Heath Ledger’s death ‘unlikely to have been from natural causes’

After nearly a week of constant speculation into the death of Heath Ledger, Dr. Drew Pinsky says claims that the actor's death could have been from natural causes are "very unlikely."

"That rarely happens to young people, even if they have pneumonia," he told PageSix.com. "And the term 'natural causes' is very ambiguous. Natural causes always means something, such as a rhythmic disturbance in the heart. Natural causes means something more is going on."

Pinsky points to drug interaction as the most clear explanation, suggesting that if the 28-year-old 'Brokeback Mountain' star had been prescribed an opiate-based cough medicine for pneumonia, it could have played a large part in an accidental overdose.

The NYPD reportedly found Ambien, Xanax, Valium, and two drugs from Europe for sleep called Zoplicone and Donormul in Heath's Downtown Manhattan apartment, constituting what Drew calls "an extraordinary and excessive combination." Saying that reference materials about Zoplicone's, state that taking an excess of the drug "may present with excessive sedation, depressed respiratory function which may proceed to coma and possibly death. Zoplicone combined with alcohol, opiates, or any other depressants may be even more likely to lead to fatal overdoes."

Drew, who deals with all kinds of addiction problems, also told PageSix that abuse of prescription narcotics such as Xanax, Valium and Ambien is rampant, and poses a much bigger threat than cocaine and crack because they are so readily available.

By Owen Williams, Jan 29 2008 © Copyright 2008 - Showbiz Spy