A MAN who died after "swallowing nine grams of cocaine" during a hospital stay had spiralled back into drugs and alcoholism after being diagnosed with a debilitating condition.

Daniel Richard Pordage had been sober for 15 years after turning to drink to cope with his troubled childhood.

But in spring last year, the 36-year-old, of Dibden Purlieu, was given the shock news that he was suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

The condition forced him to give up his job as a web designer and he turned to drink.

At the height of his alcoholism, his wife, Katy, said her husband was drinking between one or two litres of vodka a day.

But at his inquest a coroner heard how Mr Pordage's death, on Friday, December 15, was drug related.

Mr Pordage was admitted to Southampton General Hospital in December after injuring his arm while hallucinating on prescription drugs to help with his MS.

Wife Katy, who visited two days before his death, said he seemed in "high spirits" and the pair were preparing their Christmas plans.

But late on Thursday night, Mr Pordage left his ward, telling nurses he was going for a cigarette.

Around 20 minutes later, the hospital received a frantic call from Mr Pordage, who told paramedics he had "swallowed nine grams of cocaine".

Mr Pordage was rushed to the emergency department, but began having seizures.

He went into cardiac arrest and, despite efforts to revive him, he died in hospital.

Speaking at Mr Pordage's inquest, pathologist Dr Adrian Bateman said the 36-year-old had more than double the average lethal dosage of cocaine in his blood at the time of his death.

Detectives investigating the incident were unable to find out how and when Mr Pordage had obtained the cocaine, despite checking his phone records and CCTV at the hospital.

Mrs Pordage, a veterinary nurse, said she was unaware of her husband's cocaine usage until after his death.

She also later discovered that he had used the couple's bank account to purchase strong over-the-counter painkillers on a regular basis.

Mrs Pordage said she believed her husband had spiralled back into alcoholism due to his illness and having to give up his job.

She added that Mr Pordage had recently contacted the police to report his history of sexual abuse, which took place while he was in foster care.

Mrs Pordage said her husband was "anxious" about the possibility of the case going to court.

Coroner Grahame Short ruled out the possibility that Mr Pordage's death was a suicide, describing it instead as a drug related death.

He said: "Calling for an ambulance suggests to me that Daniel recognised he had taken too much and therefore was a risk to his life.

"I don't believe for that reason it was a deliberate overdose.

"If he had, he would not have called for medical staff."