A coroner has warned of the effects of antidepressants prescribed by Buckingham Palace doctors to Prince Michael and Kate's son-in-law before his suicide.
Thomas Kingston, 45, whose wedding to Lady Gabriella at Windsor Castle in 2019 was attended by the late Queen, was revealed last month to have committed suicide in February last year after “suffering from the side effects of recently prescribed medication”. This was revealed at the autopsy.
On Friday, coroner Katie Skerrett warned that the drugs used could lead to further deaths if risk guidance and labeling were not changed.
The inquest at Gloucestershire Coroner's Court heard that Ms Kingston was initially given the antidepressant sertraline and sleeping pills by a GP at the Royal Mews Surgery in Buckingham Palace after she complained of sleep deprivation and stress from her job as a financier. It was revealed that he had been given zopiclone. Used by royal staff.
Kingston returned to surgery, saying she didn't feel well after surgery, and her doctor changed her from sertraline to citalopram, a similar type of drug known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).
In the days leading up to her death, Kingston had stopped taking her medication, and toxicology tests revealed that she had caffeine and small amounts of zopiclone in her system.
in Future death prevention reportMr Skerrett questioned whether there was sufficient communication about the suicide risks associated with such medications.
He also expressed concern about whether current guidance on continuing SSRI drugs or switching to an alternative SSRI drug if efficacy is not achieved is appropriate.
Skerrett said this is of particular concern “if adverse side effects are occurring.”
The report will be sent to the National Institute for Healthcare Excellence in Nice, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the Royal College of General Practitioners, which will require a response within 56 days.
The coroner's concerns echo those of Kingston's widow Lady Gabriella, who warned of the effects of drugs during the inquest. Mr Skerrett read a statement and said: “I think people who take drugs like this need to be more aware of the side effects to prevent future deaths.
“If this can happen to Tom, this can happen to anyone.”
Mr Skerrett recorded the story's conclusion, saying Mr Kingston took his own life “suffering from side effects of recently prescribed medication”.
The inquest heard that the antidepressants prescribed to Mr Kingston by doctors followed Nice guidelines.
Psychiatric health expert Dr David Healy gave evidence to the inquest and said that while zopiclone can also cause anxiety, sertraline and citalopram are both SSRIs and are essentially the same.
Dr Healy said Mr Kingston's complaints that sertraline continued to cause him anxiety was a sign that SSRIs were “not right for him” and he should not have been prescribed them again.
He said guidelines and labels for SSRIs aren't clear enough about the risks of taking the drugs in the first place, or what effects may occur when transitioning from one drug to another. said.
“We need a clearer statement that these drugs can lead to suicide in people who would not otherwise commit suicide,” he said.
