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Cocaine killed TV pitchman Billy Mays, autopsy finds

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tj2001 Donating Member (685 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 04:36 PM
Original message
Cocaine killed TV pitchman Billy Mays, autopsy finds
http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/08/07/2009-08-07_tv_pitchman_billy_mays_.html

Mays, 50, suffered from heart disease but his drug use contributed to his June 28 death, the Hillsborough County medical examiner said.

The TV salesman - who hawked OxiClean, Orange Glo, Mighty Putty and dozens of other products - was found dead by his wife in their Tampa, Fla., condo.

Initial autopsy results did not turn up evidence of drug abuse, but toxicology tests uncovered the coke in his system.
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ddeclue Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 04:37 PM
Response to Original message
1. What do you think is IN Oxyclean anyways?
:P

Just kidding...
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Rick Myers Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 04:38 PM
Response to Original message
2. I guess that explains those ads...
Sad. Coke is an evil drug!
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Sanity Claws Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 04:40 PM
Response to Original message
3. I don't understand the connection
So they found some cocaine in his system. Why do they claim that it contributed to his death? I don't think one can simply assume that traces of cocaine in his system, apparently so small that it didn't even show up in the initial toxicology report, caused or contributed to his death.

BTW, I don't condone the use of cocaine. I just want accuracy.
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BuddyBoy Donating Member (469 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 04:43 PM
Response to Reply #3
4. Why do you feel that way?
"BTW, I don't condone the use of cocaine. "
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deadmessengers Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 04:58 PM
Response to Reply #4
10. Here's one reason
I've never met someone I knew to be under the influence of cocaine who wasn't a gigantic asshole.
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Avalux Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 04:46 PM
Response to Reply #3
5. Cocaine can trigger myocardial infarction within the first hour after use.
Cocaine use is associated with a large abrupt and transient increase in the risk of acute myocardial infarction in patients who are otherwise at relatively low risk. This finding suggests that studying the pathophysiological changes produced by cocaine may provide insights into the mechanisms by which myocardial infarction is triggered by other stressors.


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10351966
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Sanity Claws Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 04:48 PM
Response to Reply #5
6. First hour sure.
The linked story said he used cocaine days earlier.
That's what I found puzzling.
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Avalux Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 04:53 PM
Response to Reply #6
8. Even days later cocaine was a factor, especially with other risk factors present.
Edited on Fri Aug-07-09 04:55 PM by Avalux
Cocaine is brutal on the cardiovascular system. It causes the blood vessels to constrict while the heart's demand for blood increases. If Mays had cardiovascular disease and smoked (did he?) then it was pretty damn stupid to use cocaine. MI can happen after the first use of the drug or the 1000th.
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Sanity Claws Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 04:59 PM
Response to Reply #8
11. Interesting
I have no idea of whether he smoked. Regardless, using coke was not the smartest thing.
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Liquorice Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 04:50 PM
Response to Reply #3
7. I've read that cocaine use can cause heart disease. Here is a link
about it:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/HeartDiseaseRisks/story?id=4221836
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Sanity Claws Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 04:56 PM
Response to Reply #7
9. Wow
Thanks for the link.
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MADem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 04:59 PM
Response to Original message
12. "Heart disease killed pitchman; cocaine--like Hamburger Helper--helped!"
That's more accurate, actually.

He was apparently a heavy user of the stuff. He was also on oxycodone and some other drug.
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Sanity Claws Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 05:08 PM
Response to Reply #12
13. CNN report went into more depth
http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/08/07/florida.mays.cocaine/index.html

Mays was taking a lot of prescription drugs. I wonder whether any of them contributed to his death.
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Jeep789 Donating Member (935 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 05:12 PM
Response to Reply #13
15. Wow, 3 narcotics and 2 tranquilizers
All in his system at the same time. Yet they are blaming the Cocaine?
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Jeep789 Donating Member (935 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 05:09 PM
Response to Reply #12
14. If he was actually using Oxy, I'd be willing to bet that
contributed even more to his death.
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MADem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 05:16 PM
Response to Reply #14
16. An article I saw said it was prescribed for "hip pain." nt
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Ron Green Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 05:39 PM
Response to Reply #16
18. It's the hippest pain I ever had.
But that was back in the 70's.
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Dappleganger Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 05:57 PM
Response to Reply #16
19. In his defense
he was scheduled for hip replacement surgery that Monday. The prescription drugs they found are not out of the ordinary for someone w/that prognosis.
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Jeep789 Donating Member (935 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 08:04 PM
Response to Reply #19
23. They can be prescribed and necessary and still contribute
to ones demise.
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d_b Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 05:36 PM
Response to Original message
17. THAT'S THE STRENGTH OF COLOMBIAN BLOW, GUARANTEED
Edited on Fri Aug-07-09 05:37 PM by d_b
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Shagbark Hickory Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 06:03 PM
Response to Original message
20. Oh! What a surprise! (not) n/t
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sakabatou Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 06:06 PM
Response to Original message
21. So that's why he yelled and always seemed to be on a sugar rush...
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Tulio Donating Member (51 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 06:22 PM
Response to Original message
22. Too Young (nt)
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Generic Brad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 10:57 PM
Response to Original message
24. I'M STUNNED! I'M SHOCKED!!
FOR YEARS BILLY MAYS SPOKE IN ALL CAPS AND NOW YOU'RE TELLING ME HE WAS A COCAINE USER! HOW COULD WE HAVE KNOWN? SURELY THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A SIGN IN HIS DEMEANOR THAT COULD HAVE TIPPED US OFF!!!!
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47of74 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Aug-08-09 12:15 AM
Response to Original message
25. That explains A LOT.
Now the yelling and the perpetual sugar high makes a lot more sense to me.
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