A 21-year-old college student, JC, participated in the "#BenadrylChallenge" on TikTok, where she consumed two whole bottles of Benadryl (diphenhydramine) in an attempt to gain internet fame. Unbeknownst to her, this massive dose of Benadryl could be fatal. She experienced hallucinations, seizures, and eventually became unresponsive. Her father found her and called 911, and she was rushed to the emergency room.
At the hospital, doctors discovered that JC had anticholinergic poisoning, which occurs when a substance blocks the body's cholinergic receptors, causing a range of symptoms including seizures, hallucinations, dry mouth, and a racing heart. The doctors treated JC by stabilizing her heart rhythm, stopping her seizures, and ventilating her. They also used a novel treatment, intravenous lipid emulsion therapy, to remove the excess Benadryl from her body.
JC eventually recovered from her ordeal but suffered from mental fogginess for several months. The incident highlights the dangers of participating in social media challenges and the potential risks of misusing medications like Benadryl.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. JC, a 21-year-old woman, was taken to the emergency room after taking a large dose of Benadryl.
2. She had at least three seizures in the past hour, with the last one lasting over 15 minutes.
3. JC's dad told the admitting nurse that she had been taking Benadryl for allergies.
4. JC had been a regular college student in 2020, but had moved back home earlier that spring due to the pandemic.
5. She had been trying to become internet-famous on TikTok and had heard about the #BenadrylChallenge.
6. JC's friends had told her that Benadryl could "open someone's mind."
7. She had taken two whole bottles of Benadryl, which can be fatal.
8. JC's symptoms included a burning sensation at the base of her neck, a wobbly ceiling, and blurred vision.
9. She was unresponsive, flushed, and had a heart rate of 180 beats per minute.
10. Her blood pressure was 70 over 40, about half of normal.
11. JC's skin was red, but she wasn't sweating, and her pupils were dilated and minimally reactive to light.
12. Her mouth was dry, and her mucous membranes were dry.
13. JC's heart was beating fast, and her heart rhythm was abnormal.
14. Doctors shocked her into a normal heart rhythm.
15. JC's dad showed the doctors a TikTok video of her drinking two whole bottles of Benadryl.
16. Benadryl is an allergy medicine that inactivates histamine receptors.
17. Histamine is a natural chemical that regulates sleep and wakefulness, cognition, and anticonvulsant activity.
18. Benadryl blocks histamine receptors, causing drowsiness, hallucinations, and seizures.
19. JC had a massive amount of Benadryl in her body, which caused her symptoms.
20. Benadryl also blocks sodium going into heart muscle cells, causing abnormal heart rhythms.
21. Doctors treated JC with medicines to stabilize her heart rhythm, stop her seizures, and ventilate her.
22. They also infused intravenous lipid emulsion to try and pull the Benadryl out of her organs.
23. The lipid emulsion therapy was successful in stabilizing JC's heart rhythm.
24. JC was hospitalized for several days and experienced mental fog and haze for several months after the event.