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A preliminary autopsy report released today by the LA County Coroner says director Tony Scott had a “therapeutic level of Mirtazipine (Remeron) which is an anti-depressant and zopiclone (Lunesta), a sleep-aid” in his system on the day of his death August 19. The report said the 68-year-old died from injuries suffered when he leaped off the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro. Drowning was listed as another “significant condition” in what is being formally labeled a suicide. The autopsy was conducted August 20. The final autopsy report will be issued in a couple of weeks, the coroner said.
Related: Tony Scott: An Appreciation
Deadline's Dominic Patten - tip him here.
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How many people have to commit suicide while on psychotropic medications, sold to have the opposite effect, before they are outlawed?
People go on psychotropic medication because they are depressed (and often suicidal). You can’t blame suicide on the anti-depressants.
Except you kind of can. At least according to the risk factors they talk about in the commercials. “Increased thoughts of suicide” is how I believe they phrase it.
you’re thinking of other drugs that have that caveat. people have varied reactions to psychological drugs but they are not the underlying cause of suicide. you should go do some research before you start quoting commercials to validate your weak arguments.
I agree! I know so many now that have committed suicide on a therapeutic dose of an antidepressant.,
So you can’t blame this on drugs. He was of sound mind when he jumped. My God this is so sad and perplexing. Did he have any signs of brain cancer or life threatening illness?
OK. Now, HOW is it that Sharon knows he “was of sound mind when he jumped.” None of all the speculation matters. Sadly, he’s gone so let it be.
You don’t jump if you are of sound mind. You can blame it on drugs. Even prescribed doses of pharmaceutical psychotropics can cause suicide.
How do you know he was of sound mind Sharon? Because of this preliminary finding? Get real.
He was obviously not of sound mind. Jumping to your death is literally the opposite of sound mind.
the hardest thing i’ve ever had to do in my adventures with chemistry was getting off lunesta. two + weeks of depression, mood swings, little sleep. lunesta is a dangerous dangerous drug. google it and read the stories.
Ooh, two weeks of depression. You poor thing.
Mirtazipine has a black box warning of suicidal thoughts as a possible side effect.
Just because an individual has money and fame does not mean they do not have personal demons to battle. We live in a society in which people think if you are famous and wealthy you should be happy. He obviously had issues that were too much to bear.
Anti-depressants just make people not feel. It doesn’t change their suicidal thoughts. It just means they don’t feel bad about committing suicide. Extremely scary stuff.
Precisely! People are in denial about the deadly consequences of trusting pharamceutical companies with their lives??? Are you kidding. You probably trust Monsanto too.
Exactly what I have been saying. My friends who are psychotherapists just nod their heads, like I do not understand. I know so many cases like this in the last few years.
“Anti-depressants just make people not feel. It doesn’t change their suicidal thoughts. It just means they don’t feel bad about committing suicide. Extremely scary stuff.”
Absolutely not true — just total, meaningless drivel. Anti-depressants correct chemical imbalances in the brain that cause or contribute to depression. They don’t make you “not feel bad about committing suicide.” Why comment on something you know absolutely nothing about?
yes – what this person said.
people go on anti-depressants because they are depressed. anti-depressants and psychopharmacuticals have helped MILLIONS more people to get to a better place mentally so they do not commit suicide.
unfortunately there is not a drug that can keep anyone from commiting suicide if they really want to. but stop blaming it on the drugs. just read any book about mental illness or suicide before you spout off about serious topics about which you know nothing. go back to making comments about movie trailers.
I can tell you from personal experience this is not true. Wellbutrin SR was prescribed to me when I was going through a tough time. Not suicidal, just depressed. It made me want to commit suicide within 2 weeks of usage. Luckily I suspected it was the pills, stopped taking them, and went back to normal. Extremely scary stuff. Will never allow a doc to give me anything like that again.
Your experience with Wellbutrin is atypical, rather than typical.
Maybe your dosage was too high, with 300mg being the max docs can
prescribe. I was on 100 mgs for about six months.
It did little in the way of any negative side affects. It just did not work as well as I and my doctor would have liked it to. It certainly did not cause me to have thoughts of killing myself.
You’ve obviously never been on anti-depressants. “They don’t feel bad about committing suicide.” What the fuck is that garbage?
Wrong,
You are wrong. There is still no way to measure the brain’s reaction to chemicals from antidepressants. It’s a complete hoax. If you watch the 60 Minutes expose on all the files opened that were sealed by the drug cpamies the placebo affect is actually stronger than any of these drugs. It’s silly. Nobody knOws if they work. There is no way to prove it. You know what works? Opioids. Alcohol. Pot. Going on drugs like these changes no chemicals in the brain. We say but there is only proof to the contrary. The pharma companies pour billions into having you believe this nonsense. Wrong, you are wrong.
