TIFU by drinking half a bottle of my roommate's Benadryl

Submitted by starry_nightz_ t3_103pw30 in tifu

I, 26f, live with one roommate, 33f. I moved in to her place last summer after moving across the country with her. She works a full time job and I'm trying to get my GED (long story).

So, I had a terrible headache. I'm not sure what caused it but it hurt so badly. I figured I could fix it with something in the medicine cabinet. I hate pills, so I found a bottle of the only liquid thing there- Benadryl. I had heard of it before, so I figured it was safe. I took two doses because I was in so much pain and went to take a nap.

When I woke up, my skin was itchy and my head was still pounding. Stupidly I took another dose. I think I was overpouring them because now half of the almost full bottle was gone. I laid back down on the couch and fell asleep.

I don't remember most of this, but I know my roommate came home and I was almost unconscious and mildly hallucinating. All I really remember is her holding me and crying. I was in pain but also felt floaty and not in control of my body.

It took a whole day and a half before I felt normal again. My roommate is pretty pissed off I think but she's hiding it. She keeps saying I "just scared" her. I feel awful for making her scared. She does so much for me. She saved my life and somehow I still always fuck things up.

TL:DR - I drank far more medicine than I should have, scared the shit out of my roommate, and now I feel awful for making her upset.

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RMarkL t1_j30fucb wrote

Google some shit next time.

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SmittyManJensen_ t1_j30ike4 wrote

That was pretty foolish and dangerous. If you’re not sure, research or call the number on the package.

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just_checking345 t1_j311ne7 wrote

Yes, because if your headache is so bad, you end up accidentally ODing on meds, you are clearly able to think about researching stuff and realising that you aren't sure. It's not like your thoughts are limited to "I'd do anything to make it stop" and "this looks like it kills pain, gimme".

−21

recycledM3M3s t1_j338e1b wrote

I mean once you've dosed? Maybe. Before your first dose do something- anything- to figure out wtf you're doing.

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just_checking345 t1_j36x9r8 wrote

Before your first dose, you still have a brutal headache. It's not necessarily the meds that make your brain foggy, it's mostly that you can feel your brain bouncing against your skull every time you try to think or breathe.

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[deleted] t1_j30je1c wrote

[deleted]

−81

MEDICARE_FOR_ALL t1_j323rn2 wrote

>I didn't even know it's a drug.

wut

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starry_nightz_ OP t1_j325o20 wrote

I'm not smart at all okay?? I didn't graduate for a reason.

−33

Rebelpride1 t1_j32hd8i wrote

I know plenty of non-graduates that are capable of reading the label on a bottle of medicine before downing half the bottle.

Most of these non-graduates are children

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blaxative t1_j34t4qv wrote

I think most anyone of breathing age would know that you’re not supposed to take a half a bottle of anything even remotely resembling medicine. This person may be accidentally or subconsciously suicidally stupid.

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starry_nightz_ OP t1_j35vgdg wrote

Girls at the brothel would guzzle pain meds all the time! I thought it was okay!

−6

NukeWarz t1_j371f7t wrote

the girls at the brothel are not okay honey

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recycledM3M3s t1_j338rgd wrote

"I went to the medicine cabinet" "this is a drug??" I don't wanna go full chemistry class on ya talking about how sugars a fucking drug but there's strictest definitions everyone adheres to. & by those super strict thoughts that is indeed the intent to find a drug. There's no not knowing tf you been doing.

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Mangledpork t1_j33jl9n wrote

Do you know what "drug" means?

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starry_nightz_ OP t1_j33vdcb wrote

Apparently not. I thought it was just like weed and coke?

−5

Mangledpork t1_j34hzr5 wrote

All medicines are drugs. Drugs are substances that change how our bodies work, potentially including our minds. Some are pretty safe and legal, some are extremely dangerous and illegal. But pretty much any drug can be harmful or even lethal in large enough doses. There's plenty of completely legal medicinal drugs you can buy over the counter and keep in a medicine cabinet that could kill you or cause permanent damage in the kind of amounts of Benadryl you seem to have taken.

Consider yourself lucky that you seem to have come out of this incident fine, and in future please read the label, good god, or you'll be explaining at the pearly gates that your headache was too bad to check the instructions.

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kaanskBG t1_j30wlmo wrote

Who the heck takes medicine without knowing what it is for? Thats like taking a medicine for sore throat and expect to fix your upset stomach or something? You are 26, don't you know that its extremely dangerous to take medicine that you are not supposed to? Im sorry if i sound rude but this whole post is worrying and im just trying to tell you that its dangerous and if you don't learn that soon it may happen something way worse.

Next time call your doctor, parents, relative or even just google it instead of going by memory.

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Lined_the_Street t1_j31724b wrote

Wow its probably a miracle you aren't dead. Not because benadryl will outright kill you but what person just grabs any old random bottle and takes it like, "Ahh yes I have a foot infection! Time to take use this random crack I found"

What was the actual plan here? If I was your roommate I'd be pissed too

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VersionNo3770 t1_j3108j9 wrote

Always take medication according to the directions because an overdose could make you sick or kill you.

What you took, as someone else pointed out is DPH or Diphenhydramine. It's often used in allergy, cold, or sleep medication. It isn't for headaches and unless you were drinking a lot of water with it, it probably just dehydrated you a bit and made your headache worse. DPH is also a deliriant at higher doses so that is what made you hallucinate. Some people do this to trip, but it isn't considered very fun or enjoyable compared to most drugs. Most people I knew who abused it were depressed, and used it as a form of self harm.

