A 21-year-old woman was found dead at the foot of her mother’s bed after consuming medications to help her, an inquest has heard.
Chloe Caton passed away in her sleep at a property in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire.
The dental receptionist had been battling anxiety and depression leading up to her death, the inquest at Stoke Town Hall heard on November 1, reported The Mirror.
In a statement, her mother Ami Caton said: “She was an ex-smoker and a vape smoker. She was suffering from a bad cough in the week before her death.
“She had mentioned heart flutters but didn’t get to tell her GP.
“She was blue and cold when I woke up. My grandchildren’s mother called emergency services.”
However, unfortunately, Chloe was declared dead at the scene.
A post-mortem toxicology report found Diazepam, Zopiclone, Pregabalin and Tapentadol in her system.
The inquest heard that Chloe wasn’t prescribed pregabalin or tapentadol. Her post-mortem revealed her cause of death as Zopaclone toxicity, with the other medications as contributory factors.
It was told that Chloe had previously taken sertraline, but she was having trouble sleeping and was worried about losing her job due to lack of sleep.
She was prescribed Zopiclone and Diazepam to be used sparingly, as zopiclone can be addictive.
She had also been referred to the local mental health team after previously expressing transient suicidal thoughts. She was last issued Zopiclone on May 17.
Dr Bradshaw said: “As a (GP) practice we’re deeply saddened to hear about her passing.”
Concluding the inquest, North Staffordshire assistant coroner Daniel Howe stated: “The cause of death was Zopiclone toxicity.”
Speaking at the time of her death, her mum Ami said: “She was very bubbly. She was kind and caring and had the most infectious laugh on the planet.
“She was not just my daughter, she was my best friend. We had our ups and downs, but she was my world. She’s my world, my first-born and my first girl.”
