Heart disease killed 'Macho Man' Randy Savage, autopsy shows

**Curt James** · 06-30-2011, 10:19 PM

Has this been posted? If so, I'll merge the threads.

Heart disease killed 'Macho Man' Randy Savage, autopsy shows

By the CNN Wire Staff
UPDATED: 07:16 PM EDT 06.30.11

A medical examiner's autopsy of former pro wrestler "Macho Man" Randy Savage shows he died of natural causes due to heart disease, the Florida Highway Patrol announced Thursday.

According to a Highway Patrol report after the May 20 traffic accident the day he died, the 58-year-old "may have suffered a medical event," which was confirmed by the autopsy.

The cause of death was atheriosclerotic cardiovascular disease -- a thickening of artery walls that can lead to heart attack or sudden cardiac death.

A toxicology report showed acetominophen, caffeine, dhydrocodeine, doxylamine, doxylamine metabolite(s) and hydrocodone, and a blood alcohol concentration of 0.03 grams per decaliter, Sgt. 1st Class Steve Gaskins of the Highway Patrol said in a statement.

He gave no further details about the toxicology report.

Gaskins said the autopsy report will be included in the traffic homicide report, which "should be released in the next several weeks.

"Savage, who lived in Seminole, Florida, lost control of his Jeep while driving on Florida State Route 694 in Pinellas County in the early morning hours of May 20. The vehicle jumped a median and "collided head-on with a tree," the Florida Highway Patrol said.

He died in Largo Medical Center. His wife, Barbara Lynn Poffo, 56, who was in the passenger seat, suffered minor injuries and was briefly hospitalized.

Savage, whose real name was Ralph Mario Poffo, was wildly popular during his WWE career in the 1980s and early '90s for his outlandish cowboy hats, shades and jackets, and for growling catchphrases like "Ooooooh Yeaahhhhh!" and "Can you dig it?"

In a statement after his death, the wrestling federation called him "one of the greatest superstars of his time."

From CNN.com

###

I get the .03 BAC. He had a big beer, maybe two regular beers with his meal. And acetominophen and caffeine are commonplace.

Will have to Google "dhydrocodeine, doxylamine, doxylamine metabolite(s) and hydrocodone" when I get home.

**SFW** · 06-30-2011, 11:01 PM

doxy is unisom. hydro is a narc painkiller. he prob took them the night before for sleep. that didnt cause the heart attack though. years of gear abuse and heredity did.

**niki** · 06-30-2011, 11:19 PM

Originally Posted by Curt James

Will have to Google "dhydrocodeine, doxylamine, doxylamine metabolite(s) and hydrocodone" when I get home.

Doxylamine - Unisom - antihistamine/anticholinergic. Used for sleeping, allergies..."May have adverse effects on the heart in people with existing heart problems". Anticholinergics inhibit cardiac muscle by blocking acetylcholine.
Dhydrocodeine - can't find it, unless it is actually dihydrocodeine (narcotic pain reliever)
hydrocodone - narcotic pain reliever
Doxylamine metabolites - see above

I seriously doubt it is recommended to indulge in alcohol on any of these medications. In fact, there's probably warning labels on each of them. It was quite a potent mix. NOT a good one for a man with cardiovascular disease. Would be interesting to know if he had the 'medical event' before or after the vehicle accident.

I disagree with the conclusion of death by 'natural causes'. That would be a very broad interpretation of the facts as presented in the article. Death was caused by a fatal mix of prescription medications, alcohol, several thousands pound of moving vehicle, AND a heart condition.

Randomly, more people die of prescription drug overdose than 'street' drugs. (not including the 100,000 per year from medication errors, 'To Err Is Human') People think because the doc prescribes it, it's safe. Nothing could be further from the truth.

**Big Smoothy** · 07-01-2011, 03:16 AM

Originally Posted by SFW

doxy is unisom. hydro is a narc painkiller. he prob took them the night before for sleep. that didnt cause the heart attack though. years of gear abuse and heredity did.

Yup.

Possibly diet, too.

**maniclion** · 07-01-2011, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by Curt James

I get the .03 BAC. He had a big beer, maybe two regular beers with his meal. And acetominophen and caffeine are commonplace.

Will have to Google "dhydrocodeine, doxylamine, doxylamine metabolite(s) and hydrocodone" when I get home.

codeine and hydrocodone are opiate pain killers and doxylamine is an anti-histamine (probably taken to potentiate the pain-killers)

He probably had the paracetamol (acetaminophen)/codeine tabs you can buy over the counter in Australia and other places, with a few vicodin......

**IronAddict** · 07-01-2011, 04:43 PM

You guys are forgetting about that lifetime supply of Slim Jims he received!

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