Combined Drug Intoxication
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone or spelling. You can assist by editing it now. A how-to guide is available. (May 2008) |
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2008) |
Combined Drug Intoxication or CDI (also called Multiple Drug Intake or MDI) is an unnatural cause of Human death, usually mistakenly listed as overdose by Medical Examiners or Coroners or News media. It is not a Drug overdose of Medicines that kills the victim, but the combined use of drugs, even when used as directed by both Physician and Pharmacist. No drug overdoseage is ever needed for a person to die. Death is caused by the simultaneous use of too many drugs. The drugs may be different or chemically similar. CDI can also occur with over the counter (OTC) drugs and or illegal drugs. Even Herbal and or home remedies can cause a Drug interaction that is Contraindicated. Alcoholic beverages also play a huge part in CDI/MDI. These multiple drugs in the bloodstream interact, and turn into a poison to the patient. The patient may get very sick and then die, suddenly. The cause of death can usually be avoided, by the patient and Physicians, working together with the Pharmacies involved and computerized prescription. Also, Physicians should test their patients for Over The Counter and illegal or prescription drugs they are already taking. Sometimes, Medical Examiners like retired Forensic Pathologist Dr. Thomas Noguchi refer to CDI as Multiple Drug Intake. According to Dr. John Mendelson, a pharmacologist at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, "This kind of death is one in several million".
Contents |
[edit] Different Kinds of Death from CDI/MDI
Interactions can be severely depressed breathing or slowed heartbeat or can cause the victim to become unconscious and or Comatose. The victim may have a drug induced Heart attack or Heart failure due to spasm. While passed out, the patient victim may regurgitate and drown in his own vomit. Combined drug use can cause a mechanical interaction with blood and cause it to clot. Clots then flow into the heart or Brain or lungs and deprive tissue of oxygen causing unconsciousness and then death. Certain drugs when combined, Potentiate or amplify each other. For example using two or more drugs together can cause a drug that is only 150 milligrams, to act like it is actually 1500 milligrams, simulating overdosage. Multiple drug usage may weaken the Human heart and it may fail during bowel movements. Many victims are found dead in their toilets.
[edit] Risks, Causes and Prevention and Common Sense
People who engage in Polypharmacy are at high risk from dying from CDI. People who are Hypochondriacs are at high risk of dying from CDI/MDI. Elderly people are at high risk from CDI, due to having many age related health problems, that require many medications. Wealthy and or professional people and their families, especially their children are at high risk, simply due to their ability to buy expensive drugs. Entertainers seems to have the highest risk of dying from CDI/MDI. Physicians are put under pressure by their Celebrity patients, who claim they cannot perform their livelihood, without prescription Narcotic Painkillers or claim that their life is so stressful, that they need tranquilizers to cope with their fast paced hectic lifestyle. Many CDI/MDI victims seem to be dying from combining different tranquilizers, that are chemically similar, usually the Minor Tranquilizers like Benzodiazepines with an Narcotic Opioid which causes death. Chemically similar drugs tend to interact and cause death. It is inadvisable to combine Aspirin Substitutes like Ibuprofen and Acetominophen and Naproxen because they can actually decay peoples Kidneys, Livers and Pancreas into mush. Loss of Kidney function can cause death. Alcohol is considered a legal drug with pharmacological action and will interact with other Central Nervous System (CNS) depressants. It is easy to obtain, as it is legal and seems to figure in about half of all MDI/CDI cases. Alcohol potentiates all tranquilizers, thus amplifying them. This depresses breathing and slows heartbeat rate causing Bradycardia. Many CDI deaths might be reduced by Doctors prescribing a single dual action drug, instead of using two different drugs. This may also be cheaper, as well as safer for the patient and reduce the risk of malpractice. CDI/MDI might also be reduced by physicians requiring their patients to return any unused prescriptions to the doctor who prescribed them. Patients should ask their Doctors and Pharmacists if continued using of all the drugs they are taking will be contraindicated and will interact. Patients should question the wisdom of the medicines dispensers. Physicians who allow their patients to die from CDI may face Malpractice lawsuits, as well as investigation and possible temporary suspension and or loss of practitioners license by the state. This CDI/MDI phenomenon is seemingly increasing in recent years, since the publication of the book, Final Exit. The speculation is that some people are suicidal and self destructive and may have a drug induced Paranoid Schizophrenia from their Polydrug abuse. In other words, peoples multiple drug use, is causing people to commit suicide.
[edit] CDI/MDI Near Deaths
Many near deaths from CDI/MDI have been reported. Usually prescribed drugs can cause the blood to clot up and cause Deep Vein Thrombosis. The DVT's can be stopped by withdrawing the patient from the medicines that are causing the clots. The patient can be remedicated using other safer older drugs. A case in point was a patient who was given Celebrex and Zyprexa, who began to get DVT's and Phlebitis and Diabetes and was hospitalized. He nearly died from CDI/MDI. After firing his doctors, the patient stopped using the prescribed drugs and used OTC medications and the blood clots stopped and the Phlebitis went away.
[edit] Celebrity casualties who died from CDI/MDI
Some of the many rich and Famous people who died from CDI are Montgomery Clift who died from alcohol and barbiturates. Nick Adams (actor) who died from three or more drugs. Acid Rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix who died from Alcohol and barbiturates causing Asphyxia (literally "drowning") in his own vomit. Singer Elvis Presley, who had over ten drugs in his body. 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 from Cocaine, Demerol and Mellarill. Singer Johnny O'Keefe from several prescription drugs. Steve Clark of Rock group Def Leppard from antidepressants, alcohol and tranquilizers. Executive movie producer Don Simpson, who had over nine drugs detected. Lani O'Grady of Eight is Enough from Vicodin and Prozac. Elisa Bridges died from four drugs in 2002. Bridgette Andersen who died from alcohol and multiple drugs. Zac Foley of EMF from multiple illegal drugs. John Kahn of the Grateful Dead from Heroin, Cocaine and Prozac. Anna Nicole Smith who had eleven drugs in her bloodstream, when she died in February 2007. Smith's son, Daniel Wayne Smith was also found dead from CDI earlier in December 2006, he had over five prescription medicines in his system. Casey Calvert died from three drugs. Heath Ledger was found dead on January 22, 2008 in his Soho New York City apartment from five prescription drugs and one over-the-counter drug. The Right to Die case of Comatose Karen Ann Quinlan, which made U.S Supreme Court legal history, was caused by Quinlan taking illegal Barbiturate tranquilizers and Gin. The combination caused respiratory failure causing irreversible brain damage and permanent coma.
Presley's physician Dr. George C. Nichopoulos license was then later suspended and later revoked after press reports from then ABC News reporter Geraldo Rivera on 20/20.
