Parents say children are turning 'psychotic', having seizures and DYING after overdosing on common over-the-counter allergy medication: All the horror risks revealed

Following the deaths of three children in Connecticut, doctors and parents are renewing warnings surrounding a viral 'Benadryl challenge' on social media. 

This week, the Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) reported that three children in the state have died over the last two months due to overdoses of the medication diphenhydramine, an antihistamine commonly used to treat allergy symptoms.

Diphenhydramine hydrochloride – the active ingredient commonly referred to by the brand name Benadryl – is used to temporarily relieve symptoms like a runny nose and sneezing due to seasonal or situational allergies or the common cold. 

It is widely available without a prescription at convenience stores and is sold under a variety of brand and generic names in multiple types of medications.

The ingredient is at the center of an alleged social media trend called the 'Benadryl challenge.'

Making its way around TikTok and other social media sites, the trend first surfaced in 2020. Its purpose was to dare participants to intentionally take too much of the drug, way beyond the recommended dose, and then fight the drowsy side effects to produce a high. 

While the deaths involve the same active ingredient, the OCA said in its statement that it 'cannot confirm such a connection' between Connecticut's deaths and the challenge.

State officials have not released the ages or any additional details about the children who have died or the circumstances surrounding the deaths. They also have not commented on the specific diphenhydramine hydrochloride product used. 

Doctors not involved with the treatment of the children who died told the Daily Mail that taking too much diphenhydramine hydrochloride can lead to dangers such as a high heart rate, seizures, agitation, hallucinations, urinary retention that can cause kidney dysfunction and an arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat).

And because children have a low body weight, their bodies can withstand even less of over-the-counter drugs than adults, leaving them more prone to overdose. 

Courtney Lester, a mother living in Kentucky, warned other parents 'about the dangers of Benadryl misuse, social media trends and peer pressure' after her daughter allegedly attempted the challenge. 

Writing on Facebook, Lester said her daughter, Aubrey, had a seizure earlier this month and became unresponsive, her skin turned pale and a blue tint appeared around her mouth, signaling low oxygen levels and trouble breathing.

'I truly thought she was going to die before EMS could get here,' Lester wrote. 'It was the most terrifying thing I have ever experienced and it will haunt me for the rest of my life.' 

At the hospital, Aubrey's blood pressure tanked as her heart rate climbed, with her skin hot to the touch. Her mother also claimed she became confused and 'went into a psychotic state' as her speech slurred and she began hallucinating and trembling. 

Doctors allegedly told the family they suspected Aubrey had overdosed on Benadryl specifically.

'On social media, the misuse of Benadryl is being called "Benny" and the amount of people glorifying it is sickening,' Lester wrote. 

'[Doctors] told us that the recent rise in teens they have seen for Benadryl overdose is alarming, and some do not make it out of the hospital.'

Lester said Aubrey spent several days in the hospital before being discharged.

'The harsh reality is that we could have been burying her instead,' she wrote. 'We are shocked and hurt that this happened. Zach and I talk to her about peer pressure, check her phone and keep medicines put away. We thought she knew better than to try something just because her peers did it or because she saw it on social media.

'We never thought something like this would happen to our family but it did, and it could happen to yours, too.'

Samantha Livermore, an emergency room nurse in South Carolina, called the 'Benadryl challenge' the 'scariest' trend she has seen so far.

'Teenagers are taking 20-30 Benadryl pills in the hopes of "hallucinating" and "getting high,"' Livermore wrote on Facebook. 

'At least 3-4 deaths have occurred recently, with so many others very sick or in critical condition. I had 2 of these patients recently in the same amount of days. Severe hallucinations, rapid onset of urinary retention, seizures, coma…it's not a high, they could die.

'Talk to your teens. Don't preach at them or dismiss their thoughts. Communicate with them like the young adults that they are. You will be surprised at the results.'

There is currently no evidence of the trend still existing on social media sites and TikTok has removed any videos related to the challenge from its platform.

