Social media challenge continues to kill: FDA warns teens amid spike in deaths and health issues

WASHINGTON/CONNECTICUT/TEXAS/OKLAHOMA – A social media challenge continues to have health impacts in this area and across the country with some instances leading to death.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to warn that taking higher than recommended doses of the common over-the-counter allergy medicine diphenhydramine (Benadryl) can lead to serious heart problems, seizures, coma, or even death.

The warning is in response to reports of teenagers ending up in emergency rooms or dying after participating in the “Benadryl Challenge” which involves overdosing to try and induce hallucinations.

Despite TikTok taking measures to try to discourage the activity including disabling its hashtags after the challenge broke in 2020, the ramifications of the challenge have repeatedly resurfaced in subsequent years, including a notable resurgence in 2026.

America’s Poison Centers reported that calls involving diphenhydramine among teens more than doubled in the first five months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. There were 6,179 such calls in early 2026.

Overall teen-related diphenhydramine calls had already risen significantly in prior years, reaching over 13,000 in 2025.

While calls concerning Benadryl overuse by teens have increased, some have also turned deadly.

Three children died in Connecticut from apparent diphenhydramine overdoses within a roughly two-month period ending in June. State officials confirmed the overdoses but said they could not definitively link the deaths to the social media challenge.

A 15-year-old from Oklahoma died in June after participating in the challenge which was reported in June.

Additional reports include at least one death connected to the challenge in the Texas area and other hospitalizations across multiple states in 2026.

One analysis suggested the challenge may have been associated with as many as 131 deaths in the U.S. between 2020 and 2024. The 2026 spike in calls and multiple confirmed or suspected fatalities indicate continued harm.

Consumers, parents, and caregivers are advised to store diphenhydramine and all other OTC and prescription medicines up and away and out of children’s reach and sight. FDA recommends you lock up medicines to prevent accidental poisonings by children and misuse by teens.

The FDA instructs not take more than the dose listed on the label, as doing so can cause serious problems. If someone takes too much diphenhydramine and is hallucinating, can’t be awakened, has a seizure, has trouble breathing, or has collapsed, immediately get medical attention or contact poison control at 1-800-222-1222.

Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine used to temporarily relieve symptoms due to hay fever, upper respiratory allergies, or the common cold, such as runny nose and sneezing. It works by blocking histamine in the body, which is a substance that causes allergic symptoms. Diphenhydramine is marketed under the brand-name Benadryl, store brands, and generics. It is also available in combination with pain relievers, fever reducers, and decongestants.