, shared that the Benadryl challenge may look fun to the viewers but the challenge could be deadly as it has a high risk and danger as it is lethal.
Berman who is also an associate chair of emergency medicine added that if consumed in normal doses, the antihistamine drug is safe to take. But when taken in multiple doses, Benadryl can cause irregular heart beating, which could result in a heart stoppage. Taking numerous doses can also cause extreme drowsiness and seizures and if combined could be fatal.
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The over-the-counter antihistamine, Benadryl is a commonly used drug as a treatment for allergies and some allergic reactions.
The Medical Director at the National Capital Poison Center, Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor also mentioned that even though it is available over-the-counter and generally safe for consumption when directions on the packaging will be followed.
Dr. Kelly also added that serious toxicity can only occur when Benadryl is administered in large dosages.
The medical toxicology physician also stated that the Benadryl ingestion can affect the brain that explains why there is a hallucination occurring when consumed and abused.
Aside from the brain, it can also affect the heart as if the drug will be taken in large quantity it can cause heart rhythm problems that can result in cardiac arrest and even death, Newsweek reported.
Moreover, Dr. Robert Glatter who is an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York emphasized that the bottom line is that engaging in such a challenge is inherently dangerous as can be lethal.
He also mentioned that people may require intubation to secure their airway in case there will be an overdose. Simply put, as you are about to approach the dose that leads to hallucinations that the 'challenge' calls for, the risk for deadly cardiac arrhythmias and seizures significantly increases as well.
A spokesperson from company Johnson and Johnson who is the manufacturer of Benadryl shared their statement in an e-mail wherein they emphasized and pointed out that the health and safety of the persons using their products is their top priority.
The company also wants the Benadryl challenge to be stopped as the TikTok trend is very alarming and dangerous. They also stated that not only Benadryl can cause serious side effects when abused and misused so they reminded the public to avoid any future consequences.
In addition to that, products such as Benadryl should be used only according to the directions on the label to avoid any serious side effects which can extent up to death.
The company currently works with TikTok to stop the fad and the removal of its previous related videos.
