Drugs, migraines, death

A coronial inquest is investigating whether a mix of prescription drugs and marijuana caused the death of a Perth woman.

Linda Mulvaney, 54, regularly smoked marijuana and took her husband's painkillers on top of her own medication to help suppress the agony she experienced from prolonged migraines and lower back and shoulder pain, the inquest was told.

They said 'we don't have bed space for people with headaches.

She died on June 17, 2008, from multi-organ failure which may have been caused by respiratory depression from sedating drugs.

The inquest also is examining whether her husband's delay in seeking medical help two days after she fell into a semi-coma contributed to her death.

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Mrs Mulvaney had long experienced migraines as a result of a childhood car accident. Later in life, their duration increased from two to three days to weeks.

She would usually sleep through much of the episode, only waking to drink water and smoke cigarettes, her husband Tony Mulvaney told the inquest.

In the two years leading up to her death, she increasingly suffered hallucinations and would do "silly things" such as going outside naked and asking the neighbours to cook Mr Mulvaney's dinner.

Mr Mulvaney said she would often vomit when she was experiencing a migraine and would fall asleep with a lit cigarette in her mouth or while sitting upright, and would slur her words.

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Drugs, migraines, death