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Teen Wrecks Stomach And Nearly Dies After Eating Three 'Tide Pods'

Teen Wrecks Stomach And Nearly Dies After Eating Three 'Tide Pods'

Needless to say, it wasn't good

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

You don't need me to tell you that the Tide Pod Challenge is utterly ridiculous. I mean, there are a bunch of experts and doctors who are all willing to tell you that it's dangerous and stupid, but I don't think you need that, either. We're better than that, aren't we?

Anyway, in case you were tempted to give it a try, let me share with you the story of a boy who ate not one, not two, but three laundry detergent pods.

The clip tells the true story of 'JR' who turned up to hospital earlier this month in the US with respiratory destress and emesis - his mother told A&E staff that he had been gagging, vomiting and struggling to breath for over half an hour.

The 17-year-old had taken part in a challenge which involves eating laundry pods for Internet fame. According to the video, he had no intention of actually swallowing the chemicals inside, but once he bit in was overcome by a burning sensation and a numbness in his tongue.

It doesn't mention the numbness in his brain which led him to doing this stupid thing in the first place, but we can assume that's a given.

As JR began coughing, some of the detergent made its way into his throat - bad times. The detergent began burning his throat and at this point he started to foam at the mouth.


After a call to the poison centre, JR's mum decided to call an ambulance and at the hospital he was found to have a corroded oesophagus - meaning the tube that connects his mouth to his stomach had been burnt. He also managed to completely wreck his stomach with the strong chemicals.

The oxygen levels in his blood dropped, as he struggled to breathe, and his heart-rate doubled. He lost consciousness and was moments away from death, saved only by quick medical intervention.

The American Association of Poison Control Centers told Cincinnati.com: "The resulting health implications from misuse can be serious. Known potential effects include seizures, pulmonary edema, respiratory arrest, coma, and even death."

Instagram/Ethan Breinholt

The association added that in the first 15 days of 2018, it dealt with more calls about 'intentional laundry packet exposure among 13-19-year-olds' than it did for the whole of 2016. Heaven help us all.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: US News, Weird