Bettter talk to Anna Nicole Smith's doctor before you say that.

 

I used the term "Doctor" as in actual Doctor not Doctor on the "payroll", may not have been but one has to wonder....

I have been reading every article I can find on Ledger's death the past several days. The articles have really hit home hard for me because of Ledger's apparent life long battle with CHRONIC insomnia which I have also battled during the past 15 years. I don't mean the type of insomnia that makes you unable to sleep on occasion. I mean the type that renders you unable to sleep at all even when you are mentally and physically exhausted beyond reason. According to reports, Ledger often tried various combinations of medications for the sole purpose of just wanting to sleep.

 

For those of you who have never suffered from severe chronic insomnia, you'll never understand the mental exhaustion of not being able to sleep when you literally can't turn your mind off every time you lie down at night. I read about the anti-anxiety pills Ledger had used recently and they are basically the same ones I have had at one time or another to aid in sleeping. His tragic error was mixing the pain-killers WITH the anti-anxiety medications. From all reports I have read, this was not a case of an "out of control" Hollywood type gone awry. This is a case of a guy who simply couldn't turn his mind off in order to get a decent sleep at night. Several years ago, I actually went 4 days in succession without a single hour of sleep. I finally contacted the doctor in desperation and received the necessary meds to aid with sleep.

 

May you rest in peace Heath. And for those of you judging him as just another "out of control" celebrity, try going several days with no sleep and see what measures you consider to try and get a little sleep.

TTC, I sympathize with your situation. I have seen first hand the effects days without sleeping have on people.

 

I agree that he probably had the same problem.....however narcotic pain pills..especially oxycontin? He should never have been taking something that powerful.

 

You correctly did the right thing. You contacted your doctor who prescribed the medication you needed. He was clearly "over and improperly prescribed" by one or more doctors.

 

I dont think your situation is the same as his.

The guy had issues. He made a choice to not address his drug problem...and now he is dead! So sad.

 

Kinda makes you wonder if he decided to stay "clean from illegal narcotics", but was abusing prescription meds instead, might kinda think he might've done this before, not as harmful because they're prescribed, and found the right combo to suite him, until that combo did him in....

 

Again just speculation, but it does make seem like a probable story.

Actually, Oxycodone can include any of the following:

 

Percocet

Percodan

Roxicet

Oxycontin

 

I am working as a part time counselor, and have seen the effects of this medication. When taken properly, addiction is still a possibility, but patients often don't develop dependence. It's only when an absorbant amount is used - or abused - that you're most likely to see addiction.

 

Very sad, regardless of whom it is, or the situation.

 

I hear that, I had I believe it was oxycodene a few years back after one of numerous surgeries as a teen and young adult. I seriously only took them when I couldn't stand the pain at all. I didn't and still don't like taking meds like that. Don't even care for advil much. But I know a few people, that were and still are stand up people that actually ran into problems with the stuff. Which just blew my mind, I'm glad I never became comfortable with them, suspiciously I had a few hundred dollars worth of these meds disappear, thinking someone took them. Never figured it out, but never heard any bad news either, so it's whatever.

In 1981 when I had my gallbladder and appendix removed the doctor perscribed quaaludes for pain relief. I took them for a week after I was discharged from the hospital . They made me feel like I was walking a foot above the ground . I flushed about 3/4 of a bottle down the toilet when I no longer needed them and did not have the prescription refilled . When I went back to work a co-worker said that I was a fool to do that and that he would have gladly taken them off my hands. I'm glad I flushed them .