‘Woman took drug to handle morning sickness’
A TRAGIC young woman who took cannabis to ease her morning sickness developed serious mental problems and later killed herself, an inquest heard.
Polly Ross, 32, suffered from ‘drug-induced psychosis’ after taking cannabis to stop severe morning sickness in her second pregnancy.
In July 2015, just over a year after the birth of her second daughter, she was killed after stepping in front of a train.
Mrs Ross died after telling medical staff at a mental health unit she was going to buy some cigarettes.
Hull Coroners’ Court heard Mrs Ross had developed drug induced psychosis after taking cannabis to stop symptoms of Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) – severe sickness.
Mrs Ross told her GP, Dr Daniella Malesknasr, she had taken cannabis during her pregnancy after visiting the doctors suffering from post natal depression.
In a letter addressed to Mrs Ross’s psychiatrist, the GP noted “the patient’s psychosis had stemmed from illicit drug use, namely cannabis, taken during pregnancy”.
Dr Malesknasr told the hearing yesterday: “She had told me when she was pregnant with her second child that she was taking cannabis and magic mushrooms to help combat HG during her pregnancy – but she was no longer taking it.”
Professor Paul Marks, the senior coroner, questioned: “And does taking cannabis actual benefit those suffering from HG?.”
The doctor replied: “I can’t possibly comment on that.”
Dr Malesknasr said ‘alarm bells were ringing’ after Polly had told her she wanted to commit suicide on February 13, 2015.
The inquest heard the GP had called in at her home to find her in a psychotic episode and Mrs Ross was sectioned the following month.
By March 18, Dr Malesknasr said Mrs Ross was diagnosed with drug induced psychosis following the amounts of magic mushrooms and cannabis she had been taking.
The GP said she was then given Respiradon to help battle the psychosis.
Mrs Ross tried to take her life three times with self harm and taking an overdose twice in a three-month period.
However, the court heard she was remarkably allowed to discharge herself voluntarily following the last attempt to take her own life.
Professor Marks said: “So after taking an overdose of 60 paracetamol tablets, Polly was allowed to just leave voluntarily?”
Dr Malesknasr said: “I can’t comment on that because it is a hospital matter.”
However, in May 2015 a psychiatrist in the community said that her psychosis was no longer a problem and she should come off the anti-psychosis drug Respiradon.
The translator was given help by a crisis team to give her a ‘higher and intense level of support’, but Mrs Ross had refused them entry to her house in Driffield, East Yorks.
Mrs Ross died on July 12, 2015, by stepping in front of a train in Hull, and “death was instant”, Hull Royal Infirmary Consultant Histopathologist Dr Ian Richmond told the hearing.
The hearing continues.