Woman Kills Herself Over IBS

Samantha Bowman was found dead in the bedroom of her home in Locks Heath, on May 25 last year after taking an overdose of depression medication.

Samantha Bowman was found dead in the bedroom of her home in Locks Heath, on May 25 last year after taking an overdose of depression medication.

The inquest at Portsmouth heard that Miss Bowman had become increasingly desperate after being passed between doctors who had been unable to cure her.

The problems had first begun while she studied at university and had been made worse by the stress and anxiety of her studies.

Miss Bowman's condition worsened later when she went travelling to New Zealand leading to her losing weight.

Her mother, Lesley, said: "She had obviously had a stomach upset while away and as she was having to catch a coach and travelling a lot, she possibly wasn't eating.''

Mrs Bowman said her daughter's problems worsened through 2011 and they had become frustrated by her treatment as she was being repeatedly referred between consultants and her GP.

Her illness would lead to painful spasms including an emergency admission for hospital treatment in December that year, the inquest was told.

Mrs Bowman said: "In the end she was physically and emotionally exhausted with it all.''

Samantha's father, David, added: "She was a clever girl and she did her best to cure herself, she was extremely active to find her own cure, she tried acupuncture and all the alternative therapies.

"She loved food, she loved her cooking and she never harmed herself.

"It seems as though they couldn't pigeon-hole her so she was being bounced around the place.''

Mrs Bowman added: "It was the system letting her down.''

The hearing was told that the cause of death was an overdose of Amitriptyline combined with anorexia but a post mortem examination did not reveal any gastric abnormalities.

Recording a verdict that Miss Bowman had committed suicide after becoming depressed, Portsmouth coroner David Horsley said: "For her it was very real pain she was in, it was physical symptoms, for her it was real, you can understand how it was getting her down.

"It is quite clear to me that poor Sam had become very depressed by it.

"She has become depressed because of the frustration of the problem that has dogged her for many years.''

Mrs Bowman said that her daughter had not been diagnosed as having an eating disorder.

She said: "Nothing was really diagnosed as an eating disorder.

"If she had issues with eating it was the pain she was in. There was no body dysmorphia.''

She added: "She was in pain, she couldn't have got in that state unless it was.''

Mr Horsley said: "I am recording a verdict that she took her own life while suffering from depression and that was caused by the physical manifestation of her problems.''