"The asteroid can't come soon enough" Hilarious Nyquil chicken memes take over Twitter as FDA issues warning over dangerous TikTok trend

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning TikTokers against a trend that entails coating poultry, especially chicken, in NyQuil, a medication often prescribed for bouts of cold.

Several clips on the video-sharing platform showcased people sauteing chicken with the medication. The federal agency has since reminded netizens of the dangers behind doing so.

On the video-sharing platform, those participating in the trend are tagging it under the hashtag “sleepy chicken,” and the tag has garnered over 1.3 million videos. As the FDA intervened, NyQuil began trending on Twitter.

On September 15, the FDA declared that the challenge “sounds silly and unappetizing.” They also reminded TikTokers about its dangers:

They also added that the trend could prompt netizens to put copious amounts of cold medicine into the dish, leading to severe health damage. The FDA ended its statement by asking parents and guardians to keep the counter medication away from children. They added:

Netizens react to the FDA’s interference in the NyQuil Chicken trend

It was appalling that TikTok users required federal intervention to stop participating in such dangerous trends. Many expressed disappointment in the lack of common sense among TikTok users. A few tweets online read:

Similar challenges find their way online

The NyQuil trend on the video-sharing platform is not the first to concern netizens. The Sleepy Chicken and Benadryl Challenge have invoked similar reactions of concern. Those participating in such trends were seen as being at risk of overdosing on diphenhydramine-containing allergy medicine.

Dr. Aaron Hartman, a physician and assistant clinical professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, explained the dangers of participating in such trends. In an interview with MIC, he said:

Overdosing on NyQuil, which contains dextromethorphan HBr, doxylamine succinate, and acetaminophen, can lead to fatal symptoms like severe dizziness, liver problems, breathing problems, and seizures in some cases.

Medical practitioners recommend that children between the ages of six and 11 should consume only 15 milliliters every six hours if necessary. Teenagers aged 12 and older should consume 30 milliliters every six hours if required. Adults should take 30 milliliters of the medication every six hours if necessary.

About the author

Karishma is a trending writer at SK POP. With a BA in Journalism, Psychology and Literature, Karishma, who has closely followed the latest internet trends from a young age, found her role at SK POP to be the perfect fit for her professional qualifications and personal interests.

She has nearly 3 years of experience in the industry and has interned with The Hindu and Deccan Herald. In her role at Sportskeeda, Karishma covers a range of topics at the pop division, but she believes her skills as a journalist are best reflected while creating impactful and research-intensive stories. For her, no other step in the writing process is as crucial as fact-checking with multiple sources and accurately conveying facts and data.

Karishma holds deep admiration for artists Luke Jerram and Yoshitomo Nara's authenticity and originality, who are her favorite icons. When not ideating her next story, Karishma can be seen deeply engrossed in a book.

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