A MAN died at his home in Flintshire after becoming “dependent on opioids”, an inquest heard.

Alexander Perry, of Victoria Road in Saltney, died at home on August 2, 2022.

At County Hall in Ruthin on Friday (January 26) an inquest was held into the death of the 30-year-old, dad of one.

The inquest heard that Mr Perry became dependent on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAF) tablets following a broken finger in 2018.

Mr Perry had also developed stomach problems, but despite several visits to hospital and extensive investigations, no natural cause could be found.

The inquest heard that the type of NSAFs regularly taken by Mr Perry contributed to the stomach problems and pain that he faced, by breaking down the walls of his intestine.

Since 2018, Mr Perry had numerous admissions to the Maelor Hospital, before moving to the Countess of Chester.

During his hospital visits, Mr Perry presented with symptoms of abdominal pain, lightheadedness and sometimes after collapsing.

He underwent numerous tests and procedures such as CT scans, endoscopy and blood transfusions.

Mr Perry was diagnosed with anaemia and was found to have a duodenal ulcer, which would lead to bleeding and high levels of pain.

After becoming dependent on Nurofen Plus (a mixture of codeine and ibuprofen), Mr Perry’s symptoms worsened in the lead-up to his death.

He began to lose a lot of weight, which his family described as a “massive concern”.

Further concerns were raised by the former administrative assistant’s family about the level of care he received in the months before his death, and representatives from the Countess of Chester Hospital confirmed that changes have been implemented after a review following Mr Perry's death.

Even with his severe weight loss in 2022, Mr Perry, described as 'frail' during the inquest, was only seen by a dietician a few weeks before his death.

On July 16, 2022, two days after being discharged from hospital, Mr Perry was readmitted and underwent surgery a day later to stop the bleeding caused by the ulcer.

He was later discharged on July 21, 2022, with further tests expected to be carried out at a later date. Mr Perry was found at his home on August 2. 

Mr Perry continued to consume NSAF tablets to cope with the pain levels, which Senior Coroner for North Wales East and Central, John Gittins believed contributed to his death.

A post-mortem examination carried out by Dr. Muhammad Mehdi found an upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage, which led to duodenal ulcers caused by the ibuprofen and codeine.

Dr Mehdi also found a fatal level of codeine in Mr Perry’s body at the time of death.

In conclusion, Mr Gittins recorded the death as misadventure, stating that Mr Perry’s dependence on painkillers contributed to the stomach problems faced, which in turn led to his death through the fatal level of codeine.