M.E. Calls Ledger Death "Accident"

151. Oxycodone is an opioid analgesic medication.
Oxycodone has similar effects to morphine and heroin and appeals to the same abuse community.
Abusers simply crush the tablets, then either ingest the resulting powder orally, intra nasally (snorting), via intravenous (injecting), intramuscular, or rectally.

Explains the rolled up bill......and prescription drug abuse is, well using these drugs to get "high"

Posted at 4:36AM on Feb 7th 2008 by Indigo Dreams

152. Ok . . . multiple answers here, so read closely. ;)

HatersRLosers - WTF are you talking about? I never said prescription drugs were bad . . . I take prescription drugs, thank you. I have taken anti-depressants. So your assumption is completely off base and has no merits. Try again.

daneize - someone who allows someone to drive off drunk is an enabler. Someone who no longer wants to deal with the crap that another person is going through, doing, etc. and walks away is smart and doing themselves a service. The idea that "we all must help one another" is bogus. Just imagine, if half the people in this country had the will power to help themselves, and help others HELP THEMSELVES, do you know how much better off we would be? There wouldn't be stupid things like welfare, and food stamps. It's apparent that Ledger was a burden to his ex-fiance, she made a smart choice.

And last, but not least - Cindy - I applaud you. I really do. Kudos to you, and keep up the great work. I do agree: addiction is a disease. However - and you would probably agree - it's a self-inflected disease. No one said it was easy to stop the addiction/disease. But all things come with a price. To get out of addiction, there's a heavy price to pay, and that is will-power. I'm certain you need tremendous will-power, and it's difficult. That's the price. On the flip side, there's also the price of NOT cleaning yourself up. Ledger has apparently paid that price.

And to all those naysayers - you might be right. Perhaps he didn't know what he was doing. But c'mon, when Hollywood threatens Paramount if they were to air the footage of Ledger being a druggie, it's obvious that it's widespread. Hollywood doesn't want us to know what goes on behind closed doors. The notion that Hollywood is "clean" is crap. And anyone who believes it is . . . you can fill in the blank.

Posted at 3:29PM on Feb 6th 2008 by J

153. Alprazolam = Xanax (anti-anxiety, tranquilizer)
Diazepam = Valium (anti-anxiety, tranquilizer)
Hydrocodone = narcotic cough suppresant, (for the pneumonia)
Oxycodone = Pain reliever - Percocet (w/acetominaphen) or Percodan (w.aspirin)
Temazepam = Restoril (sleep aid for extreme insomnia)
Doxylamine = Unisom - (sleep aid, is also a main ingredient in Nyquil)

That is some mix, however not unheard of for prescription happy doctors to prescribe, also taking into account there was more than one doctor prescribing them. Xanax and Valium are notorious for causing memory loss, combine that with extreme sleep deprivation and it's a disaster waiting to happen.
Unfortunately without knowing the quantities in his system and whether the medications were long-acting or time-released, not to mention WHY some of these medications where prescribed in the first place (why 2 anti-anxieties?, for example), it still leaves so much unanswered - I'd be curious to hear what the doctors who prescribed these pills to him have to say :(

That said, all the speculation in the world won't bring Heath Ledger back to life. So sad for his family, especially his little girl. RIP Heath.

Posted at 3:35PM on Feb 6th 2008 by BB

154. Actually #39...

If you would like to get techanical Oxycodone can come in many different forms...

Oxycodone IS IN FACT OxyContin and it is "intended to help relieve pain that is moderate to severe in intensity, when that pain is present all the time, and expected to continue for a long time..."

Oxycodone, when combined with Aspirin, is what is called Percodan. And it is "indended for moderate to severe pain of short duration. The potential for abuse and addition still exists, as with OxyContin, but is somewhat less since Percodan is not a sustained-release (long-acting) preparation."

Oxycodone can also be combined with Acetaminophen, which is what is called Percocet. Percocet has the same criteria as the Percodan, severe pain of short duration.

Just a little guess here, but since Heath Ledger was on so many other medications, I am just assuming that he was taking the OxyContin type of Oxycodone, which has a higher risk of addiction.

And a little FYI, I am a 3rd year medical student, and I am quoting Barron's Dictionary of Medical Terms and Commonly Prescribed Drugs. Maybe you should do a little research before you begin correcting people...

Posted at 3:28PM on Feb 6th 2008 by Kristina

155. #149 Yes I can relate. I was aressted several times for my addiction to painkillers and I almost lost everything. But with the help of my wonderful husband and children I have been clean 3 yrs. Yes addiction is a disease and unless you've been there like I'm sure most of these people haven't they don't know how Heath felt.

Godspeed Heath

Posted at 3:30PM on Feb 6th 2008 by justme

156. Good call by the person who made the comment about the $20 bill. At first they said white powder was found on it and white packets were in the apartment. Then they said the bill came back negative for ILLEGAL drugs, but they never said anything about prescription. Oxycontin could have been crushed in the packets (they conveniently forgot about) and easily been snorted. Again, as someone else said, PR manipulation is all over this case. People who deny he was an addict, grow up. All the evidence points to a major problem with both legal and illegal substances.

