Relpax

One 40 mg tab given as prescribed to my partner/"patient" (2 days s/p routine knee surgery) for migraine and 16< hrs prior to her death. Patient was 5'6", age 51, & healthy. She was taking prescriptions for bipolar disorder, anxiety, and most recently pain (from which she was tapering off). She fainted the 1st day within 4 hrs after taking a Relpax dose. Patient had never fainted in the 15 yrs I'd known her. Paramedics arriving after my 911 call determined her blood oxygen level was 70% of normal. I later found out that's very low & reason enough for an ER visit. After this event, patient took no more oxycodone, or anything beyond her usual medication regimen. She went to bed mentioning chest pain. I am guilty of not recognizing this as a serious warning sign. She fainted 10 hours after her 1st fainting episode having just risen from sleep. She was alert, ready to go, and dead 10 minutes later. After collapsing, her breathing stopped just before EMT's arrived. Her heart stopped as well. Blood analysis showed nothing unusual except a trace amount of oxycodone, & after considering all reasonable possibilities, I believe Relpax must be the culprit although its combination with her other medications could have caused this tragedy. This is not a blame game. I merely state the obvious. Per the warning list on the prescription receipt, she had nearly ALL the adverse reactions. The Medical Examiner could do nothing to test for Relpax in her bloodstream since there was no titer for it. Without a means of finding the culprit for certain, I was left with logic and the few medical possibilities I discussed with the Coroner. Wish I'd had Dr. G. with whom to talk this over.