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Several TikTokers have become self-appointed doctors following the rapid growth of the platform. The latest prescription included “sleepy chicken.” The trend has grown on the medium, particularly in the States, to combat the common cold and flu. Doctors have urged people not to take part in the viral trend.
Sleepy chicken has also been called “Nyquil chicken.” TikTokers are braising chicken with the medicine. The UK equivalent of the same medication would be Night Nurse. TikTokers suggest that cooking the “recipe” can provide a good night’s rest and make it easier to combat cold and other symptoms.
Netizens can be seen pouring half the Nyquil bottle onto their meat as it simmers and absorbs the medicine in five minutes only. By the looks of it, the dish does not look appetizing as the chicken looks barely cooked.
Why are doctors against the ‘sleepy chicken’ trend?
Dr Aaron Hartman, an assistant clinical professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, said the trend could lead to food poisoning and diarrhea. He added:
“When you cook cough medicine like NyQuil, you boil off the water and alcohol in it, leaving the chicken saturated with a super concentrated amount of drugs in the meat. If you ate one of those cutlets completely cooked, it’d be as if you’re actually consuming a quarter to half a bottle of NyQuil."
Hartman added that inhaling the steam while the chicken is being cooked with Nyquil is unsafe. He said:
"Inhaled, these medicines also enter your bloodstream really quickly and are not going past your liver for detoxification. The effects can be quite bad depending on how much you inhale.”
Dr. Jeff Foster told The Sun that saturated a food product with any medicine can be “incredibly dangerous.” He added that soaking the food with half a bottle of medicine can lead to “overdose or at least have no idea what dose you are getting.”
He also added that those who consume the dish are at risk of liver poisoning, dizziness, vomiting, seizures and death.
TikTok is attempting to clear out the dangerous videos from the platform. If one searches for the “sleepy chicken” trend, they are guided to a support page that helps users identify harmful challenges and avoid spreading the wrong diagnosis.
