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Phillip Seymour Hoffman's exact cause of death has been revealed.
The New York City medical examiner ruled Friday that the critically acclaimed actor died from taking cocaine, heroin, amphetamines and benzodiazepines. He was found on February 2nd in his New York City apartment with a needle still stuck in his arm. Hoffman was 46-years old.
Because the blood levels in Hoffman's system were not disclosed it's impossible to know which drug was the primary reason for his death.
Dr. Charles McKay, a spokesman for the American College of Medical Toxicology and a medical toxicologist for Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, spoke about the autopsy results.
"There's a difference between a stimulant death, which would be cocaine and the amphetamines, and a narcotic death, like heroin," he said, according to the Associated Press.
Heroin slows your heart and breathing rate, suppresses your emotions, causes depression, lack of appetite and can cause brain damage.
Once addicted to heroin, a users single mission in life is to consume the drug. Severe withdrawal symptoms like restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps (“cold turkey”) and leg movements.
Cocaine is a stimulant that can cause an irregular heartbeat, paranoia, constrict blood to the brain and cause lung and liver damage.
CNN Report
Sources: AP, DrugAbuse.gov, DrugBeat.org and WebMD
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