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Exclusive: Federal Government Investigating Ledger's Death by Accidental OD
Heath Ledger by Chris Weeks/WireImage.com
The federal government is getting involved in Heath Ledger's death. Law enforcement officials confirm exclusively to TVGuide.com that the Drug Enforcement Administration has launched an investigation into how Ledger obtained the multiple prescription drugs that led to his accidental overdose. According to the officials, the DEA has requested copies of Ledger's autopsy as well as the original police report from the crime scene.
A statement issued Wednesday morning by the Office of the New York City medical examiner declared Ledger's death "the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine," and concluded the manner of death an "accident resulting from the abuse of prescription medications."
Ledger's father Kim responded with a statement saying, "We remain humble as parents and a family, among millions of people worldwide who may have suffered the tragic loss of a child. Few can understand the hollow, wrenching and enduring agony parents silently suffer when a child predeceases them. Today's results put an end to speculation, but our son's beautiful spirit and enduring memory will forever remain in our hearts.
"While no medications were taken in excess, we learned today the combination of doctor-prescribed drugs proved lethal for our boy. Heath's accidental death serves as a caution to the hidden dangers of combining prescription medication, even at low dosage."
Though Heath is now gone, his family says, "We treasure our beautiful granddaughter Matilda as well as an unbelievably wonderful network of close friends, forever, around the world. Families rarely experience the uplifting, warm and massive outpouring of grief and support as have we, from every corner of the planet. This has deeply and profoundly touched our hearts and lives. We are eternally grateful."
Related:
• TVGuide.com remembers other entertainers who died too young.
• Photo gallery: Actors who left behind unfulfilled promise
• News: Michelle Williams Breaks Silence: "My Heart Is Broken"
• News: Ledger Autopsy "Inconclusive"; Actor Used Six Prescription Drugs
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Feb 6, 2008 10:34 AM
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Abuse of prescription medications? So he either:
1. purposely overdosed
or
2. didn't take the meds properly as prescribed
I hope it's the latter for his daughter's sake.
Edit: thanks for the update Matt. I see it was the latter.
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Posted by
Guest
Feb 6, 2008 10:49 AM
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I can understand why the family is in denial, but it's ridiculous to try to make it sound like he was taking all those drugs for legitimate health reasons.
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Feb 6, 2008 11:08 AM
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Dear taurie54:
1. what part of accidental do you not understand?
2. he might very well have taken meds as perscribed, but not have been prescribed meds correctly by doctors who only want to treat a symptom and hand out pieces of paper instead of actually treating their patient's problems.
It's always good not to judge, not to assume, and of course, to actually try reading first.
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Feb 6, 2008 11:10 AM
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Taurie,
Or another possibility is that he took the correct dosages of each of the prescription drugs, but there was an interaction between them that he wasn't aware of. He was taking Xanax and Valium, both anti-anxiety drugs, along with a sleeping aid. Individually they would have been fine, but taking them all in a short time period was too much.
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Feb 6, 2008 11:16 AM
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Why would a healthy, young male need to be taking all that crap? I hope the family goes after the doctor(s) who gave him those drugs.
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Feb 6, 2008 11:17 AM
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The truth is that we are all stressed out and over worked, and it is becoming more and more acceptable in society to just take some thing for the symptom. But just taking drugs is not the answer we need to figure out what is causing our symptoms and come up with ways to correct it. Most of the time we don't want to take all the time it takes to figure out what we need to do to get ourselves right.
Heath Ledger's death is a tragic example of what can happen by just getting more drugs to treat only symptoms. I think we need to make a societal change to treat the root problems not merely the symptoms.
All my thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.
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Feb 6, 2008 11:46 AM
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Dear frogdog71,
Don't be so rude. When I said purposely overdose, I meant that he took more then was prescribed to hurry the process along. Same reaction if you had a cold and take more than required because you want to speed up the healing process.
metalligirl,
I believe that makes the most sense. Rumors say he got the prescriptions from different doctors, so if they weren't aware of the other meds, they couldn't warn him against taking them together.
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Posted by
Guest
Feb 6, 2008 11:48 AM
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THose medicines could have been prescribed at different times - I'm sure we all have "as needed" bottles of different meds prescribed for different reasons at different times. It's the patient's responsibility to be informed and know when and how to take them. Yet once I had a boyfriend who helped himself to my migraine medicine - without asking - b/c he had heartburn one night and thought they looked like antacid tablets.
????????????????
I know not everyone is as diligent as I am - I drive my pharmacist batty
I'm sure b/c I don't even take otc's without checking if I'm taking prescription meds. Maybe others will learn this lesson?
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Feb 6, 2008 11:59 AM
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I would like to think that this would be the final chapter of this heartwrenching story...but it won't be Entertainment Tonight/The Insider will still be all over it - manipulating the words of the offical report to make it sound menancing and that he was a hopeless drug addict. Unfortunately they are going to make Heath and Matilda into their latest version of Anna Nicole and Dannilynn - let them rest in peace and get your cheezy stories somewhere else. I have stopped watching!
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Feb 6, 2008 12:13 PM
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Regardless of how he died, why would that change the way his family feels about him? That's not denial - that's love.
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Feb 6, 2008 12:20 PM
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It's amazing to me how a Dr. could prescribe such a legal cocktail to someone and not realize the dangers. When are Drs going to stop. And when is America going to wake up. The boy said he smoked pot every day for 20 years, wow and nothing happened to him. His girlfriend threatens him he better quit or else, then replaces the natural sedation from marajuana with toxic chemicals. No wonder he's dead. Perhaps marijuana should be legalized and controlled like alcohol, then we wouldn't have so many accidental overdoses. I've never heard of anyone overdosing on marijuana.
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Feb 6, 2008 12:24 PM
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Why does everyone seem to blame the doctor? At some point in everyones life we have to man up to our decision instead of always blaming it on someone else.
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Feb 6, 2008 12:24 PM
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I'm guessing his family is well aware of his abuse and just wants to protect his reputation.
Otherwise they'd be suing or filing charges against the various doctors and/or pharmacists for what happened.
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Feb 6, 2008 12:24 PM
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You need to tell all your doctors about all the medication you are taking in case of interaction. Very sad. I'm glad they have Matilda.
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Feb 6, 2008 12:24 PM
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