As I first read about what caused actor Heath Ledger's death, now ruled an accidental overdose, I stared in absolute horror at the combination of drugs in his system: oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, emazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine. The medical examiner released those generic names - you might know them better as Percocet, Vicodin, Valium, Xanax, Restoril and Unisom. My first, and admittedly not-very-sympathetic thought was, "Who takes six different painkillers and sleep aids at the same time?"
Then I read farther. At the end of the article was a quote from a Novemeber interview in the New York Times. "Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night," Ledger had said. "My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going." Also in that interview, he said he'd taken 2 Ambien pills one night and still only got an hour of sleep.
At that point, I chastised myself for my judgment moments earlier. He couldn't sleep. The Vicodin and Percocet suggest pain, and possibly a lot of it. He also had just returned from London where he'd shot the third in a string of movies and had said his roles in two of them had been disturbing to him.
Suddenly, I got it. I've been severely sleep deprived enough times to know the desperation that comes with it. I also know we're not always rational in that state. I realized that any of us in his position may have done the same thing, praying for rest, taking everything that might help. In his case, he had too many things at his disposal at the wrong moment. And it killed him.
My heart breaks for Ledger, his family, and everyone who cared about him. It also breaks for all of us with medical conditions that put us in exactly his position all too often. Be careful.
I hadn’t thought about it that way but it makes total sense. I hope the media will put the information out there with your take on it. I can totally relate: last night, really bad storms moved through our area. I was hurting very badly and could not sleep. I had already taken my prescribed amount of meds and I was thinking seriously about taking more. I ended up drinking some warm milk and sitting up and watching the storm. Eventually I went to bed. I guess it could be really easy to O.D.
It is such a shame, and like you I know only too well that feeling of despair.
I still do not understand WHY do we have to live like this? I do think that unwise decision of school boards to eliminante PE years ago, when we should ALL be walking and doing so much physical activity than we do, and this alone is the cause of so many problems in the health of our nation. We have become too lazy, yet, I can slip into unbearable pain in a heartbeat with little notice, and I USED to be so slim and fit just a few years ago, and I am 62, until I was in a bad auto accident that has not REALLy hurt me, but changed my whole life. I wonder if that could be a sign that our bodies were never meant to go 45mph in any fashion! If I do the right execize, I can stave off a lot of pain, but I am getting worse about being willing to even try….and that may border on sinful, but I am sorry, I guess. I would rather sleep than face my body’s own torture.
Nancy
I can see it happening so quick. I have been in the position way to many times to know just how easy it is to take something and think if I onlt took another half of this or that maybe I will sink into sleep then a couple of hours later again more tired and more desperate take something again. Only this time could be more deadly because at that point maybe you are not thinking very clearly because of the previous durgs and it can be OD time with any one of us. I know I am a pill stocker , I will keep a perscription and dole it out for the worst possible pain and keep trying to do without untill I can’t stand another minute of the pain then I will go into my stash I may have had over from a surgery or something. I recommened that first you keep no expired pills because you might just get desperate enough to use them, 2nd, don’t get more then one pain killer or sleepmed so you won’t take mulyiple drugs that might OD or react together, Third don’t get perscriptions from more then one or two doctors because I have been to so many doctors that want me to try just one more pill and could have so many bad drugs in the wrong place at wrong time. If you have ever taken Ambien you will probably have had memory loss of what you did about 20 minutes after you took it. You might not get knocked out right away but will do something harmful and not, yes not know you are doing it. My kids had to video tape me having hallucinations and doing thinga that could of killed me like having an thing on my mind that I knew I really had to do and actually did it under ambien. They had to hide my car keys as yes I would of headed out in the middle of the night and not realize it was even night. I have painted, decorated my house for Christmas and scavaged for anythink etidible or maybe not even editable. That is the reality of some of these drugs. Others have accidents that they can’t go cback and correct. I know from experience all of this and try to be so carefull but know sometimes I’m not even aware I took something so took it again. A weekly pill container can help eliminate this. If you put your pills in it ahead of time and you look in it and it is empty them you know you did take it. I don’t know if it makes sence to you but I can so relate and am scared of drugs alot. Barbara
So many people think that if the doctor prescibes it you should take it, and it’s safe. People in pain and depressed may be able to get doctors to prescribe too much, too easily. From what I have read Heath Ledger probably didn’t take too much of any one of the prescribed drugs. It was the combination in his system. An easy mistake for any one who is tired and in pain. It’s why I believe so strongly in not taking pills. We have to learn to deal with our problems the right way. We will never feel better depending on a drug.
I also have done things after taking my Ambien that I shouldn’t have done. Not as serious as some but still. I also believe that we should only use 1 pharmacy. That way all the meds we take are in one place where the pharmacist can check for interactions. It is also important to list the OTC or herbal/supplements we take as these can also have interactions with other meds. Even certain foods can affect the way medications are absorbed. Like I say…don’t judge someone until you have walked in their shoes! Now more than ever I believe that!
