A cocktail of prescription drugs left a woman unable to remain conscious, causing her to pass out and drown in a foot of water.
Videos by Wide Open Country
As more people in the US become dependent on prescription drugs for everything from anxiety to weight loss, the possibilities of negative interactions grow. This, sadly, was the case for Brittney Hoffman, 31, who was on drugs for anxiety, ADHD, and an allergy medicine on top of it all.
She had called her mother to ask about the correct dosage for the diphenhydramine allergy drug the day before she drowned in a foot of water. However, it was too late. She had taken the medication, and it had reacted with what she was already taking.
The medicines caused the QT intervals in her heart to be longer than usual. As a result, she lost consciousness, fell forward into a small pool of water, and drowned.
Mother Downed In Foot Of Water While Out With Her Son
Hoffman was out with her son the day she drowned in only a foot of water. She had taken her son to the public swimming area in Pinchot State Park. As the medications kicked in, they rendered her unconscious, and she collapsed forward in the water.
Her son, playing beside her, didn't realize. For months afterward, the cause of her death had coroners scratching their heads. However, toxicology reports finally figured out that it was a prescription medicine clash.
Her son is still trying to understand what happened to his mother as he played beside her in the popular beachside water area. When she drowned in the foot of the water, it was so sudden and silent. There were other parents at the pool at the time, it was these people who rushed to her aid.
However, none of them knew CPR. By the time the emergency services got to the pool, it was already too late.
It is incredibly important to check dosage and possible issues with drugs. In the US, the third leading cause of death is prescription medicine. It is more important than ever to ensure the dosages are correct of the drugs you're taking.
