Mother Dies of Accidental Painkiller Overdose

Louise Ryan, a 37-year-old mother of four and Avon saleswoman, died from an accidental overdose of morphine and gabapentin, a coroner’s inquest revealed. She had been taking the medications to manage chronic back pain.
On August 13, 2023, Ms. Ryan’s boyfriend, Garry Abraham-Browne, found her unresponsive in their Winchester, Hampshire home. Despite immediate CPR and paramedic intervention, she was pronounced dead at Royal Hampshire County Hospital in the early hours of August 14th.
The inquest at Winchester Coroner’s Court heard that Ms. Ryan suffered from persistent back pain and severe headaches, seeking medical help multiple times. A toxicology report confirmed fatal levels of gabapentin and a potentially fatal level of morphine in her system.
Assistant Coroner Robert Simpson noted that Ms. Ryan had a history of taking pain medication, sometimes using her boyfriend’s prescribed morphine when her own supply was depleted. Mr. Abraham-Browne acknowledged she would take his medication when in pain.
Ms. Ryan had been prescribed various painkillers, including tramadol, pregabalin, and morphine sulfate, to address her chronic pain. She also received medication for migraines.
The coroner concluded that Ms. Ryan’s death was accidental, resulting from “respiratory depression due to a drug overdose.” He determined that she was attempting to manage her pain and did not intend to take her own life, citing her text messages and internet searches which did not indicate suicidal intent.
“She didn’t intend to take an overdose, and was addressing her pain,” Mr. Simpson stated.
Her mother, Linda Ryan, paid tribute to her daughter, describing her as “a beautiful, intelligent, strong, loving woman who was very family-orientated.” She added, “I can say Lou would not have taken her medication if she would have known it would have been fatal.”