Heartbroken family’s warning as teen who died from Benadryl overdose in TikTok challenge is named
A TEENAGE girl from Oklahoma who tragically died after taking part in the dangerous TikTok game known as the "Benadryl challenge" has been identified, The Sun can reveal.
Chloe Phillips, a sophomore at Blanchard High School, reportedly overdosed on antihistamines as part of the online fad that encourages participants to take excessive amounts of the allergy medication to experience a high that can cause hallucinations.
The teen was pronounced dead on August 21.
Chloe's great aunt Janette Sissy Leasure remembered her niece as "a happy and smart young lady" who had "all kinds of plans for her future".
"This needs to stop taking our kids or putting them in the hospital," Ms Leasure wrote on , referencing the "Benadryl challenge".
"Don't let it take anymore kids.
"Large doses of Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) can cause seizures and, particularly, problems with the heart," he added.
"The heart tends to go out of rhythm and not pump blood effectively."
One of the teens, a 14-year-old girl, arrived at the hospital with a heart rate of 199 – significantly higher than the typical 60 to 100 beats per minute considered normal for her age group.
Benadryl is a commonly prescribed drug to treat allergies and symptoms of the common cold.
The over-the-counter drug is generally considered safe when taken in normal doses. But it could cause severe health effects when taken in excessive amounts, medical experts warn.
The company said it was "keeping an eye on this topic since and removing any new content - which again has been in extremely small numbers".
"The safety and well-being of our users is TikTok's top priority," the spokesperson said.
"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 behavior whether online or off."
A spokesperson for Johnson & Johnson, the pharmaceutical giant that markets the Benadryl brand, said the health and safety of people who use their products is their top priority.
'The BENADRYL TikTok trend is extremely concerning, dangerous and should be stopped immediately," the company said in a statement.
"As with any medicine, abuse or misuse can lead to serious side effects with potentially long-lasting consequences, and BENADRYL products should only be used as directed by the label.
"It is our strong recommendation that all medications be kept out of the reach of children at all times.
"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."