Combining Drugs/Alcohol

A very dangerous activity among youth and young adults is the indiscriminate mixing and sharing of prescription drugs, often in combination with alcohol or other drugs. The effects of these combinations of substances can be fatal. Combined drug intoxication (CDI) is an unnatural cause of death due to the simultaneous use of multiple drugs. Although once uncommon, a medical study recently showed that over two decades from 1983 to 2004, CDI deaths have risen 360.5 percent. It has also become a prevalent risk for older patients.

CDI deaths often involve multiple tranquilizers and sedatives and pain relievers.

• Interactions between depressants may lead to severely depressed breathing or slowed heartbeat, causing the victim to become unconscious or comatose. While unconscious, the victim may regurgitate and die from asphyxia.

Certain drugs potentiate or amplify the effects of another drug and can result in much stronger effects than either drug taken alone would produce.

• Alcohol, a depressant, will potentiate the effects of other depressants and can cause respiratory depression and a slowed heartbeat.
• Multiple drug usage may weaken the human heart, and cause constipation or lower intestinal blockage, which may fail during constipated bowel movements. Many victims are found dead on their toilets.
• Some drugs may weaken the human immune system, making the patient susceptible to infections.

The combination of OTC drugs and acetaminophen can damage organs including the kidney, liver, and pancreas.

• Certain drug combinations can cause a mechanical interaction with blood, leading to excessive clotting. Clots may then travel into the heart, brain, or lungs and block blood flow, depriving tissue of oxygen and causing unconsciousness and then death.

Over 29 Celebrities have died from CDI, including:

• Writer/Actor /Comedian Freddy Soto from fentanyl, xanax and alcohol
• Baseball athlete Ken Caminiti from cocaine and opiate painkillers
• Actor Trevor Goddard from cocaine, heroin, hydrocodone, and diazepam
• Standup comedian Mitch Hedberg from cocaine and heroin speedball
• Pro westling manager Elizabeth Ann Hulette aka Miss Elizabeth from alcohol, alprazolam, temazepam, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and anabolic steroids
• Child actress Anissa Jones from cocaine, PCP, quaaludes and seconal
• Pro Wrestler Louie Spicolli from soma, alcohol, painkillers, and benzodiazepines
• Actor River Phoenix, who died from acute multiple drug intoxication caused by combining heroin with cocaine and methamphetamine and diazepam
• Hawthorne Heights guitarist Casey Calvert, who died from a combination of the antidepressant celexa, the anti-anxiety drug klonopin, and the narcotic painkiller vicodinv
• Actor Nick Adams, who died from three or more drugs
• Acid rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix, who died from asphyxia caused by alcohol and barbiturates
• Singer Elvis Presley, who had over 10 drugs in his system when he died on his toilet
• Lester Bangs, who died from diazepam and propoxyphene
• Deep Purple's Tommy Bolin, who died from alcohol and prescription and illegal drugs in combination
• David Anthony Kennedy, son of Senator Robert Francis Kennedy, who died from combining cocaine, demerol, and mellaril
• Singer Johnny O'Keefe, who died from combining several prescription drugs
• Steve Clark of rock group Def Leppard, who died from combining antidepressants, tranquilizers, and alcohol
• Executive producer Don Simpson, who died on his toilet from combining over 10 drugs
• Actor Lani O'Grady, of Eight is Enough, who died from combining vicodin and prozac
• Elisa Bridges, who died from the combined effects of heroin, methamphetamine, meperidine and alprazolam
• Bridgette Andersen, who died from combining alcohol and multiple drugs
• Zac Foley, of EMF, who died from combining multiple illegal drugs
• John Kahn, a Jerry Garcia collaborator and member of the Jerry Garcia Band, who died from combining heroin, cocaine, and prozac
• Edie Sedgwick, who died from combining barbiturates with alcoholic drinks
• Dana Plato who died from combining carisoprodol with hydrocodone
• Rory Gallagher, died from alcohol and polydrug abuse
• Actor/comedian Eric Douglas the youngest son of actor Kirk Douglas, who died from alcohol, painkillers and tranquilizers
• Anna Nicole Smith, died with 11 identified drugs in her bloodstream
• Heath Ledger died of "acute intoxication" resulting from the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine
• Michael Jackson, who died on June 25, 2009 after a lethal overdose of the anesthetic propofol, and two other sedatives