Student, 19, leapt to her death from plane after taking anti-malaria drug with ‘virtually undocumented’ side effects
A STUDENT leapt to her death from a plane over Madagascar after taking an anti-malaria drug with “virtually undocumented” side effects. Alana Cutland, 19, fell 5,000 feet into thick jungle during a dream trip researching rare blue crabs on the East African island last year. Alana, who was studying natural sciences at Cambridge University, cut […]
A STUDENT leapt to her death from a plane over Madagascar after taking an anti-malaria drug with “virtually undocumented” side effects.
Alana Cutland, 19, fell 5,000 feet into thick jungle during a dream trip researching rare blue crabs on the East African island last year.
Alana, who was studying natural sciences at Cambridge University, cut short her six-week research trip after suffering psychosis and hallucinations reportedly caused by anti-malaria drug doxycycline.
The teenager, from Milton Keynes, broke open the door of a small aircraft and threw herself out after fighting off the shocked pilot and researcher Ruth Johnson, who was escorting her back to the UK.
Alana had been taking doxycycline before her death on July 25 – an antibiotic that kills bacteria in the body and is prescribed by a GP.
At an inquest into her death yesterday, Milton Keynes coroner Tom Osborne said Alana had “suffered a psychotic delirium event that led to her behaviour and death”.
He added that it was “quite apparent” that the reaction was caused by the drug – and warned there was “nothing on the drug information leaflet that either highlights or mentions this possibility”.
Mr Osborne also asked for a review into the information sent out to patients who had been prescribed doxycycline.
He added: “If she or her parents have been aware of this possible side-effect they may have been able to intervene earlier to avoid her death.”
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has since said that it is gathering “further information” on the antibiotic.
In a statement, Alana’s devastated parents Neil and Alison Cutland, both 64, said it was “tragic” that their daughter’s death was “essentially caused by the side effects of doxycycline”.
They said: “We realise that such drugs have an important role to play, but it shocked us to discover that such a severe side effect could be virtually undocumented.”
It is taken orally every 12 hours, with prescriptions normally starting before somebody travels to a country exposed to high-risk of malaria.
Last year in a case report published in leading medical journal The BMJ, three young people with no history of mental illness were treated for skin conditions with doxycycline – and had a devastating reaction to the drug.
All three developed “suicidal ideation” with an outcome of suicide in two of the cases, the report says.
And an online petition on change.org – dubbed ‘Doxycycline Causes Suicide in Teens! – has more than 7,000 signatures demanding that ‘suicidal urges’ be listed as a side-effect on labelling.
‘MISS HER DEARLY’
Mr and Mrs Cutland told the BBC they have been “surrounded by the love and support of countless people” since Alana’s death.
They added: “We rejoice in Alana’s life: her amazing talent for modern dance and ballet, her academic achievements that made us so proud, and the sheer sense of fun that she brought to every room that she walked into.
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“We think of Alana every single day and miss her dearly.”
Following the coroner’s report, an MHRA spokeswoman told the BBC that the “suspected association between doxycycline and psychotic disorder” was being looked into.
They added: “Our independent expert committee has advised that the available evidence is currently insufficient to support a causal association, and has asked us to gather further information.”
