Why Heart Conditions And Cocaine Don't Mix -- The Ike Turner Story
I doubt if Ike Turner was the oldest person to ever die of a coke overdose but he has to be right up there.
The San Diego County Coroner released its report today which stated that "Ike abused cocaine, and that's what resulted in the cocaine toxicity," said Paul Parker, chief investigator at the medical examiner's office. The medical examiner's office also listed hypertensive cardiovascular disease and pulmonary emphysema as "significant and contributing factors" to Turner's death, Parker said.
So, if I am reading this right, Ike suffered from some severe heart problems and was hacking up his lungs yet he still was doing coke enough to overdose. That is living like a rock star. To knowingly take a drug that jacks up your heart about a million percent while suffering from severe heart problems is really just asking for trouble.
Ike was 76 and so you can't say that he didn't lead a full life and maybe this was how he always dreamed of going. I'm sure Tina Turner would have preferred him dying by some type of slow agonizing torture, but being the class act she is, only acknowledged that Ike had indeed died and wasn't coming back.
In an interview he gave a few years before his death, this is what Ike had to say about drugs. "My experience, man, with drugs — I can't say that I'm proud that I did drugs, but I'm glad I'm still alive to convey how I came through," he said. "I'm a good example that you can go to the bottom. ... I used to pray, `God, if you let me get three days clean, I will never look back.' But I never did get to three days. You know why? Because I would lie to myself. And then only when I went to jail, man, did I get those three days. And man, I haven't looked back since then."
I guess something changed to make him start looking back. Turner died on December 12th.
God rest his soul.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that people over 30 y.o should not do coke and XTC.
ReplyDeleteI also kind of feel like they should flip the alcohol law so that you have to stop drinking when you turn 21
I hate when someone writes that a person 'abused' cocaine. As though up to a certain point, it's fine, and after that, it's abuse.
ReplyDeleteTwisted Sister:
ReplyDeleteRight? I have an ex boyfriend who has been taking cocaine on the weekends (every weekend) since he was 22-23. He's 34 now, and I'm waiting for the horrible news...(we're still friends) . It's awful. It's abuse. I don't care how functional he is during the week, he's a drug abuser. Heart breaking, too, he's a nice kid....
John Entwistle, bass player for The Who, had heart problems and yet he blew a few rails in Vegas the night before The Who was opening a tour and came home in a box. These idiots get what they deserve. Stupidity has no reward.
ReplyDeleteRagdoll, that makes me sad on a really personal level, too, because I was in the same situation many years back. I finally had to leave the guy because his 'only socially' use became 'recreational' use and then he was on it all the time. Nobody starts using it with the intention of getting really addicted, but it happens.
ReplyDeleteSorry you're going through that.
We all love the yayo...I'm 35 & still doa 8-ball a day .....I'm here for a GOOD time not a long time.... :)
ReplyDeleteOl' Ike looks like he could have keeled over in this photograph - he looks like someone that's not getting enough oxygen.
ReplyDeleteas much as i say tha I love it it is a very serious..PROBLEM & sometimes I wish tha I could stop.... :(
ReplyDeleteCoke is a big problem especially when you start taking it again after a few years of interruption. Your heart has stiffened since then and resuming this addiction is life-threatening. That's what happened to John Entwistle (who was doing blow with an hooker in his Vegas hotel room) and certainly to Ike.
ReplyDelete