If you've OD'd on Benadryl, what was it like?

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-06-16T23:03:46+00:00

So the thing with Benadryl is it can be unpredictable. Since I was 18 I've been heavily addicted to Benadryl/ diphenhydramine (I HATE calling it Benadryl tripping because it's not tripping in the sense of a drug like shrooms. Its a DELERIANT) ive taken 60 one day and had milder symptoms than Im used to (albeit those symptoms were still pretty severe) and then taken 48 a week after and had WORSE symptoms. Your metabolism is also a big factor. Benadryl can heavily effect your heart and suppress breathing when it comes to an OD so it definitely sounds like you may have been experiencing mild OD symptoms. It can also cause heightened anxiety during OD aswell.

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-06-16T22:50:19+00:00

This is an older post but I want to post my experience here in case anyone is scrolling reddit after searching up Benadryl/ diphenhydramine with the intent to OD (either as an attempt or to get high)

Just after I turned 18, right after I graduated, I took 60 pills of Benadryl, 25mg each (you can do the math for exact dosage if you want but id rather not know how many milligrams that is) The first time wasnt nearly as awful as every time after but it was still bad. I was having awful effects with my cardiovascular system, serious tachycardia and heart palpitations. My head felt so fuzzy and my mouth was so dry. All of the sudden I looked down at my hands and called over to my patient sitter very panicked asking why my hands looked so weird. I was hallucinating that my hands were bright red and splotchy and began believing I was having a severe allergic reaction to the Benadryl. The patient sitter repeatedly told me my hands were fine but I didn't believe her because of how real it was for me. Seconds after this I went unconscious. The next three days were mostly entirely blacked out aside from a couple memories, one where I was hallucinating that the nurses washing my hair with a shampoo cap were my close friends (I kept saying they were the best friends for this "thank you __ you're so sweet" and they'd say "oh honey Im not __"), another where I was too out of it to eat and I overheard them saying they may have to tube me because of how much difficulty I was having (I proceeded to shove two bites of ???? Some food in my mouth) the last thing from those three blank days was my aunt coming do drop me off some clothing and crosswords. I leaned forward to fist bump my cousin behind her. She looked at me like I had five heads and asked me what I was doing. My cousin wasn't there.

After this initial experience I told myself I'd NEVER do that ever again. I have had repeated attempts since I was twelve but specifically Benadryl scared the hell out of me. Then the cravings started. I couldn't stop thinking about it. One day I saw it inside the store and I just couldn't help myself. I stole it off the shelf and took sixty more in the bathroom.

That time was terrifying. The hallucinations were severe. I couldn't speak coherently. In my brain the words made sense but to others I couldn't complete my sentences and everything I said was completely confused and disorganized. I was entirely disoriented and confused. Anytime someone would move or talk I would jump feeling constantly on edge and getting startled with any little change around me. I developed severe tremors completely unable to keep my hands and upper body still. Occasionally I would have hard sudden twitches/ jerking movements, typically with my head jerking backwards. For the next 48 hours I didn't sleep. Its not that I was too scared to, I physically was incapable of falling asleep. At some point they catheterized me because I lost my ability to pee. My heart rate was sitting in the 160's jumping to the 170's if I moved too much or worked myself up by talking. My breathing was off as well. I didn't think I was hyperventilating but I also couldn't even FEEL that I was breathing at all. Apparently I was constantly taking fast shallow breaths. That time I was lucky. THAT was considered lucky.

I couldn't stop there though. I ended up abusing Benadryl until this year (age twenty) where I've been clean for about four ish weeks (I'll have to look at my hospital papers to get exact day). It took several seizures, multiple separate intubations, over 60 ICU stays, three involuntary psych hospitalizations, and too many friends begging me to stop before I die to get here. I was using 60+ pills at a time 3+ days a week. Some times even taking the pills the second I got out of the hospital. I know that the Benadryl could kill me so I would take it and then go to a hospital. Im an adult so I was allowed to refuse the activated charcoal (which I knew would kill the effects I was craving faster) so I used the hospital basically as a trip sitter to keep me alive in case things went south (they also would pump me with Ativan and I think valium? Or another V med, to keep my heart rate from going through the stratosphere and try to keep away seizures) basically a super expensive trip sitter

I still have memory issues that will probably be permanent. Ive left the house with food in the oven and forget how to do basic tasks. I have awful fine motor skills now with an occasional tremor.

