Passive Overdose

A great deal of doctors are passively overdosing their patients. It is the drug companies romancing the doctors with lunches and other perks to press their newest drug to fix the newest ails. As we watch, the world spirals downward toward complete anarchy and despair while overly medicated people fade into the background.

We have medications for everything under the sun, all of them with side effects that lead to more medications with more side effects. I am not by any means discrediting medical progress. What I am discrediting is the ‘pill to solve all’ mentality of this day and age.

Whatever happened to depression being fought with interaction with other people, people that uplift rather than belittle, getting out and doing things that get your endorphins up so that you’re naturally brought to happiness? Now it’s Prozac and Zoloft to make things ‘not matter’ and to ‘forget everyday hassels’.

Children too hyper? Give them pills!

Not satisfied in bed? Take a pill!

Legs feeling restless? Don’t exercise! Take a pill!

Unable to sleep? Take a pill!

Too sad? Too happy? Too normal? Too odd? We got the pill for you!

Stressed? Depressed? Discouraged? Worried? No problem! If we don’t have a pill for you we’ll invent one!

Can’t deal with crowds? Can’t deal with being alone? Anxious? Oblivious? Afraid? Fearless? Always sick? Never sick? Bad Karma? We have a pill that can fix it!

Side effects getting you down? Take these seven pills! More side effects? Never fear, we have an endless supply of medications!

Every day, more and more drugs appear on the scene before being approved by the FDA. Every day, more and more lawsuits appear on the scene due to improperly tested drugs and misprescribed, misdiagnosed insanity.

What brought this on was reading that Heath Ledger died due to an accidental overdose of six, yes SIX, medications. An “acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine”.

Oxycodone – This medication is used to treat moderate to severe pain. It acts on certain centers in the brain to give you pain relief. Oxycodone is a narcotic pain reliever (opiate-type). SIDE EFFECTS: Nausea, vomiting, constipation, mild itching, drowsiness, dry mouth, lightheadedness, loss of appetite, or weakness may occur. To prevent constipation, maintain a diet adequate in fiber, drink plenty of water, and exercise. Consult your pharmacist for help in the use of a laxative (e.g., stimulant-type and stool softener). Unlikely but serious side effects occur: slow/irregular/shallow breathing, dizziness upon standing, slow/fast/irregular heartbeats, mental/mood changes, uncontrolled muscle movements (tremors), vision changes. Rare but very serious side effects occur: severe stomach/abdominal pain, change in the amount of urine, seizures. This is not a complete list of possible side effects.

Hydrocodone – This medication is a combination of a narcotic (hydrocodone) and a non-narcotic (acetaminophen) used to relieve moderate to severe pain. Hydrocodone works by binding to opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord, and acetaminophen decreases the formation of prostaglandins, therefore relieving pain.* SIDE EFFECTS: Nausea, vomiting, constipation, lightheadedness, dizziness, drowsiness, flushing, vision changes, or mental/mood changes may occur. Unlikely but serious side effects: slow/irregular breathing, slow/irregular heartbeat, change in the amount of urine. Highly unlikely but very serious side effects: impairment or loss of hearing (especially with high doses for long periods). This is not a complete list of possible side effects.

Diazepam – Diazepam is used to treat anxiety, acute alcohol withdrawal, and seizures. It is also used to relieve muscle spasms and to provide sedation before medical procedures. This medication belongs to a class of drugs called benzodiazepines which act on the brain and nerves (central nervous system) to produce a calming effect. It works by enhancing the effects of a certain natural chemical in the body (GABA). SIDE EFFECTS: Drowsiness, dizziness, fatigue, constipation, blurred vision, or headache may occur. Unlikely but serious side effects: mental/mood changes, slurred speech, clumsiness, trouble walking, decreased/increased interest in sex, tremor, trouble urinating, sleep disturbances. Highly unlikely but very serious side effects: stomach/abdominal pain, persistent nausea, vomiting, yellowing eyes or skin, dark urine, persistent sore throat or fever. This is not a complete list of possible side effects.