You're probably lucky that it wasn't headache medication actually if you're just taking a bunch and hoping to feel better. If the bottle has a lot of Tylenol (acetaminophen) in it you may have needed to go to the hospital to have your stomach pumped. Some drugs/active ingredients are more dangerous than others.

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Neptune_washere t1_j4nrice wrote

Yeah, if they took something like Panadol/Paracetamol at such a large dose, they'd be hospitalised and in fear of liver failure.

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series_hybrid t1_j31sb7f wrote

You can overdose on Tylenol. It will kill your liver. It will be very painful the entire time you're dying.

The only cure is a very painful liver transplant, if they can find a match.

Dont take the wrong medication, and when taking any medication, follow the dosing instructions.

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Gewt92 t1_j355om9 wrote

They can also give you NAC for a Tylenol overdose if you get there in time

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UpvoteMeOrUGay t1_j30fj41 wrote

r/dph

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starry_nightz_ OP t1_j30fu2b wrote

Sorry I'm confused what does that mean?

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nsanity27 t1_j30h6xg wrote

Some people drink a lot of Benadryl on purpose to get high and hallucinate because of the active ingredient DPH. That sub is full of people em

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UpvoteMeOrUGay t1_j30hab2 wrote

Subreddit for people who use Benadryl to get high. Apparently taking too much gets intense

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Marnotts85 t1_j32qlja wrote

Intense is an understatement. I almost strangled my friend who was extremely Benadryl high because nothing else would stop him, or get his attention.

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coffeebuzzbuzzz t1_j32v2bw wrote

Benadryl is an antihistamine for allergic reactions. It will not help a headache. Please read the directions on all bottles of medication carefully. Taking too much can kill you.

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Middle_Promise t1_j33451u wrote

Jesus Christ that could’ve killed you. Why did you not look up how much to take?

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Mangledpork t1_j33mdel wrote

Considering that Benadryl bottles all say either "BENADRYL: ALLERGY" or "BENADRYL: COUGH FORMULA" or similar on them, seeing that and thinking "yeah, this'll fix my headache" is quite the fuckup.

And I have to ask: What were you considering a "dose"? What exactly were you overpouring into?

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starry_nightz_ OP t1_j33vktu wrote

I had one of those little cups with the measuring lines but my head hurt too bad to really read it well

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Mangledpork t1_j34gbw6 wrote

A dose of benadryl appears to be a teaspoon or so, however much you were pouring, it must have been massively over that to make a noticeable difference to how full the bottle was.

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starry_nightz_ OP t1_j350pbe wrote

My roommate said I must have poured tablespoons. I didn't know there was a difference.

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Inertiaraptor t1_j35kkz8 wrote

Hey, sorry everybody here is jumping your shit. You made a mistake. I read your previous post. You’ve missed some things while some heavy shit was going on, so first of all, be nice to yourself. What you need to do is embrace asking questions via google, and if the first one is Benadryl, then make the second search complex ptsd. Read everything you can. You will learn so much about yourself.

Also, you need to reassure your room mate that you’re going to be ok. She’s taken a hell of a gamble, and she’s rightly afraid. Don’t let your fear and anxiety ruin this. Be honest and ask her for more help with little things. She knows your story, it will make her feel better.

Also, stop beating yourself up. Life is hard, it’s different for everybody, and I know doctors who couldn’t live a day like you. Stop saying you’re stupid. To yourself, to others. I’m old now, and I promise 18 and 26 can be the same thing. Get your GED and explore the world cautiously as you get used to being safe.

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Bird_Up23 t1_j32paw3 wrote

Benadryl: You can’t sneeze, the spiders are around.

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BeakyPlinder69 t1_j33uop7 wrote

You're smart enough to come on here and make a post, but not smart enough to read a label? Is this a joke? It's just too hard to believe you would drink a bottle of something you have no idea about.

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starry_nightz_ OP t1_j33yknz wrote

I thought it was okay because my roommate takes random medicine all the time and she's super smart.

−2

simplysydney22 t1_j35t2fw wrote

She probably doesn’t take random medicine all the time. She knows what’s in her medicine cabinet, knows what it’s for, and knows how much to take. To you, it seems random because you don’t know these things. Next time you’re not feeling well, ask her what to take or read the package very carefully before taking any.

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starry_nightz_ OP t1_j35t7yo wrote

I didn't want to bother her at work

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OkapiEli t1_j3bllaa wrote

You can’t bother her at work, right. But medicine is specific to the person taking it, and if you take the wrong kind or too much you can really hurt yourself. So let’s plan ahead in case you get sick again.

Are you getting a lot of headaches? Are you on any prescription medications, or aware of having any specific chronic health issues?

How big is your overall size - like, very small person (100 lbs), medium person (150 lbs), or larger person (200+)?

You said you can’t take pills, right?

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scram-twerp t1_j34zoph wrote

Benadryl can be incredibly dangerous

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Lifecide t1_j35csnd wrote

Lol I once took like 30 of the benadryl at a party I stayed in my cousin room the come up was good (was playing GTA and got really euphoria it was like 4d) but after a while I fell asleep with my eyes open and blacked out only to occasionally go to the bathroom oh and my dick shrunk.

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