They just discovered he died of an accidental OD on legal prescription drugs. The takeaway being that just because they are legal they can still kill you if you abuse them. He was on some pretty heavy stuff...everything from hillbilly heroin to valium, to anti-anxiety stuff and then to top it off some sleep aids as if what he was already taking wouldn't have put an elephant to sleep.


"Mr. Heath Ledger died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam, and doxylamine," the office said in a short statement.


"We have concluded that the manner of death is accident, resulting from the abuse of prescription medications."


Hydrocodone and oxycodone are painkillers. Diazepam is an anti-anxiety drug commonly sold under the brand name Valium; alprazolam is also an anti-anxiety drug, sold under such names as Xanax. Temazepam, sold under such names as Restoril and Euhypnos, is a sleeping agent, as is doxylamine.


http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/06/heath.ledger/index.html

Did he wash it down with sippin syrup?

//First!!

Did he wash it down with sippin syrup?

//First!!

he might as well have...I've taken valium and hydrocodone before, but never at the same time and only in the reccomended doses and I was high as a kite at that dosage. Seems too many people think that they can just pop this stuff whenever they want just because it's legal. What severe pain was he in that he needed two forms of strong painkillers?

Hair loss.

Did he wash it down with sippin syrup?

//First!!

In other news...Sheath Ledger still alive.

What does this mean for Sheath Wedger?

D'oh!

What does this mean for Sheath Wedger?

Sheath only drinks PBR and sometimes a bit of the green. He'll be fine.

Hmmm. Yep. I still don't care.

I wonder how they determine that it was accidental and not intentional? How do you get certain about intent?

Sad none the less.

Len

Dude. Where the hell was he getting these prescriptions from?

I think "accidental" is a stretch.

Dude. Where the hell was he getting these prescriptions from?

I think "accidental" is a stretch.

yup...that was a heavy duty combo he was on. Any one of those drugs could have killed him--especially if he was also drinking.

Dude. Where the hell was he getting these prescriptions from?

I think "accidental" is a stretch.

think about a continuem from 0 to 10....0 being totally accidental and 10 being total intentional............if it were truly a 4, how would you label it for public consumption? How about a 5? 6? 7? etc...

Probably labeled that way as much for the people that survive him that care about him as anything.

Len

think about a continuem from 0 to 10....0 being totally accidental and 10 being total intentional............if it were truly a 4, how would you label it for public consumption? How about a 5? 6? 7? etc...

Probably labeled that way as much for the people that survive him that care about him as anything.

Len

yup...and no difference in the outcome. I can see being so messed up on hydrocodone and valium that you forget how much you have taken and pop a few other pills and then you die before you realize the mistake.

I got home late from work last night, had one beer and 1 hour later a took ONE Tylenol PM to help me fall asleep. After popping the pill I thought to myself "Gee, maybe I shouldn't have taken that Tylenol PM after having a beer."

I wonder if he had the same thoughts I did as he was taking SIX different perscription drugs, the majority being depressants.

I got home late from work last night, had a beer and 1 hour later a took ONE Tylenol PM to help me fall asleep. After popping the pill I thought to myself "Gee, maybe I shouldn't have taken that Tylenol PM after having a beer."

I wonder if he had the same thoughts I did as he was taking SIX different perscription drugs, the majority being depressants.

I'm surprised he was able to even walk after a combo like that.

Um, the margin between a therapeutic dose and a fatal dose isn't that narrow for any of those medications-- even when combined. I worked for years with suicidal people, and you would be amazed how difficult it can be to kill yourself with prescription medications--- not that it cannot be done. It may have been "accidental" in that he was seeking a high (or to sleep) and not to kill himself, but it wasn't accidental in that it was clearly at abusive levels.

Whatever happened to his cocaine and heroin habit? I have been around people detoxing off heroin, and most wished they were dead.

The Rogaine was probably the tipping point.

I wonder how they determine that it was accidental and not intentional? How do you get certain about intent?


You don't, of course. But in my experience, people who are really going for it either tend to take a lot of a specific drug because the "know" that one will work, or, if they cocktail it, they don't tend to leave empty bottles. They throw everything down "to make sure" or out of desperation.

That's not to say he didn't have an indifference to outcome that was tantamount to suicide, but that's not the same as intent, and, as you say, to give the benefit of the doubt is an act of mercy to the survivors.

Sheath only drinks PBR and sometimes a bit of the green. He'll be fine.

<del>My</del> Sheath's agents phone won't stop ringing...



// OP: it would seem HL's last words would be along the lines of "F*ck it" after seeing what he poisoned himself with.

Um, the margin between a therapeutic dose and a fatal dose isn't that narrow for any of those medications-- even when combined. I worked for years with suicidal people, and you would be amazed how difficult it can be to kill yourself with prescription medications--- not that it cannot be done. It may have been "accidental" in that he was seeking a high (or to sleep) and not to kill himself, but it wasn't accidental in that it was clearly at abusive levels.


I'm sure there are a lot of people out there breathing a sigh of relief that it wasn't "illegal" drugs that he died from, but really what's the diff between shooting heroin or taking it in pill form other than the delivery method and the legality of it. Drugs are drugs.

I'm sure there are a lot of people out there breathing a sigh of relief that it wasn't "illegal" drugs that he died from, but really what's the diff between shooting heroin or taking it in pill form other than the delivery method and the legality of it. Drugs are drugs.

That's true. I work on a psychiatric unit, and we see WAY more people addicted to prescription drugs than street drugs.

I'm surprised he was able to even walk after a combo like that.

Obviously not... D'oh!

That's true. I work on a psychiatric unit, and we see WAY more people addicted to prescription drugs than street drugs.Makes sense. And I'll bet meth dealers see way more people addicted to meth.

drugs are bad m'kay

I got home late from work last night, had one beer and 1 hour later a took ONE Tylenol PM to help me fall asleep. After popping the pill I thought to myself "Gee, maybe I shouldn't have taken that Tylenol PM after having a beer."



You are teh weaksauce beer drinker. Try to keep up with the big dogs, eh?

Shouldn't they be looking for the quack doctor that wrote all those prescriptions?

Shouldn't they be looking for the quack doctor that wrote all those prescriptions?

I think that's an interesting point.

My step-father died of a prescription medication overdose after having abused them for many years. He lived in a tiny north-eastern Colorado town where it was fairly easy to figure out which docs wrote the scripts, and although my mom brought it up to local law enforcement, ultimately they took a rather libertarian view to the situation and no medical folks were every called on it.

I have a lot of empathy for people with addictions. Sh*t, I can't even quit cracking my knuckles.

I wonder how they determine that it was accidental and not intentional? How do you get certain about intent?

Sad none the less.

Len

I would assume it's a combination of talking with the person's family and the amount ingested. But as Val said, they're looking to label it accidental since it makes it easier for the family and friends. It's really none of our business anyway.