Posted at 3:51PM on Feb 6th 2008 by Melanie

157. NONE OF US KNOW WHAT ORDER HEATH WAS GIVEN HIS PRESCRIPTIONS. THEY DID SAY THAT SOME WERE PRESCRIBED OVER IN EUROPE, NOT JUST AMERICA. IT COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY GRADUAL BUILD-UP OF TOXICITY. WITH ALL THOSE MEDICATIONS IN HIS SYSTEM IT'S NO WONDER HEATH FELT SO BAD PHYSICALLY. CLEARLY HEATH WAS A DESPERATE MAN WHO JUST WANTED, SOMEHOW, TO FEEL BETTER AGAIN.
MAY HE REST IN PEACE AND MAY HIS FAMILY, MILTILDA AND MICHELLE FIND THE STRENGTH TO SEE THROUGH THEIR UNSPEAKABLE GRIEF.

Posted at 3:52PM on Feb 6th 2008 by tld123

158. YES! THE ROLLED UP $20. FORGOT ABOUT THAT. I'VE NEVER HAD A DOCTOR PRESCRIBE ME MEDICINES TO SNORT. HE WAS MAKING HIS OWN DECISIONS; MORE, QUICKER, FASTER RELIEF. AGAIN, COVER UP BAD FEELINGS. DOESN'T WANT TO DEAL WITH HIS LIFE. ESCAPE, ESCAPE, ESCAPE. I CAN RELATE SO WELL.

AGAIN, HE NEEDED HELP FOR HIS ADDICTION, BUT DECIDED NOT TO GET IT.

Posted at 4:04PM on Feb 6th 2008 by Hobart

159. ACCIDENTAL?! Thats lame. Did he accidenty mistake the pills for his Broke Back Mountain Jake Gyllenhal PEZ dispenser and eat the all thinking they were Jakey Jake PEZ'S

Posted at 4:31PM on Feb 6th 2008 by msfanni

160. This is crazy. Let his family mourn without everyone bashing him. Whether or not he was addicted is not our business, the bottom line here is a talented young actor is dead.
People can come up with every excuse in the book and speculate as to the true cause here, the truth died with Heath.

Rest in peace Heath and we hope your family gets the privacy they deserve not to mention your little girl who will someday be able research her daddy on the internet and read everything people posted!

Let it go once and for all!!!

Posted at 4:55PM on Feb 6th 2008 by enough already

161. YOU PEOPLE ALL SUCK FOR THE ROTTEN THINGS YOU ARE SAYING- A PERSON DIED - THIS PERSON WAS SOMEONE'S SON, BROTHER AND A LITTLE GIRLS FATHER - HAVE SOME RESPECT!!! I JUST LOST MY SON - IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW A LOVED ONE DIES, THE PAIN AND SADNESS IS THE SAME. LEAVE THIS FAMILY ALONE !!!

Posted at 4:57PM on Feb 6th 2008 by BUBBLES

162. It is better that Medical Examiner determine the cause of death rather than the speculative
press which gives misleading information.

Posted at 4:59PM on Feb 6th 2008 by BOEING 787

163. D'ya know the ONLY comments that are valid on here are those made by the people who actually knew Heath in person.

If you think about the people you know in your own lives then you know that you are able to say for definite "I know that person and I know that they would never do that!" because you know their personality and their views on drug taking and their personnal problems and what's going on in their life, the rest of us don't know anything about Heath.

With that in mind and the fact that these people who actually knew him are saying that he would never commit suicide, everyone else's comments and opinion is essentially just s**t!

It's a case of people just wanting to stick their pennies worth in and nothing more.

R.I.P Heath!

Posted at 4:48PM on Feb 7th 2008 by debee_bambino

164. they can call it an accident all they want he knew that those combinations were dangerous lesson unfortunately not learned

Posted at 11:26PM on Feb 8th 2008 by lise

165. Gili, you may be a nurse but you seem to be ignorant of how drugs are prescribed and used. I had two bunionectomies and was prescribed Oxycodone for both. I had two wisdom teeth removed and was prescribed Hydrocodone. Morphine straight up is what is usually prescribed for terminal cancer patients. I am currently taking 2400 mg ibuprofen daily for my arthritis and degenerating knees. I have never abused these drugs because if I take more than the minimum dosage of Oxycodone it makes me sick to my stomach and 1 hydrocodone left me nauseous for 12 hours (it's supposed to be taken every 4 hr.) I found Tylenol worked better.

While it's true that you can overdose on nearly anything (although I've never heard of anyone overdosing on calcium) and I once knew a woman who overdosed on water and went crazy (it throws off the electrolytes in the brain) and there was a woman who died after the Boston Marathon a few years ago by drinking too much water during the race (her brain swelled and she died of the equivalent of a subdural hematoma), most substances are not toxic. If they were we'd have people dropping dead left and right.

While it is true that pharmacists check on a person's prescriptions before dispensing a new medication that only helps if ALL of the drugs are dispensed in the same country. In fact, I wouldn't guarantee that Walgreens talks to CVS. True, it was his responsibility to track his own meds but most people don't even know how. Doctors are frequently seen as some sort of god and if god says you should take this medication then obviously god knows what he is doing and you should listen to him.

I'm not saying that Heath was not a junkie or suicidal, merely that the information in this item is not proof of either. We still don't know what really happened because non

Posted at 7:29PM on Feb 6th 2008 by Bipolarsufferer