Andria Wakefield, 51, and Shasta Brown, 46, died from fentanyl and cocaine toxicity in Charlotte, NC on April 11, 2021. New details show how the beloved women died. The lethal dose of fentanyl is just 2 milligrams, that is the size of just 2 grains of salt.
Andria and Shasta had both been out partying for the night, and were later found dead inside an apartment in the university area of Charlotte. Autopsy examinations reveal both victims had pulmonary vascular congestion and edema.
Postmortem blood testing of Andria and Shasta showed the presence of fentanyl and cocaine in their bodies.
The cause of death for Andria and Shasta is ruled as fentanyl and cocaine toxicity. Fentanyl is the most common drug involved in overdose deaths.
There were an estimated 93,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States for the year 2020. A teenage girl died in May 2021 from a fentanyl overdose after she took a Percocet pill that was laced with fentanyl.
Fentanyl works by binding to the body’s opioid receptors that are found in areas of the brain that control pain and emotions. Fentanyl also creates sedation and unconsciousness.
When toxic levels of fentanyl enter the human body, breathing can slow or stop. Hence, decreasing the amount of oxygen that reaches the brain, which leads to a condition called hypoxia.
Hypoxia can lead to a coma and permanent brain damage, or even death.
A few key signs of drug overdose include:
- Slow or shallow breathing
- Dizziness or confusion
- Cold or clammy skin
- Vomiting or gurgling
- Blue lips and/or fingernails
- Not responsive or sleeping and cannot be woken up
- Deep gurgling or rattling snore
