Deadly Combo?

It is definately tragic that this young man's life ended se soon, it always is when someone passes suddenly like this...... but I think that the focus and attention that it is getting raises some bigger issues....... Every day many many nameless youth are struck down by overdoses, drug and alcohol related accidents, etc. So why is it that no one focuses on this issue until a celebrity is the one who falls victim to it? Maybe if we as a people were facing this issue all along and working to prevent these kinds of things form happening, Heath would still be here today, as well as the millions of other young men and women who have died because of the effects or complications of prescription drugs, as well as illegal ones. Eventually the media flurry will pass, and no one will raise an eyebrow when the next faceless person dies in the same way.

Bob,

Being a 31 yr old my age group cares so much because Heath Ledger was one of the few actors who could actually act! Beyond the Jessica Simpson's, Hilton's and Spears of the world this guy had phenomenal ability, range and depth while keeping out of the Hollywood party circuit. To play devils advocate, even if he had his vices like the media is speculating, well we all do. At least he had dignity and respect enough for himself to never be tempted or influenced by these superficial, overrated and overpaid actors who are a joke. He did small movies after huge, Oscar winning movies and leading a humble, bohemian life because he was in a league all his own. He is the Nicholson of a time where there are not a whole lot of idols left. We're so sad you're gone, we will miss you Heath :(

Gosh I am glad that I found this information out because I was prescribed Valium for my panic attacks and Ambien for my sleeping problems!

He was a drug addict! He may have had sleep problems like we all do, but the fact is he had such a smagasboard of pills from, muscle relaxers like the Diazapam, to anti-axeity that he was a user who understood that if you travel like he does you can't carry any sort of illegal drugs, so whats the next best thing get so percription, which are basically systhetic forms of most of the drugs known as illegal. I hate when people act like it was an slip where he took one to many, the fact is he probablly has been on these meds for awhile and biult such and immunity that he was bringing himself to the edge of death probablly every time, like most heroin user's or what have you.

Nothing needs to be to he physcians giving out meds. Fact of the matter is that those types of meds allow some poeple to live more normal lives than some ever do. Pepole need to take responsibilities for the meds they take and know that the reactions are going to be. Lets stop being so quick to balme others for the things we do to ourselves.

This is extremely sad that this had to happen to a wonderful actor, son, and father. I think it is a shame that the press and everyone else will not let the family grieve. I could not believe they showed him being brought out on a stretcher covered on national television. It makes me really wonder how heartless some ppl can be in this world.

Our society's love with fast service can doom many who don't yet realize the difference between fast food and the ingestion of a lethal combination of fast-working chemicals such as sleep and depression medication which could make them addicted, pron to accidents and also victims of corporate irresponsible marketing and greed. I can think of the drug prozac which was overly prescribed (and still is) which the compay Ely Lilly so much gained financially from. It caused many suicides and a few homocides in people without history of violance-including the elderly and yet, the company kept denying this was an after effect of the medication, arguing on its defense that those were "rare instances" and not the norm. Of course if it made millions homocidal of suicidal it would not be in the market, but just making several individuals so out of every hundred thousand, is too much to many and it only speaks for the fact the law is bought to the side of the deepest pockets. They are not the exception among pharmaceuticals whose brands are overprescribed, but rather the norm. Only when famous people fall victim of it, the general public becomes aware of a hidden venon and a social threat that has existed for way too long and about which little or nothing is being done.

Everyone can speculate on fact, postulate theory, and formulate possibilities. However, the bottom line is that none of us know what happened. Even after the ME publishes his findings, we will only know the cause, not the all important "What happened". Only the unfortunate deceased and the all mighty knows, the circumstances. In all fairness, I will relay information that I have first hand knowledge of. When in the military, part of special forces training is sleep deprivation, this is coupled with extreme physical and mental demands, which magnifies the contribution to your decision making abilities. The reason for this is so that you will know your physical and mental limits. When lives depend on your actions it is very important to know your limits. When I underwent this training, there was no drugs to lessen the stress or aid in sleep. All he pressures just keep building, one on top of the other, until the dam broke. Luckily, there was others there to recognize when the dam was breaking. The only relief was sleep and I slept for a full 20 hours and woke up to start training again. The benefit to me was that I knew my limits. Heath Ledger was on his own with the pressures of a money making business pushing him. There was no one there to tell him he had reached his limits. He exceeding his abilities and the result was this terrible, terrible outcome. Who is to blame - everyone/no one/some one. I don't know - we don't know. The only thing we do know is that he needed help and there was no one.
My sympathy to those who loved him.

