A coroner has warned about the effects of depression medication after the husband of the Prince and Princess Michael of Kent’s daughter took his own life.
Thomas Kingston, a 45-year-old financier, was found dead on 25 February last year at his parents’ home in the Cotswolds.
Katy Skerrett, senior coroner for Gloucestershire, has said action must be taken over the risk of suicide to patients after finding he was “suffering adverse effects of medication he had recently been prescribed”.
Mr Kingston married Lady Gabriella, 43, at Windsor Castle in 2019, with Queen Elizabeth II and the late Duke of Edinburgh among the guests.
The inquest into his death at Gloucestershire Coroner’s Court last year was told he had initially been given sertraline, a drug used to treat mental health problems, and zopiclone, a sleeping tablet, after complaining of trouble sleeping following stress at work.
But after they did not have the desired impact, a GP switched him from sertraline to citalopram. In the days leading up to his death, Mr Kingston stopped taking medication.
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In a prevention of future deaths report, Ms Skerrett questioned whether there is adequate communication of the risks of suicide associated with such medication.
She also raised concerns about whether the current guidance to persist with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medications, or switch to an alternative SSRI medication, is appropriate when no benefit has been achieved – “especially when any adverse side effects are being experienced”.
The report was sent to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and the Royal College of General Practitioners, who have 56 days to respond.
The coroner’s concerns echo those of Mr Kingston’s wife, Lady Gabriella, who warned about the effects of the drugs during the inquest.
A statement by Lady Gabriella, read out by Ms Skerrett, said: “It seems highly likely to me that he had an adverse reaction to the pills that led him to take his life.”
“I believe anyone taking pills such as these need to be made more aware of the side effects to prevent any future deaths. If this could happen to Tom, this could happen to anyone,” she added.
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Recording a narrative conclusion in December, Ms Skerrett said: “The evidence of his wife, family and business partner all supports his lack of suicidal intent. He was suffering adverse effects of medication he had recently been prescribed.”
Giving evidence to the inquest, Dr David Healy, a psychiatric medical expert, said Mr Kingston’s complaints that sertraline was continuing to make him anxious was a sign SSRIs “did not suit him” and he should not have been prescribed the same thing again.
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He said the guidelines and labels for SSRIs were not clear enough about going on the drugs in the first place or what the effect could be when moving from one to another.
A NICE spokesperson said: “We will consider the issues raised by the report and respond to the coroner directly.”
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email [email protected] in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK
