Deceased
Benjamin David Johnston
Demographics
36y, male
Date of death
2015-02-28
Finding date
2015-12-09
Cause of death
Global hypoxic brain injury due to hanging
AI-generated summary
Benjamin Johnston, a 36-year-old male, died by hanging after six weeks of varenicline (Champix) treatment for smoking cessation. Two weeks before death, his partner noted significant behavioral changes: withdrawal, irritability, anger, and sleep difficulty. He had a history of depression in 2010 but was assessed as depression-free before varenicline prescription. On the day of death, he had consumed alcohol (0.11g/100mL) and recently took varenicline. The coroner found evidence supporting his death as an adverse reaction to varenicline, though causal links remain unestablished in literature. The prescribing doctor appropriately assessed for depression and warned of side effects. Key clinical lessons: varenicline carries documented neuropsychiatric risks including suicidal ideation; patients with psychiatric histories require careful monitoring; alcohol interaction increases psychiatric symptom risk; family observations of behavioral change warrant immediate intervention.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
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Source and disclaimer
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