Ledger was full of drugs

[fett]

I guess that was what the report said. Someone post the story. They don't mean to kill themselves. But they do.

[toejam]

Be careful guys, you're gonna have people bitching at you if you don't feel sorry for the poor lad.

Yeah, really. Then you'll have some asshole who says he deserved it for acting as a gay cowboy in a movie.

[Cygnus X1]

Woo hoo...here we go again!
I forgot to get in on it the last time this subject got out of hand!

[fett]

Don't let it.:ROTF: You road apples.

[fett]

This thead is about the agony, I guess, that artists go through to make all use losers appreciate their talent. It's a Sociology thang.:ROTF:

[nhspike]

People see life through different sets of eyes.
Those blessed/cursed with "too clear" vision, often suffer.
That suffering translates into art for some, translates into hate for others.
Both are tortured souls.
Let's face it, if you've spent the hours and hours and hours that are required to get good at something, you must have been cursed with some measure of enjoying the self-torture required to get there, which make you twisted!
hehe
Pile on top of that that drugs can be fun, add some flash cash, and you have a recipe for disaster...
There are too many to list, but I'll just say Hendrix, Belushi... two Jim's.
Some one else can fill in the Jim's I missed.

I say, rest in peace.

[blindmuddy]

I did hear that he was on sleeping pills but the recommended dosage wasn't working for him. My money is on him just taking too many, rather than actually trying to kill himself or taking too many to get some sort of high.

He was taking oxys, valium, 2 more benzos (related to valium) and something else. Oxys are not for sleep, it's a kinda synthetic opiate used for pain and most are time release where people chew em up to avoid the whole time release thing.
Benzos are usually prescribed for anxiety, agitation related stuff including restlessness and insomnia. And he was taking 3 different ones.
The combo of drugs was meant to get high, or more likely just feel nothing. I believe he'd been to rehab so he knew what he was getting into. I'm not saying he consciously said I want to die today but I certainly wouldn't call it an accident. Especially since there was a rolled up bill next to him so he was apparently snorting some of it to try and bring the effects on quicker.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jgDNcFSJ5vHeEZXDWu0LGcC3BMkg

[cdwillis]

From http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movi...ger/index.html:

Here are the drugs found in Heath Ledger's body:

• Oxycodone -- narcotic/painkiller; trade names: OxyContin, Percodan
• Hydrocodone -- narcotic/painkiller; trade name (combined with acetaminophen): Vicodin
• Diazepam -- anti-anxiety drug; trade name: Valium
• Alprazolam -- anti-anxiety drug; trade name: Xanax
• Doxylamine -- sleep medication; trade name: Unisom
• Temazepam -- sleep medication; trade name: Restoril

The combination of drugs could cause the brain and brain stem to "fall asleep," halting heart and lung function.

Sources: Dr. Gregory Davis, College of American Pathologists; Drugs.com

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

Police reported finding several prescription medications in the room but no illegal drugs.

It appears to me the guy was prescribed all the medication found in his system. Besides that just because it's in his system doesn't mean he did it all at the same time seeing as drugs don't leave your system as soon as the effects are finished. Obviously the guy had some problems and a doctor thought enough of prescribing him all this medication. Should have watched his step I guess but I think he deserves a little more sympathy than he's getting from some people.

[rjohnstone]

He was taking oxycontin which alone can kill you. On top of that he had hydrocodone, xanax, and two types of sleeping pills in his system. I am sad that the guy is gone but that just screams stupidity to me.

Get you facts straight... it was Oxycodone... not Oxycontin. Huge difference.

This is what he had in his system according to the coronors report.
Hydrocodone (a.k.a. Vicodin)
Oxycodone (a.k.a. Percocet or Percodan) depending on what it was compounded with. Oxycontin is a different compound of Oxycodone and I'm sure they would have said Oxycontin if in fact that's what it was.
Diazepam (a.k.a. Valium)
Alprazolam (a.k.a. Xanax)
Temazepam (a.k.a. Restoril or Euhypnos are Sleeping pills)
Doxylamine (over the counter antihistamine) Poor mans sleeping pill.

