Influencer ‘Russian Nana’ dies aged 31 after taking painkillers ‘for hangover’ and being left in coma

An woman has died at the age of 31 after reportedly taking painkillers while trying to ward of a terrible hangover.

The woman, an influencer known as "Russian Nana" online, then spent more than five weeks in a coma before passing away on Sunday (May 5), her partner has announced. The 31-year-old, originally from Russia, moved to Guizhou Province, China, to study last year. While studying she met local tattoo artist, Wang Tao, and decided to stay in the country with him after they started a relationship.

She shared their love story online, and soon gained a following on Chinese social media, where she became known as she became known as "Russian Nana". She had over 60,000 followers on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. Nana "conquered the hearts of countless fans" with her lovely, fresh and funny personality, local news outlet Min News reports.

The couple went out for a few drinks with friends in the afternoon of Wednesday March 27, but Nana became poorly later that evening. Trying to prevent what she thought would be a bad hangover, the young woman reportedly took some painkillers and went to lie down. But, she was later found unconscious and rushed to hospital.

She then spent 38 days in coma, and during that time her partner Tao shared stories of their love online and prayed for her recovery, Chinese outlet Shine reported. Tao announced her death in a short video on Douyin on Monday (May 6).

He shared images of him kissing his beloved partner’s forehead in hospital and said: “Nana has left us forever. The kiss yesterday was her last kiss while she was alive. I will never be able to kiss Nana again, never again.”

It’s unclear if authorities are investigating the influencer’s death and what sort of painkillers she had taken. Opioids (strong painkillers) are very effective over short periods to relieve moderate to severe pain, according to the UK government website. They are also sometimes prescribed for long periods to relieve pain in serious conditions. Examples of opioids include codeine (including co-codamol), tramadol, fentanyl, and morphine.

Taking too much opioid medicine is called an overdose, whether it’s intentional or not. This can be very serious and may cause death. Some of the signs of an overdose include confusion or hallucinations, slurred speech, poor co-ordination or balance, being unresponsive or unconscious, difficulty breathing or no breathing.