The ‘Benadryl Challenge’ is a recurrent fad that has been most recently popularized by the social media application TikTok. Benadryl, also known as diphenhydramine, is an over-the-counter (OTC) antihistamine that is most commonly used for the treatment of allergy symptoms. Diphenhydramine is available as a stand-alone product and it is also sold as a component of many cough, cold, and sleep combination products.
In short, the ‘Benadryl Challenge’ involves taking 12 or more Benadryl 25 mg tablets, the most common strength of the medication. Individuals, most commonly teenagers, take 12 or more tablets in search of a mental high to hallucinate. For reference, typical recommended dosing for Benadryl is 1-2 tablets every 4-6 hours as needed for symptom relief.
On September 24th, 2020, the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Drug Safety Communication about this challenge:
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning that taking higher than recommended doses of the common over-the-counter (OTC) allergy medicine diphenhydramine (Benadryl) can lead to serious heart problems, seizures, coma, or even death. We are aware of news reports of teenagers ending up in emergency rooms or dying after participating in the “Benadryl Challenge” encouraged in videos posted on the social media application TikTok.
Consumers, parents, and caregivers should store diphenhydramine and all other OTC and prescription medicines up and away and out of children’s reach and sight. FDA recommends you lock up medicines to prevent accidental poisonings by children and misuse by teens, especially when they are home more often due to the COVID-19 pandemic and may be more likely to experiment.
Always read the Drug Facts label included on all OTC medicines to find out if they contain diphenhydramine, how much and how often you should take them, and important safety information. Do not take more than the dose listed on the label, as doing so can cause serious problems. If someone takes too much diphenhydramine and is hallucinating, can’t be awakened, has a seizure, has trouble breathing, or has collapsed, immediately get medical attention or contact poison control at 1-800-222-1222 or online.”
Alongside issuing this Drug Safety Communication publicly, the FDA also reached out to TikTok to have them remove any videos that may be posted about the ‘Benadryl Challenge’. However, if you come across any videos of the challenge, be it on TikTok or any other online platform, be sure to report it to the platform administrators to have the video(s) removed.
Additional facts to be aware of:
- As a direct result of this challenge, many teenagers have been hospitalized or have died. Because of this and the innate dangers that come alongside taking too much of any medicine, it is crucial not to participate in the ‘Benadryl Challenge’.
- Scientifically speaking, Benadryl in excessive quantities can lead to excessive sodium channel blockade which can lead to a wide array of cardiac effects, seizures, coma, and/or death.
- The median lethal dose of a medicine is defined as the amount of a medicine required to kill 50% of a sample population. Benadryl dosing is considered to be weight-based and the median lethal dose (10.1 mg/kg) therefore typically changes depending on body weight. In a sample 120 lb (54.54 kg) patient, this dose would correlate to 551 mg (22 x Benadryl 25 mg tablets). However, adverse events from Benadryl can occur at variable doses depending on the patient.
- Although this challenge primarily has been patronized by teenagers, it can have possible detrimental effects on any person of any age.
- If you or someone you know ends up overdosing on Benadryl or any other medication, seek out medical attention immediately.
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