Sick new TikTok challenge sends kids to hospital for Benadryl overdose

A dangerous TikTok-driven challenge is landing teenagers in emergency rooms, and doctors say it’s happening fast.

Five teens were treated for Benadryl overdoses at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego in just one week leading up to Memorial Day weekend, after participating in a viral social media challenge that medical experts warn can quickly spiral into life-threatening territory, according to a report from CBS8.

The patients ranged from 16 years old to individuals in their early 20s.

While none of them died, doctors say the cases were serious enough to raise concerns about a troubling trend that continues to circulate online.

The challenge involves taking large amounts of diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl, to trigger hallucinations.

But physicians warn the same doses that produce those effects can also have devastating consequences.

“We have seen an uptick in cases of kids who have been overdosing on Benadryl, and this kind of goes in line with the national uptick in cases we’ve seen, especially in Texas, Ohio, and in Virginia,” Dr. Shahfar Khan of Rady’s told CBS 8.

“The dose required to induce hallucinations is also the same dose that can cause cardiac arrest and respiratory arrest,” he added.

Benadryl is a widely used over-the-counter antihistamine commonly taken for allergies and rashes.

Kahn said that easy access can lead families to underestimate its risks.

“That’s the trap,” he said.

Doctors say overdoses can also cause seizures, dangerous heart rhythm problems and stopped breathing.

Depending on the severity of symptoms, treatment may include medications to stabilize heart rhythms and, in extreme cases, defibrillation.

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Peer pressure is often a major factor behind participation in challenges like this.

“There is a lot of peer pressure, and if a group of kids is doing this, you kind of go with the flow. Children think, if my friend’s doing this, it must be safe,” Kahn said. “But just because it’s over the counter, it doesn’t make it safe.”

The San Diego cases mirror incidents reported elsewhere.

Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth has recorded more than 100 emergency department visits related to Benadryl overdoses over the past six months.

One of those patients died.

The so-called Benadryl challenge has been circulating on social media for several years.

The trend was still easily found on the platform as recently as last week, according to CBS.

TikTok said content promoting dangerous behavior that could result in serious injury violates its community guidelines and is removed.

Kahn urged parents to watch for warning signs such as bizarre behavior, unsteadiness, flushed skin and overheating, and to talk openly with children about online trends.

Anyone who suspects a child has taken too much Benadryl or another medication should contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.