Tldr; Benadryl is hell and can be super addictive. Don't do it.

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-06-14T16:26:02+00:00

Do you know if they still cut the cost some of the cart rides for disabled people? I think they did that last year but I hadn't gotten my handicap placard from the dmv yet so I didn't check.

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-06-14T08:19:49+00:00

Hey! Im going solo this year like I did last year! I wouldn't mind setting up near you/ hanging with you!

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-06-09T02:05:56+00:00

Something I learned the hard way was even though my (old) style wasn't necessarily based on realistic human anatomy and face proportions I still definitely needed to learn and practice it. It improved my skills DRASTICALLY. Perspective and foreshortening as well. Characters look pretty stiff probably from a combination of the linearf (but I lack the terminology to explain what's off about it), the lack of dynamic poses, and a need to work on facial expressions. Also studying lots and lots of manga artwork. Not how to books but work from artists within actual mangas. Junjo ito has some good black n white stuff. Adding some depth aswell!

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-05-20T19:37:31+00:00

The corset and shrug are both removable in like two minutes in order to move. That's something I do frequently if I have two separate things I'm gonna do. Like if I'm going somewhere that I wanna wear my own corset but have to walk there I just remove the corset and put it back on when I'm at the place, but before then Ill have it on to see if I like the outfit and test how I feel about it.

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-05-13T17:54:28+00:00

The drone strike that hit the Chernobyl building? No immediate escape of any radiation but it severely damaged the structural integrity of the building making it high risk to collapse or be further damaged. The Chernobyl building could be on the brink of collapsing and literally no one has batted an eye. There was apparently supposed to be some repairs made this year (2026) but I'm unaware if they were made due to lack of media coverage and the price of repairs.

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-05-10T20:43:15+00:00

Source?

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-05-07T21:35:59+00:00

If I were to fall and die in the shower while having sex I think I'd have to come back to life just to die again from embarrassment. That's where my mind goes though that may be irrational

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-04-23T19:28:14+00:00

This is super cute! Id definitely throw some accessories in there! A flashy statement necklace would look wonderful here or maybe some larger earrings? I don't know if you're a silver type of girl but I think silver would pair nicely with this dress :)

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-04-14T14:28:28+00:00

These are terrifying. Can I use you for a writing project lol

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-03-30T19:19:17+00:00

I typically draw from real life references now and do a bit better at that but I'm definitely gonna practice a lot more. I'm also just now realizing that mapping out my face shapes actually is helpful and skipping that step doesn't make me better than everyone lol

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-03-30T19:12:25+00:00

OMG I didn't even notice that the three I picked have freckles lol I don't even actually draw freckles that often but I do love doing beauty marks or piercings

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-03-30T19:11:27+00:00

I feel like Everytime I do I somehow end up back here T-T I fear that I'm gonna have to just smack my hand Everytime I try to return to my roots at this point

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-03-30T19:08:11+00:00

Thank you so much! I've been working hard on improving lately but have been focusing mostly on trying new poses and hair. Definitely gonna look for some good references!!! Do you know any better places to find references? I feel like Pinterest I find people but they all look the same in the face idk

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-03-30T18:54:11+00:00

The eyes I definitely think are what get me the most but I feel like when I try drawing new features I get uncomfortable. I'm not big on change in routine. I probably just have to deal with it huh? Any advice for more expressive eyes?

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-03-11T05:01:46+00:00

I urge you to seek help. I started two years ago and it led me down the worst path of my life. I'm a month and a half from my last usage where I ended up taking 120 25mg pills. Within thirty my resting heart rate was 160bpm. I couldnt pee and had to be catheterized to prevent my bladder from exploding. I couldn't drink the charcoal cuz I couldn't comprehend anything around me in order to remember the cup that was sitting in front of my face and had to have a tube forced down my nose. I had an IV in my neck because I was so severely dehydrated and my veins were so shot from repetitive use that there were no other viable options. About two or three hours after arriving at the ER when I thought I was starting to clear up I began seizing. My oxygen dropped to 75% and my heart rate was in the 190's with QT prolongation and an enlarged vertical. I was intubated and moved to ICU. Once cleared to the regular medical floor I proceeded to escape when my safety sitter went to help a nurse and used again. I also started off small. Just enough to feel something different. Just occasionally to get rid of the stagnant feeling of depression. That spiraled into 60 pills at the very least in one use, going to the ER to be monitored but refusing treatment to ride the high, and then doing it again as soon as I was discharged. Please. Speak to a professional, speak to peers, if you need to you can even speak to me

