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Cook Children’s Warns of Resurgent ‘Benadryl Challenge’ After 100+ ER Visits, One Child’s Death

High doses of the antihistamine diphenhydramine can trigger seizures, dangerous heart rhythms, coma or death, the FDA cautioned.

Overview

  • Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth reports more than 100 Benadryl overdoses in the past six months, and one child has died.
  • The social media trend urges kids to take large amounts of the allergy drug to try to hallucinate, with most cases involving teens and pre-teens.
  • Doctors at the hospital warn of fast or irregular heartbeat and severe urinary retention that can strain the kidneys.
  • Medical staff urge parents to store medicines securely and talk with children about risky posts they see online.
  • The FDA first warned in 2020 that high doses of diphenhydramine can cause life‑threatening effects and said it pressed TikTok to remove related videos.