All of which are relatively harmless by them selves when taken appropriately.

[guitarsjb]

From http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movi...ger/index.html:

It appears to me the guy was prescribed all the medication found in his system. Besides that just because it's in his system doesn't mean he did it all at the same time seeing as drugs don't leave your system as soon as the effects are finished. Obviously the guy had some problems and a doctor thought enough of prescribing him all this medication. Should have watched his step I guess but I think he deserves a little more sympathy than he's getting from some people.

So, cause they were prescribed drugs and not illegal, makes it OK? Somehow it's not his fault? He took them, together, (they do all come with warning labels) and ended up dying. My mom was hooked on painkillers and we had to step in and bring her prescription writing doc up before the medical board to get her some help. it was all prescribed and not illegal.

[Jason1212]

Oxycodone -- narcotic/painkiller; trade names: OxyContin, Percodan
Cnn seems to have the facts in alignment.

[blindmuddy]

Oxycodone -- narcotic/painkiller; trade names: OxyContin, Percodan
Cnn seems to have the facts in alignment.

Your correct oxycontin IS oxycodone, other things are as well stuff like percocet are mixed with tylenol.

[cdwillis]

So, cause they were prescribed drugs and not illegal, makes it OK? Somehow it's not his fault? He took them, together, (they do all come with warning labels) and ended up dying. My mom was hooked on painkillers and we had to step in and bring her prescription writing doc up before the medical board to get her some help. it was all prescribed and not illegal.

Not that they're legal (hell I don't even really have a problem with illegal drugs), but if they were prescribed like they seem then he would have been supervised by a doctor. That's assuming it was even the same doctor. If he had multiple doctors prescribing those it would be easy for him to OD by mixing them.

[442w30]

He played with fire and got burned.
It's a tragedy and dumb. Not exclusive things.

If he did all of those drugs simultaneously and didn't think they were dangerous, he's an idiot
If he did all of those drugs simultaneously and played the odds that they wouldn't do him in, then he lost a junkie's bet. Still a tragedy, but noones fault but his.

There is a problem in society that says prescribed drugs are somehow better than illegal ones, but unfortunately, it is only better for people who can "abuse them properly".

By the time you are addicted or in a situation where you are using multiple doctors or allowing a doc to let you get multiple prescriptions for whatever reason it is likely that you are in the same state as an illegal drug addict (heroin, caine, meth) and cannot pull out of the tailspin on your own without a tragedy or intervention.

1) Do I feel bad for him -yes
2) Should he have known better - yes
3) Should his doctors pay?- maybe - especially if a single doctor prescribed this. If he played many docs then see #2

There is something wrong (payola?) with the medical system that I don't understand and I worked in it for a while.

Why do doctors constantly pander to drug reps by pushing the latest drugs when current ones work? Doctors constantly discourage generic meds when something new is out, I find it hard to believe that dr.s really think a drug that's generic and out of patent is worth supplanting with a relatively new drug that is pushed by drug companies and had "relatively fewer" studies on them than older drugs.
Also, dr.s are VERY ready to prescribe meds over sending people to nutritionists/psychologists, etc in order to get people healthy. There must be a system of payout for prescriptions filled to doctors. It is simply too strange of behavior for there not to be.

I can't forget the excitement in my dr.s eyes when they could get me 4 prescriptions at once, it was almost like they were looking for anything they could get to me.

Dr supervision is laughable too. Once they get you on something, they rarely do anything except ask you if it's working and refill (after getting a copay) they'll also check your BP, and in the case of blood pressure/cholesterol/hormone drugs, a blood check but they aren't looking for a med-hed if you say your ok, your ok.

[guitarsjb]

That's just the problem bro, the docs write the scrips..then the patient is on their own. We know the docs get kicks backs from the makers of the pills, so it really is an unsafe, sick situation. Once the patient gets the bottle, there is no supervision. Some good doctors do track if the patient seems to need to many pills etc, but they are few and far between.

edit: we were typin at the same time 442..