I understand that insomnia creates problems with thinking clearly. I also agree that we should all use just one pharmacy and notify our doctors about who is prescribing what.
I have to take a lot of meds for fibromyalgia, depression and chronic fatigue.
It is VERY disturbing that he was taking 3 pain killers……pain that bad should have put him into the emergency room,
It is all so senseless.
Very interesting. I have CFS and had been on my own “cocktail” which, after several years, was not working as well as it used to. New doc. decided to switch things around. I thought I was the only one who could take Ambien CR and then sit up and watch several movies in a row. I understand Heath’s frustrations, and the inclination to keep adding one more pill to see if it will finally knock you out. I feel very bad for him and his family, and will probably be more cautious than I have been in moments of sleep-deprived frustration. May he rest in peace.
My very first thought was that Mr. Ledger had CFS/FM. Men can have this condition also. Loss of sleep when trying to do to more than a CFS/FM person can acheive, is the most common complaint among CFS/FM sufferers as the disease begins to escalate and usually at that point we really don’t know what we have. We all tend to think that if we get enough sleep it will resolve the fatigue,etc.. and of course it does not. Another clue is the fact that he was waiting for a massage. I did the very same thing, trying to get my body to relax. It didn’t do the job for me either as I was working way too hard at the time. Another death due to mis-understanding and improper medical treatment in my opinion.
I was a very big fan of Heath Ledger and was saddened by his death. We all know that lack of sleep can cause many problems for the Human body and one of those is not being in full control of your faculties, there-by taking too many drugs all at once. With an instance in my family the culprit was Alka Seltzer! My Father was having discomfort in his chest and thought it was indigestion, but was really a heart attack. I was shocked that he had taken so many of this drug as safe as any is thought to be! It doesn’t have to be the hard core stuff, but any combination of different everyday medications that we all have in our homes. I take as many as 10–10ng. Percocet a day for Fibromyalgia and CFS and Xanax to relax the muscles in this VERY painful condition. The temptation to POP just one more into my mouth to stave off the pain has occurred a few times but the little voice inside said”NO” just ride it out. I feel sorry for his young wife and the fact that his new child will not know it’s Father is a sad thing. Let’s all try to keep a watch out for ourselves and listen to that little voice inside.
In response to Suzanne- while i agree that pain meds are not the answer, they are the best chance for some of us until they do have the answer. Without my am meds, i cannot lift my arms enough to brush my teeth, button a shirt, and so on. I have tried every available mode of treatmet for FM in the past 6 years. It is meds, massage. and chiro. that help me the most. While it is not what I want, it is the best that I have for now!!
We have to learn to deal with our problems the right way. We will never feel better depending on a drug. I can’t disagree more strongly. “The right way” is ANY way that offers a better, sustainable quality of life. Drugs alone did not kill Mr. Ledger; the overuse and improper combination of drugs did. Tramadol saved my life and I will forever be grateful for it. I still take it, five years later, and I take it responsibly, as directed and prescribed, and I do all the other things I need to do to manage my FMS. Frankly, I think that the backwards thinking demonstrated in this comment quoted do more damage to progress towards better quality of life for all CFS/FMS sufferers than all the ‘it’s all in your head’ crazies out there.
Drugs are not the problem. Misuse and combining drugs are the problem.
I hadn’t thought of whether he (Ledger) had it, too. That’s very intriguing theory. You could be on to something.
I have taken equivalent to what Keith Ledger took and have on many occasions because I wont go the next step and have morphine injections because I don’t want to be hooked. Going without medication actually makes you more suicidal because I used to put on the tough front and nearly killed myself, I am very sad for Keith he must have wanted to be on a painfree planet where he could sleep. May he rest in pain free sleep filled peace.