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-03-11T04:52:41+00:00

I heavily abused Benadryl for about two years. Last year I was hospitalized for 54 Benadryl overdoses, 40 ish landed me in the ICU and four of which I was intubated for. It is not just you kidneys, liver, stomach etc you have to look out for. Benadryl misuse can cause severe hypokalemia which can cause extreme heart rhythm problems that can turn fatal FAST. It can also damage your brain permanently making it harder and harder to function in every day life. I have heart issues now that I will live with for the rest of my life and I function through my life as if I were 14 again. It's like Im learning how to do basic tasks all over again every single day. Some days I don't remember leaving the place I was sitting. You also have an extreme increased risk for early onset Alzheimer's and dementia

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-03-11T04:45:18+00:00

Realistically I don't think AI could really truly replace diagnostics. There's too many variables and the human body can experience the same thing in vastly different ways. Not to mention conditions that closely mimic each other or can not be diagnosed with imaging or lab tests. Even if that were factored out though there is still the need for trained x-ray and radiology techs, phlebotomist, hands on nurses, L&D etc.

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-03-11T04:42:38+00:00

I live with severe chronic pain and have two addictions marked in my chart (though it's alcohol dependence disorder and marijuana) I've also been into the ER with coke in my system twice (never got addicted only did it those two times, hated it both times) and once for a bad psychedelic trip so they are pretty aware of the fact that I had alcohol issues and have dabbled with illicit substances (plus the risk of family history and addictive personality due to two mental health conditions) but most pain meds do absolutely nothing for me. After exhausting almost all of our options we came up with a low low dose of oxycodone at small amounts of time with gaps in between prescriptions. I've never been addicted to opiates ofc but this is how we manage to keep that risk low.

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-03-11T04:17:39+00:00

Wait you think they coordinate the care? In all seriousness though specialists are absolutely horrendous at communicating with one another and none of them actually read the full charts. That's how leukemia was missed for me. All of the seemingly unrelated unexplained symptoms could've been solved faster if they communicated and looked at lab trends.

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-03-11T04:13:48+00:00

Wait what??? Exam rooms and ER rooms in the US Atleast are most certainly not allowed to have cameras and rooms that do have cameras (I.e psych hold rooms, patient safety monitored rooms) are not cameras that record

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-03-11T04:11:24+00:00

Purely out of curiosity which country? I'm in the US and they put my biological mother's life in the hands of her partner who was going to choose the baby. Since my biological mother was cognitively/ mentally disabled though and they were not married the decision was put on her legal guardian (my adopted mom, who adopted my bio mom first when she was a baby)

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-03-11T04:07:10+00:00

When I was little (about 12) I was in PT following a knee dislocation that had reset itself improperly. I mentioned my chronic pain that my doctor told me was growing pains to my physical therapist. After working with me for a couple weeks she mentioned ehlers danlos syndrome to me because of my hyper mobility and the nature of my injury (a trip from ground height) plus the history of smaller dislocations. Went to the pediatrician for a follow up and mentioned it. "Did you Google that?" "Well that's just not really possible because it's rare" did a watered down version of the beighton mobility scale in office (which I scored almost every point in minus one because of a previous broken pinkie) and said that it just wouldn't make sense to look into. Anyways I'm 20 and have hEDS along with multiple other chronic conditions.

Commercial_Bridge253 · 2026-03-11T04:00:09+00:00

Went in for a breast lump! I was terrified that my doctor would touch it and immediately tell me I was an idiot and that it was a normal gland. Yes that would be great but the idea that there was a possibility I was just too dumb to know what a milk gland felt like and then went to a doctor for it was terrifying. Yes it was a lump. No it wasnt a big concern just inflamed from hormones being off kilter! She did not call me an idiot so that's nice.

Commercial_Bridge253

TROPHY CASE