Antidepressant warning issued after grandmother overdoses on anxiety pill prescribed to millions
A grandmother died after accidentally overdosing on a widely prescribed antidepressant taken by millions of Britons, an inquest has heard.
Grace Uludag, from Kent, was found to have high levels of the drug sertraline in her bloodstream when she died at home in November last year.
The 55-year-old had been feeling unwell the day before her death, reporting dizziness and shortness of breath and being advised to call an ambulance.
But she was often reluctant to attend A&E because of long waiting times.
On November 11, Ms Uludag became dizzy at home, fell and hit her head on a wall.
Despite her daughter calling for an ambulance and paramedics attending the scene, she went into cardiac arrest and died at home.
An inquest heard that toxicology tests revealed 1.94 milligrams of sertraline per litre of blood in Ms Uludag’s system.
Experts told the hearing that concentrations above 1.5 milligrams per litre are known to be a contributing factor in death.
Sertraline is one of the most common SSRIs handed out in the UK
Delivering her conclusion, the coroner said: ‘I am satisfied she died as a result of an overdose but there is no evidence it was intentional.
‘There was never any indication of her being suicidal. She contacted the GP the day before because she felt unwell and dizzy.’
Her medical cause of death was recorded as an accidental sertraline overdose, which the coroner described as an ‘unexpected and unintended consequence’.
Sertraline – also marketed under the brand name Lustral in the UK and Zoloft in the US – is one of the most commonly prescribed antidepressants in Britain.
More than 24.4 million prescriptions for the drug were dispensed in England in 2024 alone.
The medication belongs to a class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which work by increasing levels of the chemical serotonin in the brain.
They are commonly prescribed to treat depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder and social anxiety disorder.
The usual starting dose is 50mg once daily, with a maximum recommended dose of 200mg per day.
Symptoms of SSRI poisoning can include nausea, vomiting, agitation, tremor, drowsiness and an increased heart rate. In severe cases, convulsions may occur.
Rarely, excessive levels of serotonin in the body can trigger serotonin syndrome – a potentially life-threatening condition.
Last month, the NHS warned that this syndrome can occur when SSRIs are taken alongside other medicines that also increase serotonin levels.
These include some migraine drugs such as triptans, pain medications including tramadol and methadone, herbal supplements like St John’s wort and ginseng, and cough medicines containing dextromethorphan.
Symptoms may include confusion, agitation, muscle twitching, sweating, shivering and diarrhoea.
In rarer cases, patients can be left hallucinating and unable to urinate. The NHS warns ‘some people have suicidal thoughts and a desire to self-harm when they first take SSRIs’.
One of the main concerns has been their libido-crushing side effects, with some users reporting being transformed into ‘sexless’ zombies even years after they stopped taking the mind-altering pills.
That particular issue was thrust into the spotlight in 2023 by the Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi.
In a bare-all Netflix documentary, he spoke about taking it to help treat his anxiety and grimly commented on the knock-on effect it had on his sexual health. ‘They’re not really doing anything except I can’t get a f****** hard-on to save my life’, he said.
Their libido-dampening effects are so powerful that the drugs have even been trialled on sex offenders in the past to help curb their urges.
Doctors stress, however, that antidepressants such as sertraline are widely used and generally safe when taken as prescribed.
The NHS advises patients not to stop taking antidepressants suddenly, even if they feel better, because doing so can lead to withdrawal symptoms.
A major antidepressant study published in The Lancet last year also found that some medications, including sertraline, can cause changes in weight, heart rate and cholesterol levels during the first eight weeks of treatment.
Researchers from King’s College London said treatment guidelines should reflect differences in risk between drugs.
A statement read to the inquest on behalf of Ms Uludag’s family said there had never been any suggestion she intended to harm herself.
‘She lived for her family and grandchildren, who brought her joy and miss her deeply,’ it said.
During the hearing, her daughter questioned how such an overdose could have occurred.
‘She wanted to feel better. She did not expect any of this,’ she said.
‘My concern was the dose – was it too high? I am very confused about why that happened.’
