Safety Alert on Benadryl Overdoses
A new FDA safety alert warns that taking higher than recommended doses of the common over-the-counter (OTC) allergy medicine Benadryl (diphenhydramine) can lead to serious heart problems, seizures, coma, or even death. It says there are reports of teenagers ending up in emergency rooms or dying after participating in the ‘Benadryl challenge’ encouraged in videos posted on social media app TikTok. “We are investigating these reports and conducting a review to determine if additional cases have been reported,” the alert says. “We also contacted TikTok and strongly urged them to remove the videos from their platform and to be vigilant to remove additional videos that may be posted.”