Tagbo’s death: Danger of mixing drugs with drinks

Tagbo Umeike, the late 35-year-old friend of Davido, hiphop musician  died on his birthday after reportedly consuming 10 shot of tequila and  engaging in a competition with friends at a shisha room in Lagos Island.

The details of the Medical Examiner’s office autopsy made public revealed that alcohol was a substantial factor that led to Tagbo’s death.

The medical examiner result, which was released on the 9^th of October, showed that Tagbo had alcohol and drugs in his system capable of easing a person into the early stages of hypothermia and eventual death.

                     Related: Davido’s friend Tagbo died from suffocation, autopsy reveals

The toxicology tests detected alcohol (Bacardi 151, 75.5% Alcohol) and Topiramate, a medication for epilepsy and/or migraines in a man’s system, in Tagbo.

Tagbo’s blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) by the report of the examiner was said to be at 0.112, higher than the 0.08 legal limit for normal human being, the coroner’s office stated.

Topiramate and Alcohol

Topiramate (also known as Topamax) is an anticonvulsant (antiepilepsy) drug. It is used for epilepsy in children and adults, originally used as an anticonvulsant. It also used in reducing the number of migraines.

Mixing Topomax with Alcohol mostly beverages with ethanol, leads to excessive somnolence (drowsiness or sleepiness) and other forms of nervous system depression. Both when combined are synergistic. It enhances the effect of either or both.

Topiramate, like alcohol, can cause dizziness, impaired memory, impaired concentration, poor coordination, confusion and impaired judgment. The central nervous system depression, or impairment, combined with cold exposure can hasten the onset of hypothermia and death.”

Effect of ethanol in Tequila and other alcohols

An alcoholic beverage is a drink that contains ethyl alcohol (ethanol). Ethanol is a psychoactive drug and is one of the oldest recreational drugs known to man. It is responsible for the state of alcohol intoxication in humans when consumed.

Tequila, Whisky, Rums, Vodka, Brandy, Scotch or scotch, all are produced with ethanol, so mixing it with an-depressants, painkillers, sedatives and antipsychotics will have detrimental side effects on the body, by reducing the effectiveness of medications, and increase the risk of overdose and death.

If a prescription drug is taken, the drug half-life is always unknown or the rate at which it is eliminated from the body. For this reason, it is always believed that the drug is out of body system when it really isn’t.

If alcohol is then taken while the prescription drug is still in body, there is a high rate of it being detrimental to the body system.