A mum died of a caffeine overdose after drinking eight litres of Pepsi Max which reacted with prescription drugs, an inquest heard.

Victoria Lane, 38, drank up to four ­two-litre bottles of the fizzy drink to help with the side effects of medication that gave her a dry mouth.

Ms Lane struggled with anxiety and paranoia since being involved in a serious car crash when she was 16.

Her troubles led to her drinking up to a litre of vodka a day, but a coroner ruled it was the caffeine in the cola combined with prescription medicine which killed her.

Her heartbroken only child, Reese, 19, described his mum as “amazing” and recalled the shocking moment he discovered her lifeless body.

Returning home to Clayton, Staffs, after a night out last April, he found his mum sleeping, but next morning she wasn’t breathing.

Reese told the inquest in Stoke-on-Trent: “She was in the same position as I saw her the night before.

"I tried to wake her up but her jaw was completely locked. That’s when I started to worry. I called 999.

“When mum was drinking heavily she could get through a one-litre bottle of vodka a day and four two-litre bottles of Pepsi Max.”

A postmortem found Ms Lane died as a result of her “excessive consumption” of caffeine from the fizzy pop and prescription drug fluoxetine, an anti-depressant.

Her family revealed she had struggled with mental health worries ever since her accident.

Rosalind Lane, Vicky’s mum, described how her daughter changed following the collision, saying: “She recovered physically from it but I noticed a change in her personality after that.

"She became very black. She used to be bright and outgoing but she became reserved and a bit of a rebel at college.

“I knew she drank vodka, but I didn’t know exactly how much. She did drink a lot of Pepsi Max though.

“One side-effect of the drugs was that she had a very dry mouth and Pepsi Max was what she liked to drink.

"I did question her about it because of the high amount of caffeine, but she told me it was fine.”

North Staffordshire assistant coroner Sarah Murphy recorded a conclusion of ­accidental death on Tuesday.

She said: “It is absolutely tragic that such a young lady who had overcome significant adversity and had managed to sort herself and who had so much life and so much to look forward to, died prematurely.”

A neighbour yesterday described Ms Lane as “warm and funny” but added: “She did have hidden demons though which came from her car accident. I think drinking became a way of coping. It’s tragic she died so young.

“More research needs to be done to stop this ever happening to anyone again.”

On Ms Lane’s Justgiving page, grieving Reese added: “Victoria received a lot of help and support from New Days in connection with Mind UK.”

The family have so far raised £652.

• Diabetic Labour MP Keith Vaz has called for Coca-Cola’s Christmas truck to be banned from his home city Leicester, where diabetes is rising and a third of children have tooth decay. Coca-Cola’s festive truck is due to visit Leicester on December 17 – its final stop in a 46-city promotional tour. Mr Vaz, MP for Leicester East, said: “Coca-Cola are coming to promote their product and in each can there are seven teaspoons of sugar. “People will protest.” Coca-Cola said it was still coming but would not give drinks to under-12s.