coroner: Ledger's overdose accidental

[habernac]

http://jam.canoe.ca/Movies/2008/02/04/4825301-ap.html

poor guy. I'm glad this was the verdict, it certainly sounds better than if it was deliberate.

[Tyler]

That's quite the assortment of drugs to be accidental.

I don't really buy that.

[RyZ]

Originally Posted by Tyler

That's quite the assortment of drugs to be accidental.

I don't really buy that.

Agreed.

oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine

That's alot of chemicals to be taking in all at once and call it an accident.

[habernac]

or maybe the guy was just desperate to get some sleep. Who knows? Still a shame to lose someone at that age.

[Claeren]

Originally Posted by RyZ

Agreed.

oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine

That's alot of chemicals to be taking in all at once and call it an accident.

Oh come on, they say that there was not a high dose of any single drug.

If he is that desperate and has not slept in months it is not unreasonable to try anything to sleep. To try one drug one night and another the next night for each condition, while not advisable, is not criminal. Add in the fact he had pneumonia and was likely both more desperate then ever AND had a weakened body and it is sad people would STILL pile on.

As i said in the original thread, in working at the hospital for 10 years i can tell you that this type of thing is FAR more common then you may understand it to be. To the point that many of us will die from poor drug combinations and dosage instructions, perhaps even a majority of us (Likely with a contributing illness/medical problem - Ledger's 'pneumonia' may be our heart problem or kidney problem, etc)




Claeren.

[The Goon]

I'm going to have to stop combining Neo-Citran and Nyquil when I've got a bad cold and want to sleep.

[Flashpoint]

Originally Posted by The Goon

I'm going to have to stop combining Neo-Citran and Nyquil when I've got a bad cold and want to sleep.

No way baby. That's the dope train I ride every single time. Lemme tell you, last time I did that, I wound up sitting on the couch for the next six hours with the most wicked buzz I have had since college staring at the TV.

Which would be like a normal Saturday night, except the TV wasn't on.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by Tyler

That's quite the assortment of drugs to be accidental.

I don't really buy that.

I disagree. For people with anxiety disorders these sorts of medications aren't terribly rare at all. Each pill has side effects, so many people take further medication to deal with the side effects.

If he was trying to kill himself would he really have taken recommended doses of each pill? Seems to me the problem here was a lack of education regarding how the medications interact with each other.

[TheDragon]

With some quick Googling:

Oxycodone is used as a pain reliever.
Hydrocodone is also a pain reliever and anti-inflammatory.
Diazepam is used to treat anxiety disorders. (Shakiness, agitation, etc.)
Alprazolam is also used to treat anxiety.
Temazepam is used to treat insomnia.
Doxylamine is used to treat allergies.

I highly doubt that he was aware that these specific chemicals produced a fatal combination, myself. If it was deliberate, you'd think the coroner would say he found "extraordinary" levels of x chemical in his system that overloaded x organ. Otherwise, he'd probably have to be a chemist or a doctor to realize what he was doing. But that's just me.