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Drugs, Doctors and Death: Heath Ledger Becomes Another Victim

ThisHollywood actor allegedly overdosed from a combination of physician prescribed opiate pain medication, such as Oxycontin(R), Vicodin(R), or Percocet(R) and a benzodiazepine (Xanax(R), Klonopin(R), Valium(R)) class of anti-anxiety medication. The combination of these two classes of medication can produce a synergistic effect causing respiratory depression and overdose death.

Ironically, the majority of adult patients treated for addiction at Florida Detox(TM) have been prescribed both classes of drugs by their doctor. Many of these patients state that their "pain doctor" simply asks them what opiate or benzo they want, spending less than five minutes with them, during their visit. These patients become dysfunctional at work and home secondary to decreased cognitive ability. Many experience short-term memory problems and frequently forget how much medication they have taken. This phenomenon can precipitate accidental overdose, as in the case of Heath Ledger. Unfortunately, many physicians fail to closely monitor the patient's declining mental function.

Our clinical research demonstrates that patients who "feel more normal" on the combination of these sedating medications typically suffer from an underlying anxiety disorder. These anxiety disorders are usually biochemical in nature and can be effectively treated with non-addictive medication, if properly diagnosed.

Men like Heath Ledger, who suffer anxiety and insomnia disorders, frequently have genetic deficiencies of serotonin or excess production of dopamine, glutamate, phenylethylamine or histamine. The increased prevalence of depression, anxiety, and insomnia disorders in America is multi-factorial and correlates directly to the exponential growth of pill popping patients. Both patients and physicians are responsible for creating America's addiction epidemic.

SOURCE Florida Detox