A grandmother died after accidentally taking an overdose of a commonly prescribed antidepressant, an inquest heard.
Grace Uludag, from Gravesend, was taking sertraline, a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI), at the time of her death on November 11.
The NHS has now issued a warning of a potentially lethal side effect of sertraline called serotonin syndrome, which isn’t common but is serious and occurs when levels of serotonin become too high. Picture: stock image
The day before, the 55-year-old had reported dizziness and shortness of breath to her GP and was told to call an ambulance. She died the next day after falling at home and suffering a cardiac arrest.
A few months later, in February, the NHS issued a warning of a potentially lethal side effect of sertraline called serotonin syndrome, which isn’t common but is serious and occurs when levels of serotonin become too high.
The warning came after a major study into types of antidepressant medication by academics at King’s College London and the University of Oxford.
The study found that certain antidepressants cause a fluctuation in weight, heart rate, and cholesterol levels within the first eight weeks of starting treatment.
The research examined more than 58,000 people and 30 different types of common antidepressants, including sertraline, citalopram, escitalopram, and fluoxetine.
Paramedics attended but the 55-year-old died after a cardiac arrest
Researchers found that certain drugs led to participants seeing their heart rate increase by as much as 21 beats per minute and gaining 2kg in weight.
Drugs such as amitriptyline or nortriptyline were found to cause an increase in heart rate, while sertraline and fluoxetine were found to lower heart rate.
Scientists reiterated that treatment guidelines should be updated to reflect differences in physiological risk but that the choice of antidepressant should be made on an individual basis.
Symptoms include confusion, agitation, muscle twitching, sweating, shivering and diarrhoea.
If you experience symptoms of serotonin syndrome, you should seek immediate advice from your GP or specialist. If this isn’t possible, phone 111.
If you are taking SSRIs and have a very high temperature, seizures, irregular heartbeat, feel disorientated or become unconscious, 999 should be called.
Patients prescribed antidepressants are advised to consult their doctor about any changes, or before stopping taking medication.
Singer Lewis Capaldi has been candid about taking sertraline to manage his severe anxiety and panic attacks.
In July, he told The Sun he was no longer taking the antidepressant and accepted he would always have some level of anxiety.
During a live stream, Lewis told fans: “It was f***ing hard to get off it. You could say I’ve survived getting off sertraline but let’s not get into that. This is happy stuff. I’m trying to share less.”
Singer Lewis Capaldi, pictured in July 2025, said therapy had played a ‘massive part’ in his return to music and has been honest about his use of antidepressants. Picture: Yui Mok/PA
At an inquest into the death of retail assistant Grace Uludag at Oakwood House in Maidstone on February 23, assistant coroner Venessa Holt explained toxicology tests were carried out and the results indicated sertraline at a potentially fatal level.
It was recorded as 1.94 milligrams of sertraline per litre of blood which suggested an overdose.
The toxicologist noted that a concentration of sertraline above 1.5 milligrams per litre of blood is known to be a contributing factor in death.
A statement read on behalf of the family explained that there was never any indication their mum was suicidal, and she had never expressed any wish to die.
“She lived for her family and grandchildren, who brought her joy and miss her,” it read.
It explained that the family made sure she took her medication, and everyone knew what was needed on each day by using a dosette box to organise what she took and when.
The coroner’s court at Oakwood House, Maidstone
During the inquest, her daughter had questions for the coroner as to how an overdose could have occurred.
“She [Grace] wanted to feel better. She did not expect all of this,” she said.
“My concern, was it the dose, was it too high? I am very confused on why that happened.”
The court heard how Grace was feeling dizzy and struggling to breathe the day before her death and had called her GP surgery who advised her to ring 999.
The family explained Grace was often reluctant to go to A&E due to long waiting times, which put her in significant discomfort.
The next day, Grace felt dizzy and fell onto the floor and hit her head on a wall, which prompted her daughter to ring for an ambulance.
‘She lived for her family and grandchildren, who brought her joy and miss her’
Once in the company of paramedics, she suffered a cardiac arrest and died at home.
In her conclusion, the coroner said: “I am satisfied she died as a result of an overdose but there is no evidence it was intentional.
“There was never any indication of her being suicidal.
“She contacted the GP the day before because she felt unwell and dizzy.”
The medical cause of death was recorded as an accidental sertraline overdose which the coroner said was both an “unexpected and unintended consequence”.
According to the NHS, SSRIs can be used to treat many mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, but can sometimes be used to treat other conditions like menopause and irritable bowel syndrome.
It’s thought that SSRIs work by increasing serotonin levels in the brain.