It is really sad that this young man died as he did. I have allways enjoyed his acting. My neice that suffered from a lot of what Heath had died by taking 2 of the ambien, her son found her dead in her bed the next morning. there are natural things that you can take to make things better. I have FMS and CFS with diabetes, I find drinking cherry juice from considtrate I buy tart is smart mix 2 oz of this into 32 oz jar, and I drink this everyday. I also buy Odwalla Super Food and this has helped me a lot. I have lost 93 pounds in about a year just making those changes in my life. Sleep is a big deal, and if you do not get enough or you have CFS or and FMS you dont stay asleep long enough up and down, and the mind does not shut off. the two juices do help this, also b12 packs helps. All take care,
I’ve been just as shocked but moreso frightened. I suffer from all the symtoms most of us with chronic fatigue suffer from, and insomnia is one of them. My record is, during a stressful time, my son in a skiing accident and brother having heart surgery, I stayed awake for 4 days straight and that was taking ambien. I take a drug cocktail myself, antidepressent, anxiety (clonazapam)-I have panic disorder, ambien for sleep 2 a night and others like nexium for reflux and lipitor for cholestrol. Oh I also take Loritab. On top of pain from the illness, I had a severe car accident 2 years ago and fractured my neck and injured my spine in 2 places. I ask my pharmacist and doctor constantly if all these drugs or the combinations are dangerous. They always say, they are fine. With Heath Ledgers death this has me really concerned and frightened
This conversation is very valuable. Hopefully we can all look closer at our pain management or lack of (ha) and learn from this unfortunate loss. Has anyone noticed the typo in Heath’s name as Health? Sadly he was not healthy, though who would have known? I am sure many of you look healthy too and others aren’t aware of your suffering. Maybe Heath will be remembered just as much for his acting as his untimely contribution to overdose awareness. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention is in the process of conducting a study of overdose victims. Hopefully our society will be more aware of the risks. I know this is not an option for everyone, but I made a choice at the start of this illness to not take any prescriptions that make me loose control of my faculties. Tramadol, as mentioned earlier by Jane, is an excellent option, but for me, I can’t stay awake on it. I’ve been on some heavy muscle-relaxers and I could not be woken up. I’ve had a friend go unconscious on them too. So I learned early on that heavy medication would not be an option for me. Then as my symptoms progressed, I became more sensitive to a wide range of things. I was frustrated because my body could not tolerate even taking ibuprofen on a daily basis without stomach medicine for the ulcers it caused. I made the choice to seek alternative treatment. I am still going to a form of talk therapy. You would be amazed at how much pain can be relieved by communicating in a ’safe’ environment with someone helping you let go of the pain of the past. In doing so, I have been able to focus enough in the present and when I want to worry or do whatever I think I have to do to make life right, I stop and check in with my pain. I see where my pain is heightened. Then I tenderly focus inward then pray. This type of inner connection whether to my soul or through prayer to God, helps me listen to my small voice when I need to overcome personal challenges that have an effect on my pain. I am still in a lot of pain but I can at least control my response a little better and not amplify the pain. Solomon prayed for wisdom. This is an important prayer of my too and I know that we can pray that God will lead us through to overcome this illness.
I have a question to those of you with Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. This does regard men having this horriabe and very cruel disease.
My husband of 25 years was diagnosed with this disease 4 years ago. It has been very hard for me and my children to understand why my husband does things the way he does, or when he refuses to have anything to do with me and our children. But when his friend ask him to do something with him, it’s as if he is suddenly well. Two months ago, when I was at work. I was hit with a bombshell, that he had left me filing for a divorce and took everything we own, that is paid for and of value. Leaving me with nothing paid for and no value or torn up. All I can do is cry, after all the hard work I did to get his disibility social security on the very first try. I am still in shock, and have tried to talk to him to see if he will try and work things out and not get a divorce. I love him, and this is just tearing my heart into a million pieces. Does any one have any suggestions? I was forced to file for a divorce too, to protect my two boys that are 8 and 12. He even had the nerve to try and get custody of them and me pay him child support, when I only make $900.00 a month. He could not take care of himself half the time, much less two boys. Does this sound to you like something some with CFS does, and I am open for any advise.
Thank you, Lisa
YOU NEVER! ever ever mix Opoids with Diazepams, especially Xanax. Not only can it stop your breathing when you pass out, it can also make you go into zombie mode, basically like a blackout, you wont remember anything. So it is concievable that he Took the two, blacked out, forgotten that he had taken some already, took more, and ultimately killed himself. I was in this situation once when I was 19, Took Xanax with some…. Hydrocodone 10’s I believe, I remember sitting down, and that was it. The next thing I remember is im in bed sprawled out everwhere, my fiance at the time telling me all the wierd things I was doing, and the fact that I was up for atleast 4 hours after taking the two meds together, can you imagine the possibilities of the damage you could do to yourself or others in a state like that? Luckily I had someone there to keep tabs on me, Heath wasnt so lucky. I feel bad for him, I cant imagine the enormous amount of pressure to succeed in a famous actor like himself, which is why I can certainly understand the need for the drugs listed in his autopsy. The doctor should have mentioned to him not to use the two together.
i was devastated to learn of heath’s death and i still feel so much pain for his family and his beautiful baby. i’ve had many, many nites that i couldn’t sleep and i took a concoction of drugs hoping i could rest. yes, i od’d 3 times, but am lucky to be alive. my thoughts and prayers are with him and i don’t believe it was a suicide, i think he just wanted the sleep his body needed. he’s in a better place, and i say a prayer everynite for him. rip, heath
my wife had a d&c 2 years ago, first one she is 50,as soon as she came out of the bonds cork city could no walk,
Heas been in cronic pain (i dont know she does)
Any one who hes the same prob please,
stan.bytheway@homai.com
My personal opinion is that it obviously wasn’t accidental he knew how many pills he was taking.
He obviously knew what they were for and how they would react to his body if the pills were perscripted, but even then he should of known the circumstances
keith ledger was soo hot he waas also a good actor. we will miss you
I think this is bull. I’ve been sleepy many times, and wouldn’t dream of taking this many pills at once. He was likely an addict for several years, and it caught up with him
Oxycodone is a highly addictive opiate. I have been addicted to opiates myself and I suggest Heath may have had an addiction to some of these drugs.