Victoria Lane
Dail Mail reports that 38-year-old Victoria Lane died from 'excessive' levels of caffeine after taking up to eight litres of the fizzy drink on a daily basis because she enjoyed the taste of it.
She was found dead at her home by her teenage son, Rhys. He called 999 and paramedics rushed to the scene, but they were unable to revive his mother.
The combination of Pepsi Max and prescription drugs led to the 'excessive consumption' of caffeine and fluoxetine, which resulted in Miss Lane's death, a post-mortem examination found.
Miss Lane had been prescribed drugs, including fluoxetine, to help, but had also started to drink heavily.
Because she liked the taste of Pepsi Max, she decided to use it as a mixer for vodka. The drink also helped her with the side-effects of the drugs, which left her with a dry mouth, her mother said.
On a daily basis, Miss Lane would drink up to four two-litre bottles of the liquid, the inquest heard.
Just hours before she passed away, Miss Lane's son had returned home to find her sleeping. But when he awoke the next morning, he realised his mother had stopped breathing.