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Camden News - by CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS
Published: 16 October 2008

‘Wonder drug’ played a part in man taking his own life – coroner

A POSTAL driver who was prescribed an anti-depressant “wonder drug” killed himself four weeks later, an inquest heard.
Hampstead-born Ian Fox, 65, died in July after throwing himself in front of a train at Finchley Road Tube station.
He had been prescribed the anti-depressant Citalopram for just one month before taking his life and he had expressed a wish to come off it, complaining of confusion and anxiety.
At his inquest on Thursday, Mr Fox’s wife, Maria Fox, blamed her husband’s sudden death on the drug, and a coroner ruled the “adverse effects” of Citalopram had played a part.
“I felt Citalopram was to blame for my husband’s death,” Mrs Fox told St Pancras Coroner’s Court.
According to medical research, confusion and anxiety are known side effects in around one in every 100 patients, although it has more generally known for its wonder drug qualities in successful treatments.
Mrs Fox, from Edgware, said her husband’s action was completely out of character.
She described how until he began taking Citalopram he had only been suffering from mild depression, brought on by retirement from his Royal Mail job and a foot injury.
Coroner Dr Andrew Reid said he accepted that Mr Fox had jumped in front of the train, adding: “I’m satisfied he did so while the balance of his mind was disturbed while suffering the adverse effects of Citalopram.”

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