Temazepam – This medication is used for the short-term treatment of patients with trouble sleeping (insomnia). It is generally used for 7-10 days. It may help you fall asleep faster and decrease the number of times you awaken during the night. It may also help you sleep for a longer period of time. Temazepam belongs to a class of medications called sedative/hypnotics. It acts on your brain to produce a calming effect. SIDE EFFECTS: Dizziness, loss of coordination, or blurred vision may occur. To minimize falls, remember to get up slowly when rising from a seated or lying position. This medication may make you sleepy during the day.  Unlikely but serious side effects: confusion, unusual feelings of well-being (euphoria), uncontrolled movements (tremor), restlessness, memory loss, sweating, mental/mood changes (e.g., hallucinations, agitation, anxiety, unusual/disturbing thoughts, depression, rare thoughts of suicide), increased or vivid dreams, vision changes, fainting. Rare but very serious side effects: signs of infection (e.g., fever, persistent sore throat), unusual paleness, unusual tiredness, fast/pounding/irregular heartbeat, yellowing of the eyes/skin, dark urine. This is not a complete list of possible side effects.

Alprazolam – Alprazolam is used to treat anxiety and panic disorders. It belongs to a class of medications called benzodiazepines which act on the brain and nerves (central nervous system) to produce a calming effect. It works by enhancing the effects of a certain natural chemical in the body (GABA). SIDE EFFECTS: Drowsiness or dizziness may occur. Unlikely but serious side effects: mental/mood changes, slurred speech, clumsiness, trouble walking, decreased/increased interest in sex, trouble urinating, sleep disturbances. Highly unlikely but very serious side effects: stomach/abdominal pain, persistent nausea/vomiting, fatigue, yellowing eyes or skin, dark urine, signs of infection (e.g., persistent sore throat, fever). This is not a complete list of possible side effects.

Doxylamine – Doxylamine is an antihistamine used as a sleep aid. It is also used in combination products for cough and cold symptoms. This medication works by blocking certain natural substances (histamine, acetylcholine) that your body makes. This causes drowsiness and also helps to relieve cold symptoms such as watery eyes, runny nose, and sneezing. SIDE EFFECTS: Drowsiness, dizziness, headache, constipation, stomach upset, blurred vision, decreased coordination, or dry mouth/nose/throat may occur. Unlikely but serious side effects: mental/mood changes (e.g., hallucinations, irritability, nervousness), ringing in the ears, trouble urinating. Rare but very serious side effects: easy bruising/bleeding, fast/irregular heartbeat, seizure. This is not a complete list of possible side effects.

So, apparently, he had two pills for each ailment. Two to treat moderate to severe pain, two to treat anxiety, two to treat insomnia. Over medicated? Without a doubt!

Now, one must look at the possibilities here. One, the first prescriptions weren’t working and so the doctor added to them, thus over medicating Heath Ledger. Two, though informed of the dangers of taking too many of the pills, Heath Ledger ignored the advice and took them because they were ineffective. This possibility still says over medication, however, due to the fact that the doctor would have had to give him the other meds knowing that the original ones weren’t producing results. Three, Heath Ledger’s doctor did, in fact, stop prescribing him the others and gave him a new prescription, not knowing that he had some unfinished bottles still in his possession. Four, the doctor was unaware that Heath Ledger was on any other medications, something only possible if Heath Ledger didn’t return to the same doctor for all his needs, which I doubt highly.

I am sickened by the fact that we lose people simply due to passing off patients due to being too busy or too distracted to understand the underlying truths of the symptoms presented to them. I am sickened by the fact that drug companies woo doctors to be legal drug pushers of their newest forms of treatment. I am sickened by the fact that most people shrug off the overdoses of others as foolishness on the victims part and not negligence on the doctors part. I am sickened by the fact that we are being trained that there is a pill for ‘all that ails us’ and that it’s all a doctor visit away.

*Unsure of the exact drug used but knew that it was for pain and made an educated guess on this. If research reveals that I was incorrect, I will edit this entry. JD

~ by mystdancer50 on February 6, 2008.