The New York Post has it that Heath Ledger is dead???WTF?

[Andy Moynihan]

POST STAFF REPORT


Jan 22, 2008--Actor Heath Ledger was found dead today in his Broome Street apartment, apparently from a drug overdose.
Ledger, 28, was well known for his role in "Brokeback Mountain," and he stars in the upcoming "The Dark Knight" Batman movie as the Joker.
He split last year from wife, Michelle Williams, with whom he has a daughter, Matilda.


When he was found this afternoon, pills were strewn across his bedroom, according to his housekeeper. It was unclear if it was an intentional or accidental death.

The housekeeper tried to wake Ledger up for a massage appointment and found him unresponsive at 3:20 p.m. She then called paramedics at 3:26 p.m. and father of one was pronounced dead at 3:35 p.m.

Ledger's early career as an actor was marked by small roles in several independent features in his home country of Australia.
He broke onto the international movie scene in 1999 with his turn as the brooding high-school heart-throb who captures Julia Stiles' attention in "10 Things I Hate About You." After starring roles in "The Patriot," "A Knight's Tale," and "The Brothers Grimm," Ledger earned critical acclaim with his poignant performance as a gay cattle rancher in director Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain," for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor.
In 2007, he appeared in the independent film "I'm Not There," as one of many incarnations of Bob Dylan. He recently wrapped filming on 'The Dark Knight,' the sequel to 'Batman Begins,' in which he plays the villainous Joker. His most recent role was in director Terry Gilliam's 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,' which is listed as still "in production" on imdb.com.
Ledger's love life earned him as many headlines as his acting career. He has been romantically linked to such A-list starlets as Naomi Watts and Heather Graham. He has a daughter, Matilda Rose, with actress Michelle Williams. The couple, praised for their down-to-earth lifestyle in Brooklyn's Carroll Gardens, announced their split earlier this year. THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY. REFRESH FOR UPDATES.

 

[MA-Caver]

Sorry to hear that. He was a good actor and had a promising career.

 

[grydth]

What ever would tell a parent of a small child that suicide is the answer?

 

[elder999]

What ever would tell a parent of a small child that suicide is the answer?

Psychological issues and implications aside (I couldn't tell you what would make the parent of a small child commit suicide, but they do....) it's likely that this was a drug overdose from recreational drug use....sad and silly as well.....

 

[arnisador]

How unsettling in light of his most recent role...what a strange pall that will cast on the film.

 

[Steel Tiger]

The most recent news indicates that he was battling pneumonia and that the overdose is likely to have been accidental as the pills found around the body have been described as prescription. You never know though.

 

[Jade Tigress]

What ever would tell a parent of a small child that suicide is the answer?

It hasn't been ruled a suicide. Another article (link in Hall of Remembrance) states that he had major sleeping problems, going on 2 hours sleep a night, and that even after taking 2 prescribed sleeping pills he still awoke.

I suspect accidental death, but as ST said, you never know. Either way, suicide or accidental, it's tragic.

 

[Steel Tiger]

I just thought I would give everyone an update. Initial post mortem results are "inconclusive". I guess that means we might never really know what happened.

Lots of tributes to the man down here last night and this morning. It will continue for some time I think.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I just thought I would give everyone an update. Initial post mortem results are "inconclusive". I guess that means we might never really know what happened.

Lots of tributes to the man down here last night and this morning. It will continue for some time I think.

due to the inconclusive results per the coroner's office it won't know the cause of Heath Ledger's death for at least 10 days

 

[Jade Tigress]

The results are in. Heath Ledger died of accidental overdose of prescription drugs.

Article.

"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. Doxylamine, an antihistamine, can be obtained over the counter as a sleep aid.

He was on a couple medications prescribed for the same thing. We could go into the discussion of whether he went to different doctors, or obtained them illegally, but assuming he was under the care of one doctor who prescribed for him, it seems criminal to prescribe a combination of such medications.

 

[Steel Tiger]

The results are in. Heath Ledger died of accidental overdose of prescription drugs.

Article.



He was on a couple medications prescribed for the same thing. We could go into the discussion of whether he went to different doctors, or obtained them illegally, but assuming he was under the care of one doctor who prescribed for him, it seems criminal to prescribe a combination of such medications.

While all the drugs are potent, it seems the real problem one was the oxycodone which is highly addictive.

I don't think he would have obtained any of these drugs illegally. What I see as more liely is that a doctor, or number of doctors, simply gave into his demands for medication because he was famous. There is something illegal in all this, it may be from Heath's end, but it is more liely to be from the doctors side.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Regardless Heath Ledger is dead no matter who is to blame

 

[theletch1]

As I understand from a news article I listened to today each of about four meds that he was on suppressed the ability to breath, dropped heart rate and increased blood pressure all while creating confusion in the patient. Why would any Dr. not take a long, hard look at all of these meds and given an alternative. I realize that this may have been done. Just wondering why so many drugs with the same side effects would have been prescribed to the same person at once.

 

[Carol]

Funny, I was speaking to someone about the very same issue today.

In my friend's own words....

"Similar to Heath Ledger. Boy, do I know how he felt. His body hurt, he was exhausted and just wanted to sleep. Considering 3 of my 7 meds are 3 of the ones that killed him... But I'm smart enough to have 1 doctor that knows how everything interacts-if taken right. Not always possible when desperate for relief. What a pity - on both counts."


I can't add anything more.

 

[Archangel M]

My money is on doctor shopping.

What a shame.

 

[Jade Tigress]

My money is on doctor shopping.

What a shame.

Yep. I'm with ya here.

 

[shesulsa]

The experience I had with my mother, hospitalizations, her medications and the history of doctors prescribing her drugs leads me to one conclusion: physicians in this country do not have a sufficient knowledge of the drugs they are prescribing, do not seek feedback from patients as to the drugs they are prescribing (in fact rather dismiss it) and thus can do harm to their patients.

The belt of celebrity overmedication is legendary and now has another notch in it.

More people die from unintentional prescription drug overdose or combination than die of illegal drug overdose.

How many more people must die before someone wakes up and shakes up the pharmaceutical phenomenon? Who is paying attention? Who is out there looking out for the patients?

*crickets chirping*