What is the Benadryl challenge? New TikTok challenge that’s left 13-year-old dead

Jacob Stevens died last week, six days after attempting the challenge

FDA warns of dangers associated with 'Benadryl Challenge' on TikTok (Getty Images)

A 13-year-old boy has died in Ohio after taking part in a viral TikTok challenge.

Jacob Stevens died last week, six days after attempting the Benadryl challenge, which involves consuming large quantities of Benadryl, an over-the-counter allergy medication.

In an interview with ABC6, Justin Stevens, the father of the teenager said his son was at home with friends when he decided to try the Benadryl challenge. As his friends filmed, the 13-year-old’s body started to have a seizure.

Family reveals 13-year-old boy died after trying viral ‘Benadryl Challenge’ (GoFundMe / Jacob Stevens)

At the hospital, Mr Stevens said he was told that his son would never wake up.

What is the Benadryl challenge?

The “Benadryl challenge” began circulating on the social media platform in 2020, at which point the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about the dangers associated with taking higher than recommended doses of the allergy medication.

At the time, the agency cited reports of teenagers ending up in the hospital after participating in the challenge. According to the FDA, participating in the dangerous trend could lead to “serious heart problems, seizures, coma, or even death”.

The challenge involves participants taking 12-14 pills, nearly double the recommended daily dosage and ten times the recommended dose for a six-hour period, of the over-the-counter-drug diphenhydramine to induce hallucinations, and filming their side effects.

A 15-year-old girl from Oklahoma died in 2020 after attempting the challenge. Meanwhile, Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, said it had treated three teens hospitalised after consuming “excessive amounts” of the medication.

The FDA previously revealed that it contacted TikTok about the dangerous videos and “to be vigilant to remove additional videos that may be posted”.

At the time, the agency also said health care professionals should be “aware” of the challenge and “alert caregivers” about the trend. They also noted that the allergy medication, and other prescription and over-the-counter medicines, should be stored “up and away”.

TikTok has since banned searches for “Benadryl” on the app. Though, attempts to look up the name of the allergy medication now result in other suggestions, such as the “bena challenge” or the “benary changle,” which include videos about the dangerous trend.

In a 2020 statement to The Independent, a spokesperson for TikTok said: “The safety and well-being of our users is TikTok’s top priority. As we make clear in our Community Guidelines, we do not allow content that encourages, promotes, or glorifies dangerous challenges that might lead to injury.

“Though we have not seen this content trend on our platform, we actively remove content that violates our guidelines and block related hashtags to further discourage participation. We encourage everyone to exercise caution in their behaviour whether online or off.”

Drug diphenhydramine, marketed under the brand name Benadryl, is an antihistamine most commonly used to relieve symptoms of allergy.

The drug can cause moderate and serious side effects, including drowsiness, dizziness, stomach upset and blurred vision.

Serious side effects range from mood changes and irregular heartbeat, to seizures, difficulty breathing and serious dizziness.

Benadryl advises that children under the age of 12 do not use adult Benadryl medication.

In an undated statement on its U.S. website , Benadryl, owned by corporation Johnson & Johnson, said: “We understand that consumers may have heard about an online “challenge” involving the misuse or abuse of diphenhydramine. The challenge, which involves ingestion of excessive quantities of diphenhydramine, is a dangerous trend and should be stopped immediately,” read the statement, in part.

“We are working with TikTok and other social platforms to remove content that showcases this behavior.