How is it they don't know?!
Question: Is it me or does it seem that a lot of people who die from a death of an overdose of prescription pills die accidentally? Do they not know that too many pills can kill you? Isn't that common sense? Whose not telling them it's dangerous? Heath Ledger died from an accidental overdose, Anna Nicole Smith died from an accidental overdose, my childhood friend died from an accidental overdose of over 20 pills? My question is how is it that these people really did not know it could kill you? Why is there not more of a warnings against abuse of prescription pills instead of common street drugs?
Answers: Is it me or does it seem that a lot of people who die from a death of an overdose of prescription pills die accidentally? Do they not know that too many pills can kill you? Isn't that common sense? Whose not telling them it's dangerous? Heath Ledger died from an accidental overdose, Anna Nicole Smith died from an accidental overdose, my childhood friend died from an accidental overdose of over 20 pills? My question is how is it that these people really did not know it could kill you? Why is there not more of a warnings against abuse of prescription pills instead of common street drugs?
My question is how is it that these people really did not know it could kill you? Why is there not more of a warnings against abuse of prescription pills instead of common street drugs?
Very good question.
I wonder how many of the valiums produced every year are actually used for medical reasons, and how many are used for play?
I guess you need to know the specific details, for example did the person overdose because he was in pain and thought taking more would stop the pain. Or was he merely spacing on too many types of prescription drugs.
Either way i agree it should be changed from accidental overdose to Stupidity overdose.
In most cases, such a waste of human life.
Ledgers Case:
OxyContin, Valium, Xanax, Restoril, Hydrocodone and Unisom - Did a doc really say take all at the same time?
Iam guessing that they see more than one physician and don't fully disclose what prescriptions they are already on.
Youre right. People need to be educated on how dangerous it is to abuse prescription drugs and mixing medications. The problem is is that people can take advantage of "Dr hopping"- going from doctor to doctor to get whatever meds they want in unlimited supply. Doctors also dont always take the time to educate their patients on dangerous drug taking. There should be some public message commercials to educate on the dangers and after effects of taking dangerous prescription drugs--remember "this is your brain on drugs"?
Its not only a problem with young adults but older adults too. Too many people are putting medications in their mouth and dont know what theyre taking.
The problem with sleeping pills is it's so easily accessible. Combine that with high stress lives and 'easy solutions' and you've got ignorance conveniently brushing aside all inhibitions. It's really tragic that otherwise intelligent people don't think twice about what they're popping.
they know it's dangerous, however these people could have been so sedated while taking the next dose that they didn't realize how much they were taking.
One of my good friends died 3 years ago of an overdose. She was in so much pain and had so many friends, what a waste.
Recreational drug users typically exceed the prescribed dosage. The more you take, the greater your tolerance becomes, meaning you need more to feel high. Also, there's a tendency to mix drugs, and add alcohol.
There are a few risks:
1) The drug overdose over affects the system. For instance, too many tranquilizers can slow your respiration rate to zero.
2) The combination of drugs proves toxic to your body, triggering liver failure, heart attack, or other serious injuries.
Accidental overdose is when you routinely take lots of drugs, but go too far one time, and die. Suicide is when you want to die, so purposely take enough drugs to kill yourself.
Perhaps they were too tired or in too much pain to pay attention to what they were doing. And many people ignore dosage information and label warnings anyway.
I think it was the combination of prescription drugs Ledger and Smith took, perhaps they didn't know that they couldn't take them all together. From what I've read the prescriptions weren't all from the same doctors so it would have been difficult for a doctor to warn them of contraindications.
In Ledger's case he was, according to reports, an insomniac and he would wake up an hour after taking a sleeping pill... perhaps he thought one more would help and that was the tipping point with all the other meds he was on? His family issued a statement after the toxicology report noting that he had not taken the drugs in excess and warned of the "hidden dangers of combining prescription medication, even at low dosage."
Some cold medicines can't even be taken in combination because the ingredient doses are repeated and the dose becomes fatal. An extra puff or two of an asthma pump during an attack could kill you. It is a lot easier than you think.
As for warnings there has been widespread media coverage of kids taking from the medicine cabinets, of cough mixture abuse etc etc. There have also been many campaigns, just google and you will see. In fact Bush can celled one after Ledger's death. There was even that ad on during the superbowl.