Kent Mum, 33, Died From Accidental Overdose of 17 Prescribed Drugs
A coroner in Maidstone found that Carrie-Anne, a 33-year-old mother from Sheerness, Kent, died after an accidental overdose linked to the 17 medications she was prescribed. The inquest heard she was overprescribed and that no coordinated plan existed to reduce her drugs.
A coroner in Maidstone, Kent, found that Carrie-Anne, a 33-year-old mother from Sheerness, died from an accidental overdose of prescribed medication, an inquest heard on November 4 and 5. She had been prescribed 17 medications and suffered a cardiac arrest in March 2025.
Coroner Ian Potter concluded that the overdose was not intended and that she had been overprescribed. The inquest took place at Oakwood House in Maidstone.
What the toxicology found
A toxicology test found fatal concentrations of two antidepressants in her system. Both were capable of causing serotonin syndrome, a life-threatening condition.
Mr Potter found that this, together with polysubstance toxicity, the toxic effects of multiple substances, contributed to her death.
The inquest heard Carrie-Anne had a complex medical history. It included chronic pain, respiratory disease, mental health problems and Addison's disease, a rare condition in which the adrenal glands do not produce enough hormones.
She had been prescribed either 17 or 18 medications. They included powerful painkillers, antidepressants, diazepam and pregabalin, which treats nerve pain.
Concerns over her medication
The coroner heard that concerns about the number of medicines she took had been raised before. A doctor who reviewed her medication in December 2024 said he was worried about the number and combination of drugs, particularly the risks of sedation and breathing problems.
On March 12, 2025, less than three weeks before she died, she was prescribed the antidepressant citalopram to replace trazodone. The doctor said he considered it safer.
He told the inquest he understood she had already stopped taking trazodone. Her family questioned whether she had been clearly told to stop one antidepressant before starting the other.
Mr Potter said he could not make a detailed finding on what advice was given. He found the doctor's notes inadequate.
He acknowledged that clinicians had recognised the risks of her medication. But he stressed there had been no coordinated plan to reduce the number of drugs she was taking.
The final days
Carrie-Anne had planned to celebrate Mother's Day on March 30, 2025, with her mum Helene and her daughter Olivia-Jo. The day before, she became unwell with a suspected chest infection and later began having breathing difficulties.
Her family called NHS 111 and 999 several times. Paramedics attended on March 29 but did not take her to hospital.
The ambulance service claimed she had refused to attend. Her family disputed that.
Another call on March 30 led to a telephone assessment. It advised her to keep taking the antibiotics prescribed for the chest infection rather than sending an ambulance.
A later call reported that she had gone into cardiac arrest. Her sister performed CPR until an ambulance crew and a helicopter emergency medical service arrived. Despite CPR, Carrie-Anne died that evening.
The GP accepted his notes could have been more detailed and said he would make fuller notes in future.
