Benadryl Recall: Why Have Bottles of the Anti-Allergy Medication Recalled?

The consumer safety forum in the United States has recalled over 2,000 bottles of Benadryl Liquid Elixir over a potential poisoning risk to young children. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the anti-allergy medication which contains diphenhydramine, an antihistamine, must be in child-resistant packaging.

However, the packaging for the recalled 100-millilitre bottles was not child-resistant and posed the risk of child poisoning, according to officials. The recall involves Benadryl Liquid Elixir sold in a round dark plastic bottle with a pink-and-white label on the front with the word “Benadryl” in blue text.

Arsell, Inc. from New York initiated the recall, which affects certain bottles of Benadryl Liquid Elixir sold on Amazon.com. No injuries or incidents have so far been reported in connection to the recalled medication. According to experts, diphenhydramine can be harmful in large amounts, especially for children. Because of this, the Poison Prevention Packaging Act requires that medication containing diphenhydramine be secured in child-resistant packaging.

According to the CPSC, anyone who has the 100-millilitre bottles of Benadryl Liquid Elixir at home should immediately secure them out of reach from children and either get a refund or just throw them away.

According to doctors, in overdose, diphenhydramine can cause:

• Excessive sleepiness
• Confusion
• Hallucinations
• Fast heartbeat
• Seizures
• Coma

It is advised that Benadryl should be taken as directed by a pharmacist or physician to avoid unwanted side effects. Benadryl makes you quite sleepy as it has a sedative effect on the body’s nervous system. If taken close to bedtime, the sleepiness can last into the next day.

Benadryl also impairs your hand-eye coordination and reaction time due to sleepiness. Therefore, it is best to avoid driving while taking this medication.

Doctors say it is not safe to give Benadryl to children for sleeping. Clinical studies have shown that Benadryl is not effective as a treatment for sleep issues in infants and children. Furthermore, the risk of accidental overdose is high in children.

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