Overdose of drugs

Press, 27 January 1988, Page 4

Overdose of drugs

A man died of heart failure after taking an overdose of an antidepressant drug, the Coroner, Mr A. N. McLean, has found.

lan John Pickstone, aged 23, of Christchurch, died from an overdose of Imipramine on December 5, 1987.

Constable Robin Cocks said Mr Pickstone had drunk three-quarters of a bottle of Jim Beam whiskey and taken a number of Imipramine hydrochlor tablets before going to bed on December 4. During the night his de

facto wife had left the bed to sleep elsewhere as he was restless and appeared to be suffering fits. Before leaving for work at 6.30 a.m. the next morning, she looked in on Mr Pickstone but was unable to wake him.

She telephoned his father and asked him to come over.

His father, Mr Jack Pickstone, called an ambulance but Mr Pickstone could not be revived. Constable Cocks said Mr Pickstone had been receiving treatment for depression at Sunnyside

and was a known drug user.

He had been prescribed eight Imipramine tablets per day and had collected a prescription of 168 tablets on November 30. A search of the house uncovered an empty packet of Imipramine tablets on the kitchen bench and the empty prescription box under the bed. Constable Cocks said there had been no indication that Mr Pickstone intended to take his own life and he had appeared to be happy and was talking about getting a job in the New Year.