Toxic levels of prescription drugs in Worthing woman's system
A WORTHING woman who was taking large amounts of prescribed medication was found dead on her sofa, an inquest heard.
Carol Robbins, 57, was pronounced dead at her home in Alexandra Road on June 22 after she was found by her lodger.
At an inquest at Worthing Town Hall, coroner Penelope Schofield heard that Carol was taking pain relief medication following a knee operation.
Her family said that throughout her life, she had been "fit and well and active" but her knee and arthritis had become a problem in later years.
Reluctant
Carol's brother, Geoff Whitaker, said: "She was very reluctant to go and have the operation to repair the knee."
The operation went well, but an infection did cause a lot of pain so she was prescribed medication to combat it with her "high pain threshold".
Carol's daughter, Sarah Turnbull, said: "She did take a lot of tablets – although I do not take pills, so it is subjective.
"She took her pills and took them at the same time everyday."
Nothing wrong
Pathologist Mark Appleton, from Worthing Hospital, said he could not find anything physically wrong with her which led to her death, although the heart was marginally enlarged.
However, a toxicology report showed Carol had 4.27 milligrams per litre of propoxyphene in her body – regarded as a "fatal level" of toxicity even if somebody was a "regular user".
Ms Schofield confirmed the cause of death was propoxyphene toxicity and gave a finding of accidental death.
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