A caring mother who suffered from a number of respiratory issues died through a combination of those problems and her medication.
The inquest at Accrington Town Hall heard Rachael Crawshaw suffered from bronchopneumonia and had also been prescribed methadone.
Rachael’s family became concerned when they were not able to contact her and alerted the police.
Family entered her home and found her on the sofa in a comfortable, up-right position.
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Constable Matthew Lyons, who entered the home alongside paramedics, performed a body search on Rachael and did not find any suspicious circumstances or evidence of third-party involvement.
The inquest heard Rachael, 48, who was born in Blackburn and living in Clayton-le-Moors, was not in good health and had suffered from COPD and asthma, as well as other respiratory conditions which limited how far she could walk and led her to struggle with stairs.
She had been prescribed methadone and was also using other prescription drugs, with evidence of codeine, amitriptyline, mirtazapine, pregabalin, paracetamol, and nordiazepam, generally within therapeutic ranges, found as part of her toxicology report.
The report explained though most of the drugs were found to have only been consumed in ranges associated with therapeutic use, the combined effect of the drugs exacerbated her already limited breathing as a result of bronchopneumonia.
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Offering a narrative conclusion, Coroner Chris Long said: “Rachael Elizabeth Crawshaw was found deceased on September 1, 2023, at her home in Clayton-le-Moors, Lancashire.
“Rachael was taking methadone as part of drug therapy, and was also self-medicating due to the pain she was experiencing.
“She died as a result of mixed drug toxicity caused by amounts of medication found in her body, and bronchopneumonia, which together increased the risk of breathing impairment and death.”
Mr Long concluded the inquest by offering his condolences to Rachael’s family and friends.
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