Amen to monkglen! I tried to get a consultation with a "pain management specialist", but all I could get was an answering machine. I wrote a letter emphasizing that I couldn't stand morphine any longer and wanted information about a nonopiate based protocol, and got a return call and an appointment for a month away. I wrote a letter of confirmation and updated that I had just stopped taking the morphine and antidepressants so I could start with his recommended program ASAP. On the date of the appointment, I was so sick I would have cancelled and remained in bed, but persevered. After filling out all the forms and waiting for an hour, I was called back into what I thought was my appointment. Instead, I was met by a non-medical "office manager" who told me that the good doctor had reviewed my letter, mumbling about the request for information about a non-opiate treatment, and that when he got to a part where I said I would self-pay if my insurance wouldn't because I didn't have a referral, he threw it up in the air and told her to tell me that it didn't appear there was anything he could do for me and that he wouldn't see me. It was like someone knocked all the air out of me and my reaction was rage. "is this how they treat all grandpa types?" I thought to myself, but managed to limit my reaction to an exclamation "do you have any idea how hard it was to get here this morning" and "why didn't someone just call me". As I was directed down the hallway out, I gave a fire extinguisher a pop, and to my surprise it came off in my hand. I was still in a blind rage, but conscious enough to pitch it out the door rather than inside or on the floor so nobody would be hurt. I drove the 30 minutes to my home, and was shortly greeted by a phone call asking my name and then saying "gotcha" and that I had kicked a large hole in the drs office I just left. I do not want to divert further into the totally unprofessional conduct of the cop, other than to tell him I was too sick to drive back over to Sierra Vista, and didn't want to talk to him. At any rate, I now face criminal charges for my misconduct. AMA responded to my complaint of the broken appointment that it was outside the medical practices act and there would be no investigation. This is why people self-medicate and how the medical profession (and the police) are these days. The prosecuting attorney's position is that while he was in private practice and someone came in for an appointment and he didn't like their looks, he would have done likewise. I guess I do look a bit wild and wooly because of all the drugs they keep me on and because I can't afford to repair my front dentures, but it wasn't that long ago that I was a public defender type lawyer. About all I do these days is work with people on a voluntary basis who have substance abuse problems. I hope someone out there can respond to this.

Yea, he could have had a brain anurysm...normal things happen to even stars. The Media needs to get off the backs of some of these stars. Why do people make such a big deal. I can go into a place and see someone important and just say hey, its so and so, they are normal people like us just out to get a bite to eat. i don't go all mad and run ask for an autograph.

This is a very sad passing. He was an incredible actor and i wish the best for his daughter and his family. God bless.

Heath was one of my favorite actors and I'm very sadend by his passing. My condolinces to his family and friends.

How so very unfortunate to lose such a anspiring young actor, and a talented one at that..I honestyly dont think Heath intended to kill himself..He had a sleeping disorder, and tried to remedy it by taking sleeping pills..it surely does sound accidently to me.He had so much to live for, his career was just taking off, and to leave such a beautiful child, is something I dont think he would do..I pray not anyways

Comment: Hi, I think the lost of Heath is a tragedy. My prayers go out to his family, friends and his daughter.

Heroin? What are you talking about? The police specifically said they did not find any illegal drugs on him or anywhere in his residence. Depressed people don't regulary skateboard around town smiling at everyone - or play peek-a-boo with their children at the local cafe. He was having trouble sleeping - he said that in an interview recently because of the complexity of the roles he was portraying in 2 different movies - his mind wouldn't rest but he was exhausted. This was a tragedy - but an accident. It is up to our doctors to know which drugs interact with each other, but they have to know which medications you are taking also - meaning the patient is responsible for informing the doctor about what they are already taking prior to receiving a new prescription. And another thing - I saw someone post something about only one prescription being within reach - what does that have to do with anything? Do we only take prescriptions that are right next to us in bed? Is it not plausible that he was able to walk earlier - like when he was having trouble sleeping? Think, people! Oh - and he wasn't found dead on the floor, he was found under the sheets in his bed - and moved to the floor in an attempt to revive him. Did anyone really read the facts? Why are all the arm-chair physicians are here passing judgement if they don't know what really happened? I guess they don't really care - they just want to gossip about someone else.