Full Breakdown
Student’s Accidental Paracetamol Overdose Leads to Near-Fatal Organ Failure and Sparks Awareness Campaign
By Drooid · · How we work
The Overdose and Rapid Decline
In March 2025, 20-year-old Riley Lubas, a first-year creative-media student at the University of Bath, took two over-the-counter medicines for a cold, not realizing both contained paracetamol. Within hours he suffered severe stomach pain, nausea and vomiting. Tests at the Royal United Hospital’s emergency department showed acute paracetamol toxicity, a condition that can cause liver and kidney damage.
Medical Response and Transfer
Riley’s parents, Chris and Kate Lubas, were called from Newport. ICU staff contacted them at 1:30 a.m. and warned that his liver was heading toward failure. His condition progressed to delirium, hallucinations and multi-organ failure. By 6 p.m. that night he was sedated, placed on life support and dialysis, and transferred to King’s College Hospital’s specialised ICU, where clinicians monitored his failing liver, heart stress, brain fluid buildup and lung and kidney function.
Recovery Journey
Riley was placed at the top of the UK liver-transplant list, but cardiac complications delayed surgery for two days. During that interval doctors observed unexpected improvement in liver function. Within a fortnight he was taken off life support, and over the next six weeks at King’s College Hospital he relearned speaking after a tracheostomy and regained the ability to walk. He later returned to an ICU in Newport before discharge. A year and a half later he works as a pub bartender, having made a full recovery.
Official Health Guidance
The Royal College of General Practitioners Cymru Wales advises patients to “read the label carefully” and to seek a GP’s advice before taking medication. The NHS notes that early symptoms of a paracetamol overdose often include nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, and that prompt medical assessment is critical to prevent irreversible organ damage.
Family-Led Awareness Effort
To highlight the risks of accidental overdose, Chris and Kate Lubas completed a 50 km hike across the Gower Peninsula on Saturday, 12 September 2026, raising funds for King’s College Hospital’s ICU and promoting public awareness. They have also raised the issue with the *Pharmaceutical Journal*, urging clearer warning labels on paracetamol-containing products.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It was mad how quickly it all escalated. Because I was already sick, when my stomach hurt I just assumed I'd caught a stomach bug, so I didn't notice the pain in my liver specifically. I'm just so grateful that I was able to come out the other end alright.” — Riley
- “The medical staff had said that with how bad his liver was, it was as good as irreversible, which is why he was on the transplant list to begin with. But when that was delayed, they spotted some improvement in the liver. We watched Riley's situation closely for a couple of days, and he continued to improve, until he was taken off dialysis and life support just a week later.” — Chris
- “The help of the staff meant so much to us during this time. Plus, we really want to raise awareness around the paracetamol issue, especially for young people. We've raised the concern with the Pharmaceutical Journal, which wants to make warnings more apparent on packaging.” — Chris