A YORK drug addict died after a rare reaction to hospital medication, an inquest heard.

Lee Coxon, 23, of Rowntree Avenue, died from neuroleptic malignant syndrome, a rare reaction to the anti-psychotic drug, haloperidol, in York Hospital, on June 1 last year.

He was admitted to hospital on May 29 suffering from the effects of drug withdrawal. Mr Coxon's family said he had been using intravenous drugs for some years, although he had made attempts to quit.

Jonathan Thow, consultant physician in diabetes and endocrinology at York Hospital, said Mr Coxon was having hallucinations, hearing voices and was very frantic.

He said: "He was one of the most disturbed patients I have ever seen withdrawing from opiates."

The hospital gave Mr Coxon four doses of haloperidol to calm him down, but it didn't seem to have much effect. At 12.55am on May 30 he went into cardiac arrest which led to multiple organ failure.

Mr Coxon's life support machine was switched off on June 1.

Dr Thow said less than one per cent of patients who received drugs like haloperidol suffered from neuroleptic malignant syndrome. And less than one-in-five people with the syndrome die as a result.

Christine Bates, who carried out the post-mortem examination, said patients who were agitated and confused, like Mr Coxon, were more prone to the syndrome.

She said Mr Coxon had an old brain injury from a fall in 2000 and the only drug found in a sample of his blood was cannabis. Her conclusion was that he had died from the reaction to haloperidol.

York coroner Donald Coverdale recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.

He said: "It seems to me perfectly proper that Dr Thow should prescribe the drug. The haloperidol was administered in good faith and there can be no criticism of him being prescribed the substance.

"There is no question of any mistake being made by the clinical team responsible for caring for Mr Coxon at York Hospital."

Updated: 10:40 Thursday, July 31, 2003