A widely used allergy medication found in many American homes is drawing renewed concern from child safety advocates over the risk it poses to young people.
The drug, diphenhydramine — best known to many families under the brand name Benadryl — can be dangerous in excessive amounts, even though it is sold over the counter and is often viewed as routine.
“Diphenhydramine is capable of causing overdose and, potentially, death,” Dr. Gary Soffer, an associate professor of pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine, told the Daily Mail in an exclusive interview.
Soffer said serious complications linked to the drug can include cardiac arrhythmias and seizures. In larger doses, he added, it may also trigger hallucinations and produce psychedelic effects. “This is generally not a safe medication,” he said.
On Wednesday, Connecticut’s Office of the Child Advocate issued a public warning after three children in the state died from diphenhydramine overdoses over the past two months. The agency did not identify a brand name in its advisory.
The ages of the adolescents have not been released.
The deaths, while tragic, did not shock Dr Soffer – an allergist, immunologist and father of three – who has advocated against the widespread use of diphenhydramine.
‘There have been approximately 750 fatalities associated with the use of diphenhydramine over a 10-year period,’ Dr Soffer says. ‘The medical community and pharmaceutical community have been aware of these risks.’
On Wednesday, Connecticut’s Office of the Child Advocate issue an advisory, warning that three children in the state died over the past two months from overdoses of diphenhydramine
Most families are clueless to this threat, even if diphenhydramine is commonly known by a household name brand: Benadryl.
Dr. Gary Soffer: ‘Diphenhydramine is capable of [causing] both overdose and, potentially, death’
In Texas, for instance, medical authorities have reported more than 100 diphenhydramine-related overdoses and one death over the past six months.
The drug was also mentioned in the sexual assault trial of comedian Bill Cosby.
Andrea Constand testified that Cosby gave her three ‘blue pills’ before a sexual encounter in 2004, during which she allegedly became excessively drowsy.
Cosby later said the pills were Benadryl. He was found guilty of sexual assault in 2018, but the conviction was overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which determined that Cosby had been granted immunity from prosecution by the state.
Dr Soffer also warns that the risks of diphenhydramine overdose are worsened by reckless social media ‘challenges.’
In 2020, more than 130 adolescent deaths and hundreds of hospitalizations were reportedly linked to an infamous online ‘Benadryl Challenge,’ which encouraged people to consume high amounts of diphenhydramine – far beyond the recommended dose.
‘I think what surprised people was the [online pressure] to use diphenhydramine recreationally,’ Dr. Soffer says. ‘This was something that general physicians and ER physicians generally weren’t aware of.’
Diphenhydramine’s potential danger stems from the medication’s ability to cross what is known as the ‘blood-brain’ barrier, explains Dr Soffer.
Unlike newly developed antihistamines – such as Claritin or Allegra – diphenhydramine seeps into the brain as well as the blood stream, impacting the central nervous system. That is why drowsiness is a common side effect and establishes a potential link between long-term use of the drug and elevated rates of cognitive decline and dementia.
In a statement to the Daily Mail, Kenvue – the maker of Benadryl – said, in part: ‘The social media trend promoting misuse of diphenhydramine-containing products is extremely dangerous and should be stopped immediately.
‘As with any [over-the-counter] medicine, we recommend that consumers carefully read and follow the instructions on the label and contact their healthcare professional should they have questions.’
Dr Soffer says he’s become ‘adamant about getting Benadryl out of people’s lives.’ He helped lead an effort to reduce the usage of diphenhydramine in favor of allegedly safe and effective alternatives in the Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital system.
Diphenhydramine was also mentioned in the sexual assault trial of comedian Bill Cosby
Dr Soffer warns that the risks of diphenhydramine overdose are worsened by reckless social media ‘challenges.’ (Pictured: A frame-grab from a Benadryl challenge posting on TikTok)
Between 2022 and 2024, his team cut diphenhydramine use by 62 percent in emergency room cases and 33 percent in non-emergency cases, according to Dr Soffer.
For all these reasons, he argues that diphenhydramine should not be sold as an over-the-counter drug, either.
‘That’s part of the misconception, too,’ says Dr Soffer. ‘If it’s sold over the counter at CVS, [Benadryl] must be safe, right?’
In contrast, he says, the relative ease of purchasing diphenhydramine makes it more susceptible to abuse by adolescents. ‘We’ve all been teenagers, we’ve all sort of lacked that frontal-lobe ability to fully understand risks,’ he says.
Dr Soffer points out that other common drugs, like pseudoephedrine-based decongestants such as Sudafed, have been kept behind counters for a decade to prevent them from being used to manufacture amphetamines.
Consumers must also present identification, proving they are at least 18 years old, to purchase Sudafed and there are limitations on the amount that can be bought at one time.
What’s more, diphenhydramine is far easier to abuse than pseudoephedrine. One simply consumes Benadryl, while converting pseudoephedrine into amphetamines requires advanced knowledge along with additional chemical agents.
Despite all these concerns, Dr Soffer fears that the risks will persist.
Benadryl ‘is so deeply embedded in our culture and so associated with allergy prevention…that all you have to do is open up a medicine cabinet and you can find it,’ he says, concluding, ‘there is literally no need for the average parent to have Benadryl in their home.’
