An Oklahoma girl is dead after participating in one of the latest social media challenges involving Benadryl.
News 4 Oklahoma reports that the victim, a 15-year-old from Oklahoma City, took part in a challenge aimed to make people “trip out or hallucinate” after swallowing dozens of Benadryl pills.
“Large doses of Benadryl can cause seizures and, particularly, problems with the heart,” he said. “The heart tends to go out of rhythm and not pump blood effectively,” Director of the Oklahoma Center for Poison and Drug Information, Scott Schafer told the outlet.
According to News Channel 8, those who knew the teen described her as a faith-driven and happy person who never experimented with drugs. At least three other teens were hospitalized in May after participating in the same challenge.
The teen’s parents are now hoping that other young people will understand the dangers and stop participating in the challenge.
“The dose that can cause a hallucination is very close to the dose that can cause something potentially life-threatening,” Schaefer added.
A spokesperson for Benadryl manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson, released a statement, according to DailyMail, warning people of the dangers of taking too much of the medication, which is typically used to treat allergies.
“The BENADRYL TikTok trend is extremely concerning, dangerous and should be stopped immediately,” the spokesperson said.
“We are working with TikTok and our partners to do what we can to stop this dangerous trend, including the removal of content across social platforms that showcase this behavior.”
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[Feature Photo: Pixabay]
