A string of over-the-counter drug-induced deaths is putting care providers and state officials on high alert.
In the past two months, three children in Connecticut have allegedly died in connection to overdoses of diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl.
The fatalities were confirmed earlier this week by the state Office of the Child Advocate (OCA).
“That’s unusual. And definitely a cause for concern because it’s a lot,” Dr. Krishnan Narasimhan, head of family medicine at Stamford Hospital, told Connecticut Public Radio.
Last week, Connecticut issued a statewide advisory urging health care providers to alert families to identify and safely store products containing diphenhydramine.
“We want parents to be aware that any medication, including prescription and non-prescription medication, is potentially dangerous to children of all ages,” the OCA said in a statement. “We strongly encourage parents to store all medications safely, to ensure they are not easily accessible to children.”
When used properly, Benadryl and other diphenhydramine-based medicines are meant to relieve symptoms of seasonal or situational allergies or the common cold, such as a runny nose or sneezing.
However, the drug is associated with side effects including elevated heart rate, agitation, seizures, hyperactivity, hallucinations, urinary retention that can cause kidney dysfunction, and arrhythmia.
“It crosses the blood-brain barrier. And so one of the common things, if you’ve ever used diphenhydramine or given it to someone, is that they get very sedated,” said Narasimhan.
Owing to these side effects and the potential for overdose, care providers are increasingly ditching Benadryl in favor of alternative treatments.
Zyrtec, or cetirizine, for example, can be used to treat allergies without the risk of adverse side effects.
“Our hearts go out to those impacted by the misuse of diphenhydramine-containing products,” Kenvue, maker of Benadryl, said in a statement to ABC News.
The deaths are still being investigated.
The ages and locations of the victims have not been released. Officials have also not established a direct link between the deaths and the viral Benadryl Challenge — but doctors are still, once again, raising the alarm.
Instigated by social media users, the challenge provokes people to purposefully take high doses of Benadryl — as many as 24 tablets in 24 hours — to produce a mighty high characterized by hallucinations.
Participants are encouraged to record their experiences and share them online.
Doctors note that the life-threatening dose is double the recommended adult dosage.
“You can get severely agitated. You can have extra heartbeats, which can lead to cardiac complications and actually can lead to cardiac arrest and death,” said Narasimhan.
In 2020, the trend was such an issue that the FDA issued a warning about the dangers of taking high doses of the allergy medicine, underscoring that it can lead to heart problems, seizures, coma, or even death.
Drug manufacturer Kenvue spoke to the disturbing trend and the misuse of its products as “extremely dangerous and should be stopped immediately.” They added that they are actively working to stop the spread of the Benadryl Challenge by partnering with social media platforms to have content related to the challenge removed.
Anyone who suspects a child has taken too much Benadryl or another medication should contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
