01/03/2024
RE: Doxycycline
Darren Connell was a fine, healthy and very sporty young man. He had just commenced 6th Year in school with the hope of going on to study Sports Science in college. Darren was always looking forward to reaching and achieving his ambitions in life and was very popular young man to all who knew him. The GAA and in particular Gaelic Football was Darren’s first love, representing Oldcastle from the age of 4 through to representing his county of Meath, from U14s right through to the Meath minor panel of 2019, the year of his untimely passing.
Darren died suddenly on the 11th September 2019, just a few weeks after his 17th Birthday.
Indeed in the many glowing and fitting tributes paid to Darren at the time of his passing and in the months that followed (some included in comments section), Darren was commonly described as someone who was so driven, self motivated and positive aswell as a person always striving to achieve his goals while also inspiring and motivating other around him, with his big smile and will to succeed.
In the days and weeks after Darren’s funeral his family would struggle to make sense of his death, they would sit down to try and find a reason for the sudden and tragic death of their beloved son.
On the day of Darren’s passing the attending Garda (police), alongside Darren’s parents, conducted a search of Darren’s bedroom to see if there was any note of intent but nothing was found. The Garda also requested for Darren’s phone so that it could be technically examined but again, “nothing of interest“ was found. As the family searched for answers they quickly realised that the only thing new or that had changed in Darren’s lifestyle was the commencement of medication on 27th August (2 weeks prior to his death).
Darren had presented to his local GP for a treatment for acne along with a knee injury he had sustained playing football. Darren was prescribed By~Mycin (Doxycycline) for acne and Vimovo (a combination of Naproxen/esomeprazole) for the treatment of the knee injury. In searching the empty blister packs they seen Darren had taken these tablets as instructed. They looked at the patient information leaflet and nowhere did it list anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation as an adverse effect. It did however state that for the treatment of acne use 50mg only. Darren was prescribed 100mg.
Darren’s parents started to research this tablet further. Doxycycline was administered at the higher dose but the Vimovo was at the standard dose. They were shocked to find the many thousands of reported adverse side effects linked to the prescription of doxycycline.
Doxycycline is a tablet prescribed for the treatment of acne, malaria prophylaxis and other infections. The first thing the parents found was a BMJ case report headed “Doxycycline and Suicidality” published in 2013 by Atigari, Hogan and Healy outlining the cases of 3 individuals - 2 of which resulted in completed su***de, the third had suicidal ideation but returned to normal health upon discontinuation of doxycycline.
They found FDA reports for Doxycycline linking this tablet to anxiety, mental state change, panic attacks, depression, hallucinations & su***de. They found a reporting website called RxISK.org where many people have shared their experience of adverse effects and Suicidality as a result of taking this medication. They also found a petition on Change.org called “Doxycycline causes su***de in teens” set up by Tara McCarthy following her son’s death by su***de when put on this drug for acne. It is signed by thousands, many of whom shared their experience of this medication. Darren’s parent’s also made contact and connected with many other families who have witnessed the sudden death of their loved one, as well as with parents of children who have suffered adverse effects, all linked to doxycycline.
All the research the family had done supported their suspicion that this medication had a huge factor in the sudden death of their healthy son Darren. From that, the family contacted Professor David Healy (a worldwide recognised expert in this field) to conduct an Expert Witness Report into the sudden death of their son. Professor Healy is one of the contributors in the BMJ case study aforementioned above and also provided his expert opinion in the death of Alana Cutland (see comments section for links)
For Dr Healy to conduct a report into Darren's death the family provided him with the following: GP receipt & prescription copy; prescription receipt for Bi Mycin and Vimovo; patient information leaflets; GP medical records; Autopsy report; Toxicology test report; Hand written notes by parents; Extract from local paper re Darren's sporting background and death notice.
When the family eventually did receive Darren's medical records it came as no surprise to see contained in his medical notes of his ambition to go on and study sports science dated 27/08/19, two weeks prior to his death.
In the 11 page report Dr Healy detailed:
* Background Case to Darren
* Medical history
* Determines Causality
* Data for Doxycycline and Behavioural Events
* FDA reports
* Doxycycline and Behavioural Events: Accounts
* Case study's conducted
* References adverse reports linked with Doxycycline
* Mechanism of Suicidality on Doxycycline
* Conclusion
An inquest into Darren’s death was held at Trim Courthouse, almost four years after his death, on 2nd October 2023.
The Coroner, in summarising the evidence and submissions put before him, described Dr Healy’s report as "compelling evidence" in relation to what had happened to Darren and returned an “Open Verdict”, adding that he was satisfied that there was “no intention to commit su***de”. The Coroner has also notified the HPRA of the findings, recommending that they review and consider the circumstances of Darren death and in consultation with the regulators in the European Union, including the European Medicines Agency (EMA), consider whether a revision of the patient leaflet for doxycycline is necessary and to take further steps in that regard as appropriate.
Darren’s family are not calling for Doxycycline to be banned, they realise it has its benefits for some people. They do however, as a public health issue, want everyone to be aware of the adverse effects associated with doxycycline and the risk of su***de. They call on doctors to inform their patients of the risk and to monitor patients accordingly. They do not want another beautiful life stolen or another family to be devastated by .
💜
