Why Do We Even Gotta Tell You Not to Eat Nyquil Chicken?

One major attraction that keeps people engaged are video challenges on TikTok. While most video challenges involve fun activities that many can join in, every now and again people are challenged to do potentially harmful things.

The latest video trend that’s crossing the line from fun to disgusting involves cooking chicken in NyQuil. Otherwise known as acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, and doxylamine, NyQuil is a popular over-the-counter cough and cold medication. Guess this really puts a whole new meaning on “lean chicken.”

Below is the original video that started it all. Even stranger, the unknown TikTok account uses a hair iron to flip the chicken, at one point leaving it sitting in the actual skillet before waking from his momentary NyQuil fume nap and hastily removing it. The original video has since been taken down, though that didn’t stop others from reacting to it.

Kids joined in on the challenge, cooking chicken by boiling the medication, which makes it more concentrated. NyQuil is so potent that even inhaling boiling fumes can cause an intense contact high and harm to your lungs. The insane content sparked a slew of “kids these days” reaction videos. 

According to FDA.gov, this isn’t the first challenge involving NyQuil. A previous one dared people to consume large doses of the medication with the purpose of bringing about hallucinations. Sadly, participating teens ended up in hospitals and some even passed away from taking too much.

“The challenge sounds silly and unappetizing — and it is. But it could also be very unsafe. Boiling a medication can make it much more concentrated and change its properties in other ways,” warned the FDA.

The upside — or downside — in this case, is that once video challenges go viral it’s pretty much impossible to curb them. At the very least, parents can inform their children about the danger of high doses of diphenhydramine by consulting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website.

In conclusion, don’t try this at home kids.