A 34-year-old nurse in the U.K. took a common combination of medications for years, never suspecting the silent danger lurking in her daily routine. However, a recent coroner's report revealed that a little-known, deadly drug interaction was responsible for her sudden cardiac arrest and death.
Chloé Burgess from Southampton, England, had been taking the antidepressants amitriptyline (a tricyclic antidepressant) and paroxetine (selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) before doctors prescribed her ivabradine. She was given ivabradine, a heart medication after being diagnosed with sinus tachycardia, which causes a rapid heartbeat, and left bundle branch block, a condition that disrupts the heart's electrical signals.
