THE FAMILY of a 52-year-old man who died suddenly shortly after he began taking antidepressants has called on doctors to conduct more research into medication they prescribe.
Nicholas Maguire, an interior architect from Lindville, Blackrock, Cork, was under stress he attributed to business worries, a resumed inquest into his death heard yesterday.
Three weeks after he began taking a combination of anti-anxiety and antidepressant drugs, Mr Maguire died suddenly after he initially decided to take his own life, then changed his mind, but it was too late, the inquest was told.
He was found dead outside his mother’s house at Rockville, Blackrock, Cork, on June 26th, 2010.
Described as a calm, cheerful, mild-mannered man, family members claimed Mr Maguire’s behaviour changed profoundly once he started taking the medication.
“I’ve done a lot of research on these tablets and I think doctors in Ireland should do more research on the tablets they are giving to people,” the deceased’s sister told the court.
A brother of the deceased said Mr Maguire had phoned him in the days leading up to his death, telling him the tablets were driving him mad and giving him nightmares.
At Cork City Coroner’s Court yesterday, coroner Frank O’Connell returned an open verdict into Mr Maguire’s death.
Mr Maguire’s GP, Dr Orla Batt, prescribed a combination of anti-anxiety drug Alprazolam (trade name Xanax) and the antidepressant Sertraline (trading under Zoloft or Lustral) after he presented with anxiety, sleeplessness, weight loss and depression on June 8th, 2010.
He had no history of self harm and no psychiatric history. His problem was anxiety, Dr Batt told the court. She said she did not feel he was at serious risk of suicide and that his stress was caused primarily by his business worries.
“Research is not my area but I’m not aware of any problems with these medications,” Dr Batt said.
Professor of psychiatry at Cork University Hospital Ted Dinan said Alprazolam and Sertraline was a “reasonably sensible” combination of medication to prescribe and was frequently used in the treatment of depression.
He said he was not aware of any convincing evidence linking Sertraline to suicidal behaviour.