Vets taking PTSD drugs die in sleep
A Putnam County veteran who was taking medication prescribed for post-traumatic stress disorder died in his sleep earlier this month, in circumstances similar to the deaths of three other area veterans earlier this year.
Derek Johnson, 22, of Hurricane, served in the infantry in the Middle East in 2005, where he was wounded in combat and diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder while hospitalized.
Military doctors prescribed Paxil, Klonopin and Seroquel for Johnson, the same combination taken by veterans Andrew White, 23, of Cross Lanes; Eric Layne, 29, of Kanawha City; and Nicholas Endicott of Logan County. All were in apparently good physical health when they died in their sleep.
Johnson was taking Klonopin and Seroquel, as prescribed, at the time of his death, said his grandmother, Georgeann Underwood of Hurricane. Both drugs are frequently used in combination to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. Klonopin causes excessive drowsiness in some patients.
One Comment
Ok you have me a little scared. My boyfriend has PTSD from being in the war. He is taking Quetiapine Fumarate, Lorazepam, Citalopram Hydrobrominde.
What scared me most was that we had a fight earlyer today so i left the house. When i came back home he was passed out on the bathrrom floor. I tried waking me but it took me about 5 minutes yelling, slapping and wiggling him to finally wake him up, Yet he was acting like a drunken man. (not all there). I thought he might of over so i called 911 dosed but he swears he only took what was orderd. I had the scare of my life today!