When users search for 'Benadryl challenge' on TikTok, they are met with the following message: 'Be informed and aware. Some substances can be dangerous when used or misused. Learn more about how drugs, alcohol and tobacco can affect your mind, body and behavior.'

A 'learn more' link then takes people to a substance use and emergency resource page. 

TikTok declined to comment for this article, but a company spokesperson has previously told the Daily Mail that that the site's community guidelines clearly state that it does not allow content that shows or promotes dangerous activities or challenges.

Dr Melanie Sue Collins, medical director in the Division of Pediatric Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine at Connecticut Children's Medical Center, told the Daily Mail overdoses of diphenhydramine hydrochloride are 'dangerous' in young people because parents may have given the drug to their children previously for allergies, leading children to believe it is not harmful. 

'Their perception is that it is safe, and this makes them less worried about taking too much,' she said. 'Unfortunately, because of their smaller size, kids and teens can overdose at lower doses of medication than adults.'

Collins warned parents to look out for extreme sleepiness or odd speech patterns in their kids, as well as hallucinations, agitation, confusion, dilated pupils, dizziness or a racing heart beat. 

Dr Jared L Ross, an emergency room physician and President of medical education and consulting firm EMSEC, LLC, also noted that children and teens are 'more prone to seizures, hallucinations and agitation rather than simple sedation that occurs in adults,' which could be due to vital brain structures still developing.

'Any time your child or teen seems off, you should question and seek help,' Collins said. 'It is really important to engage with medical help early on because overdose can progress. Acting quickly and getting medical help could save your child's life.

'This TikTok challenge isn't the first and won't be the last. It is important for parents to talk openly with kids and teens and create a trustful relationship so that if something goes wrong, immediate help can be given.'

Collins explained that diphenhydramine hydrochloride is a first-generation antihistamine, meaning it is part of an older class of drugs that can come with increased side effects, such as drowsiness, dizziness, dry mouth, blurred vision and constipation.

She also noted determining a safe dose, especially for children, is highly dependent on factors like their body weight, pre-existing conditions and other medications.

Ross told the Daily Mali that dosages above 8mg per kilogram of body weight 'are considered toxic.'

'For context, a standard Benadryl tablet is 25mg,' he said. 'A 110lb (50kg) teenager would reach the toxic threshold at roughly 15 tablets (375mg), though serious toxicity can occur at lower doses depending on individual factors...

'In high doses Benadryl acts as a sodium channel blocker and can cause dangerous cardiac arrhythmias and seizures, both of which can be fatal.'  

'The health and safety of people who use our products is our top priority,' Benadryl's parent company, Kenvue, wrote in a statement to the Daily Mail. 'For decades, Benadryl has provided trusted relief from allergies to colds to itches for generations of families.

'The social media trend promoting misuse of diphenhydramine-containing products is extremely dangerous and should be stopped immediately. Our hearts go out to those impacted by the misuse of diphenhydramine-containing products.

'We've taken action to stop this behavior from spreading and work with social media platforms and their safety teams to remove these dangerous posts, including any new content we identify in our monitoring. We also work with non-profit partners and healthcare professionals to educate on appropriate use and safe storage of OTC products... we recommend that consumers carefully read and follow the instructions on the label and contact their healthcare professional should they have questions. 

'Dosing instructions and additional safety information can also be found on Benadryl.com.'

Following the deaths in Connecticut, OCA said it wants 'parents to be aware that any medication, including prescription and non-prescription medication, is potentially dangerous to children of all ages.' 

'We strongly encourage parents to store all medications safely, to ensure they are not easily accessible to children,' the agency's statement read. 

OCA also warned parents that overdosing on medications such as diphenhydramine hydrochloride can be a sign of mental health issues. 

'We also want parents to know that resources are available if their children are experiencing mental health needs,' OCA said in its statement. 'Every day in Connecticut, 17 children present to emergency departments around the state for self-harm or suicidal ideation.'

If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org.