Banner Health warns that trying to hallucinate off Benadryl can be fatal
Sep 4, 2020, 4:15 AM | Updated: 5:30 pm
(Banner Health Photo)
(Banner Health Photo)
PHOENIX — Banner Health issued a warning to anybody thinking about trying the “TikTok Challenge” of swallowing Benadryl until you start to hallucinate: Don’t.
Banner Poison and Drug Information Center said that taking too much Benadryl can and has been fatal.
Diphenhydramine, the antihistamine found in the commonly used Benadryl, can treat allergies or allergic reactions and is useful at the right times in its recommended doses.
It’s not useful in growing your social media presence.
The amount needed to induce hallucinations can be fatal.
A 15-year-old Oklahoman girl died after overdosing on Benadryl, according to KFOR.
She was apparently participating in the social media challenge in which people have taken the pills in an attempt to hallucinate.
Three teens in Fort Worth, Texas were hospitalized after attempting this in May, according to KFOR.
Banner Health said that its poison and drug information center has received 380 exposure calls this year related to the intentional ingestion of antihistamines, and almost every person afflicted ended up in the critical care unit.
Poisoning from diphenhydramine, can lead to coma, seizures, cardiac toxicity and death.
“We urge parents to be aware of these dangerous challenges on social media platforms, and to talk to your children about the risks of participating or encouraging other to participate,” Banner Poison and Drug Information Center managing director Maureen Roland said in a statement.
