Coroner’s warning after man dies from too many paracetamol

A CORONER has warned of the dangers of taking too much paracetamol after a 36-year-old man died from toxic levels of painkillers in his system.

Daniel Keenan had his gall bladder removed months prior to his death and took paracetamol painkillers because of pain in his chest and abdomen, the coroner’s court heard.

Coroner Dr Crona Gallagher said: ‘Paracetamol can be quite dangerous in amounts that are not massively higher than the recommended amount. You don’t have to take hundreds of tablets, just a few extra is enough to cause damage.

‘He took the paracetamol to treat pain but didn’t intend to harm himself. But it caused damage to his liver and that caused his sudden death,’ Dr Gallagher said.

Mr Keenan, from North Strand, Dublin 3, ate dinner the day before his death and was in ‘good form.’ His father brought a roll to his room around 10pm. It was the last time he saw him alive.

He found his son dead, seated on a chair in his room the following morning, January 29, 2017.

A post-mortem report conducted by pathologist Dr Christian Gulman found Mr Keenan had sustained liver damage due to his use of paracetamol.

Dr Gallagher said: ‘Somehow the paracetamol has been high enough over a period of time to cause liver damage.’

The man’s mother, Kathleen Keenan said: ‘I bought him packets of paracetamol for pain and I doled them out to him. I would give him six at a time or maybe or tell him I hadn’t got any more. I only learned afterwards that he’d been asking my other son to buy him paracetamol too.’

Ms Keenan said her son had been suffering from pancreatitis for six years and had schizophrenia.

The man’s brother Jamie said Daniel would ask him to buy paracetamol once or twice a week.

Dr Gallagher said: ‘There is a high level of paracetamol in the system. It may have been over a period of days or weeks or months, we can’t say for definite.’

The cause of death was acute liver damage secondary to paracetamol toxicity with elevated sugar levels in the blood as a significant risk factor. The coroner returned a verdict of misadventure.

WE are all familiar with the warnings on packets of paracetamol about the recommended dose. Few of us may realise, however, the very real dangers attached to taking even a few extra tablets.

The inquest into the death of 36-year-old Daniel Keenan revealed a tragic case – although, granted, it is worth noting that there were other medical factors involved.

But the words of coroner Crona Gallagher nonetheless bear repeating. She said. ‘You don’t have to take hundreds of tablets, just a few extra is enough to cause damage.’ That will come as news to many of us. But it is advice that we should all keep in mind, especially in the weeks and months ahead when we are more likely to be reaching for the medicine cabinet.