Woman dies of paracetamol overdose she took to stop earache agony
- Rebecca Jeffs, 31, had a history of accidentally overdosing on painkillers
- Former care worker was suffering from painful ear infection in October
- She took double recommended dosage of painkillers to try and control it
- Miss Jeffs was admitted into Royal Bolton Hospital after overdose
- But she was released after less than a week and found dead two days later
- She died because of damage to her lungs, caused by painkiller overdose
A woman died after swallowing 20 paracetamol tablets in 20 hours to treat chronic earache.
Rebecca Jeffs, 31, was admitted to hospital after taking more than twice the recommended dosage of the painkiller.
She was kept in for five days as doctors tried to reverse the effects of the drug and treat her earache.
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Rebecca Jeffs died after she took an accidental overdose of painkillers to treat a severe ear infection
However, two days after she was discharged she was found dead at her partner’s home having suffered fatal damage to her lungs as a result of the overdose.
An inquest in Bolton was told the former care worker had previously suffered from abdominal pains and had a history of insomnia for which she was prescribed the sleeping tablet zopliclone.
Her mother Elizabeth Carter said her daughter began self medicating and at one point had been taking between 30 and 50 zopliclone tablets a day after they were ordered off the internet.
This was later brought under control.
Miss Jeffs had also previously taken accidental overdoses of paracetamol and ibuprofen.
Miss Jeffs was admitted to Royal Bolton Hospital after the overdose but discharged and died two days later
In July last year she was admitted to hospital as a result of taking too much paracetamol because of the abdominal pain.
Then last October Miss Jeffs developed an ear infection and had taken two paracetamol pills every two hours over a 20-hour period.
Dr Salil Singh, consultant physician at the Royal Bolton Hospital, said she had also taken double the dose of ibuprofen and zopliclone.
She was administered with a drug to reverse the effect of the paracetamol overdose which he said had appeared to have worked.
She was also prescribed oxycodone to treat the ear pain and given antibiotics.
Dr Arun Ramachandran from the hospital’s ear, nose and throat unit told the inquest she found the pain so severe she begged to be given morphine.
He said: ‘She had a long standing history of right ear infection. I saw some evidence of infection and started her on antibiotics.
'She was complaining of severe pain and was very clear that paracetamol was not going to work, ibuprofen was not going to work. She wanted morphine, she was very clear.’
Bolton Coroners' Court heard Miss Jeffs had taken accidental overdoses in the past and had self medicated
The former carer had previously gone to hospital after suffering severe abdominal pain and then an earache
He said a decision was made to discharge Miss Jeffs on October 7 as the infection had more or less cleared.
Two days later, however, she was found dead at her home in Westhoughton, near Bolton.
Pathologist Dr Patrick Waugh said tests showed Miss Jeffs’ lungs were damaged and that she had a slightly congested liver.
Recording a verdict of misadventure coroner Simon Jones said: ‘I’m satisfied she had an ear infection, had taken an overdose of paracetamol and taken to hospital, they had to treat that and stop the damage and deal with the ear infection…Problems have developed after discharge.’
He said she had developed lung damage as a result of the overdose.
In January 2011 fitness instructor Donna Bishop, 25, died from liver failure after overdosing on Lemsip and paracetamol to treat a cold.
For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here for details.
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