By TikTok: An antihistamine called Benadryl is used to treat upper respiratory allergies, hay fever, and typical cold symptoms including a runny nose or sneezing. When used as advised, it is safe and efficient, according to the FDA.
“Generics, retail brands, and Benadryl brand names are all used to promote diphenhydramine. The agency added that it can also be used in conjunction with decongestants, fever reducers, and painkillers.
According to the FDA, parents and consumers should keep Benadryl and other OTC and prescription pharmaceuticals out of children’s reach. (CNN)
According to a CNN affiliate and a GoFundMe page from his family, a 13-year-old in Ohio died after “taking a bunch of Benadryl” while attempting a risky TikTok challenge that was trending online.
According to the family contribution account, Jacob Stevens took the antihistamine while playing a TikTok challenge at home with some pals. According to WSYX, Jacob was on a ventilator for almost a week before he passed away.
His cause of death has not been independently verified by CNN.
In a 2020 warning to the public over the dangerous “Benadryl Challenge” on TikTok, the US Food and Drug Administration stated that taking too much Benadryl might cause “severe cardiac issues, seizures, coma, or even death.”
According to CNN station WSYX, Jacob’s grandmother is doing everything she can “to make sure another child doesn’t go through” the struggle.
In a statement to CNN, TikTok expressed its “sincere condolences to the family. In order to protect our community, we strictly forbid and remove content on TikTok that encourages risky behavior. We have never noticed a trend in this kind of content on our platform, and we have been blocking searches for years to help deter imitation. We actively endeavor to delete any content or accounts that violate our Community Standards with the help of our team of 40,000 safety experts, and we invite our community to do the same.
Johnson & Johnson, the company that makes Benadryl, has described the issue as “hazardous.”
The updated web statement states, “We recognize that consumers may have heard of an online ‘challenge’ concerning the misuse or abuse of diphenhydramine.
“The challenge, which entails consuming excessive amounts of diphenhydramine, is a risky trend and ought to be stopped right away. Only use BENADRYL® products and other diphenhydramine medications according to label instructions.
The statement said, “We are working with TikTok and other social platforms to eliminate content that demonstrates this conduct. “To counteract this risky behavior, we will look to engage with key partners across industries.”
The Stevens family and Columbus Public Health have been contacted by CNN for comment.
In its warning for 2020, the FDA stated that it had “contacted TikTok and firmly advised them to remove the videos from their site and to be attentive to remove additional films that may be released.”
An antihistamine called Benadryl is used to treat upper respiratory allergies, hay fever, and typical cold symptoms including a runny nose or sneezing. When used as advised, it is safe and efficient, according to the FDA.
“Generics, retail brands, and Benadryl brand names are all used to promote diphenhydramine. The agency added that it can also be used in conjunction with decongestants, fever reducers, and painkillers.
According to the FDA, parents and consumers should keep Benadryl and other OTC and prescription pharmaceuticals out of children’s reach. (CNN)
