BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Two girls were hospitalized earlier this month after overdosing while participating in the so-called “Benadryl Challenge,” a dangerous social media trend, according to WTVG.
Authorities in Bowling Green, Ohio responded to a home after a 12-year-old and a 13-year-old overdosed on the over-the-counter allergy medication diphenhydramine, commonly sold as Benadryl.
The “Benadryl Challenge,” which has circulated on social media platforms including TikTok, encourages users to take excessive amounts of the medication in an attempt to induce hallucinations. Some videos urge participants to take as many as 12 tablets at once.
For comparison, the maximum recommended dose within a 24-hour period is six tablets for children ages 6 to under 12, and 12 tablets total for adults and children 12 and older. Exceeding recommended doses can cause serious health effects, including nausea, seizures, heart problems and, in severe cases, death.
According to WTVG, one of the girls’ mothers said she checked on the children the morning after a sleepover and immediately sensed something was wrong.
“She wasn’t able to really talk at this point, it was all gibberish. Then she started to get really weak and fall backward and she wasn’t able to stand,” the mother said.
The mother said she called 911, and both children were taken to the hospital. They were later released.
While searching the bedroom, the mother told WTVG she found an empty 48-count package of Benadryl in the trash.
“They ended up, she took 28, and her friend took 20,” the mother said.
The Partnership to End Addiction encourages parents to take the following steps to help prevent risky behavior involving over-the-counter medications:
- Talk openly with children about the dangers of misusing OTC medications.
- Model safe medicine use by following label directions, which helps reduce the perception that OTC drugs are harmless.
- Store medications up high, out of sight and locked when possible.
- Pay close attention if a child has underlying mental health conditions that may increase substance use risk.
- If misuse is already occurring, try to understand the motivation behind it and address the underlying needs.
- Monitor teens’ social media use, as online challenges can have serious and lasting health consequences.