Xo
Compare how many people are on anti-depressants vs. the number of suicides that are on anti-depressants. People are put on anti-depressants because they are suicidal. They save lives but should never not be monitored. Tricky stuff especially between prescriptions.
This is not the forum to speculate the affects of prescribed medication. He was an incredibly talented individual which the industry will mourn. His contributions to film will be remembered and respected longer than these comments will be relevant.
The FDA and the RX companies do not care about you. It’s all about profits. Research everything before you take advise of Doctors who get kickbacks from the Pharm Co’s. So sad. A great talent that will be missed.
Yeah, right, “Drugs Didn’t Contribute”. Because only illegal drugs make people do crazy things. From the Remeron package insert:
“Clinical Worsening and Suicide Risk
The following symptoms, anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, INSOMNIA, irritability, hostility, aggressiveness, IMPULSIVITY, akathisia (psychomotor restlessness), hypomania, and mania, have been reported in adult and pediatric patients being treated with antidepressants for major depressive disorder as well as for other indications, both psychiatric and nonpsychiatric. Although a causal link between the emergence of such symptoms and either the worsening of depression and/or the EMERGENCE OF SUICIDAL IMPULSES has not been established, there is concern that such symptoms may represent precursors to EMERGING SUICIDALITY.
Consideration should be given to changing the therapeutic regimen, including possibly discontinuing the medication, in patients whose depression is persistently worse, or who are experiencing EMERGENT SUICIDALITY or symptoms that might be precursors to worsening depression or suicidality, especially if these symptoms are severe, ABRUPT IN ONSET, or were not part of the patient’s presenting symptoms.
Patients, their families, and their caregivers should be encouraged to be alert to the emergence of anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia, irritability, hostility, aggressiveness, impulsivity, akathisia (psychomotor restlessness), hypomania, mania, other unusual changes in behavior, worsening of depression, and suicidal ideation, especially early during antidepressant treatment and when the dose is adjusted up or down. Families and caregivers of patients should be advised to look for the emergence of such symptoms on a day-to-day basis, since changes may be abrupt. Such symptoms should be reported to the patient’s prescriber or health professional, especially if they are severe, abrupt in onset, or were not part of the patient’s presenting symptoms. Symptoms such as these may be associated with an increased risk for suicidal thinking and behavior and indicate a need for very close monitoring and possibly changes in the medication.”
Special Populations
“Geriatric
Following oral administration of REMERON (mirtazapine) Tablets 20 mg/day for 7 days to subjects of varying ages (range, 25–74), oral clearance of mirtazapine was reduced in the elderly compared to the younger subjects. The differences were most striking in males, with a 40% lower clearance in elderly males compared to younger males, while the clearance in elderly females was only 10% lower compared to younger females. Caution is indicated in administering REMERON to elderly patients (see PRECAUTIONS and DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION).”
“It should be noted that REMERON (mirtazapine) Tablets are not approved for use in treating bipolar depression.”
And ALL SSRIs including REMERON have a black box warning:
Suicidality and Antidepressant Drugs
“Antidepressants increased the risk compared to placebo of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in children, adolescents, and young adults in short-term studies of major depressive disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders. Anyone considering the use of RemeronSolTab® (mirtazapine) Orally Disintegrating Tablets or any other antidepressant in a child, adolescent, or young adult must balance this risk with the clinical need. Short-term studies did not show an increase in the risk of suicidality with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults beyond age 24; there was a reduction in risk with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults aged 65 and older. Depression and certain other psychiatric disorders are themselves associated with increases in the risk of suicide. Patients of all ages who are started on antidepressant therapy should be monitored appropriately and observed closely for clinical worsening, suicidality, or unusual changes in behavior. Families and caregivers should be advised of the need for close observation and communication with the prescriber. RemeronSolTab is not approved for use in pediatric patients. (See WARNINGS: Clinical Worsening and Suicide Risk, PRECAUTIONS: Information for Patients, and PRECAUTIONS: Pediatric Use)”
when did the scientologists take over this board?
“To determine whether a genetic basis for suicidal risk exists for a sub-group of depressed patients, NIH researchers genetically screened patients with major depression treated with the serotonin selective reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) citalopram (Celexa) in the NIMH-funded Sequenced Treatment Alternatives for Depression (STAR*D) trial. Versions of two genes coding for components of the brain’s glutamate chemical messenger system were linked to suicidal thinking associated with antidepressant use. Having both implicated versions increased risk of such thoughts more than 14-fold.”
That was in 2007, and nothing has changed. NIH knows how to predict if someone has a high risk of reacting to these drugs with suicidal thoughts. Why doesn’t FDA do anything about it?
What’s getting lost in this conversation is the fact that Tony Scott made some of the coolest looking movies ever made. Man on Fire, Top Gun, Days of Thunder. It’s a damn shame that we didn’t get to see what he would have done with The Warriors. Just the fact that he was going to do it on the streets of LA – he would have given that film some amazing looks and textures.