Credit: Family handout
Teenage Girl Dies After Taking Part In ‘Benadryl Challenge’
A 15-year-old girl has died after taking part in the viral so-called ‘Benadryl Challenge’.
Leah Presson’s heartbroken father revealed the teen had officially been left ‘brain dead’ after taking part in the incredibly dangerous social media challenge.
Experts are warning children and parents to be aware of the dangers involved in the ‘challenge’ which has claimed multiple lives.
What is the ‘Benadryl Challenge’?
The ‘Benadryl Challenge’ encourages people to intentionally take very large doses of diphenhydramine, the antihistamine drug sold under the brand name Benadryl in the United States.
The drug can be bought over the counter by people over the age of 18, and is typically used to treat allergies, hay fever, hives and itching.
It can occasionally be used as a short-term sleep aid due to the fact it often makes users feel drowsy.
Taking Benadryl in larger quantities than recommended is not safe to do under any circumstances and presents a very real threat of serious illness and death for anyone who takes part in the so-called challenge.
When taken in high doses, the drug can cause hallucinations, delirium, confusion and extreme agitation.
People on TikTok have been taking part in the so-called challenge in an attempt to experience hallucinations so they can share their experiences on social media.
The incredibly dangerous trend has been doing the rounds on social media, most notably TikTok, since 2020, and there have been many reports of teens becoming seriously ill and requiring hospital treatment, as well as multiple deaths.
In response, TikTok has removed any related content and anyone searching for videos of the ‘Benadryl Challenge’ is instead directed towards safety resources.
A spokesperson for the app said any content that promotes dangerous behavior, which may lead to serious injury, is a serious violation of TikTok’s community guidelines and therefore will be removed.
But, unfortunately, it still hasn’t stopped young people from taking part in the life-threatening trend.
Teen loses her life to viral trend
According to the New York Post, the ‘Benadryl Challenge’ has once again been gaining momentum in recent weeks, and sadly Leah Presson, from Oklahoma, is the latest teen to fall victim, tragically losing her life.
The 15-year-old was left ‘fighting for life’ after the over the counter medication left her experiencing seizures immediately after overdosing it.
According to her dad, Richard Presson, his daughter ‘always wanted to be TikTok famous’.
He added: “It hurts to see that my daughter is now laying lifeless because of some challenge that couldn’t be stopped.”
His family have since confirmed Leah has passed away.
In a statement, they wrote: “Thank you to everyone who has reached out, prayed, supported us, and loved Leah through all of this.
“Your kindness means more than words can express.”
Father warns against ‘silly’ challenges
Leah’s heartbroken father now wants to warn other parents about the dangers of these viral challenges.
“I just want everyone to be aware to where they can educate their kids,” he said, as per The Sun.
“But these challenges are just silly, and they need to be educated so it don’t happen again.”
Meanwhile, Dr Ryan Brown told the publication just how dangerous the ‘Benadryl Challenge’ really is, while urging anyone to avoid taking part.
“When you take Benadryl in excess, it can lead to seizures and cardiac arrhythmias, and sometimes those cardiac arrhythmias lead to cardiac arrest, which can lead to no blood to the brain, which can lead to brain death,” he said.
“If your child is acting strange, look around. Make sure that there’s not an empty pill bottle or something in the vicinity that may lead you to a clue as to what may have been going on.”
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