Justice Ginsburg Hospitalized Following Adverse Reaction to Combination of Medications

Last week United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was hospitalized following an adverse reaction to a sleeping pill taken in combination with cold medication prior to boarding a flight headed for London.

On October 14, 2009, Ginsburg, 76, felt drowsy and then fell from her seat before the plane departed Washington, D.C. She was taken to Washington Hospital Center at approximately 11:15 p.m. where she was evaluated overnight and released after medical professionals said her heath was stable.

“Doctors attributed her symptoms to a reaction caused by the combination of a prescription sleeping aid and an over-the-counter cold medication,” said a statement from the court.

Ginsburg, the second female Supreme Court justice following Sandra Day O’Connor, found herself hospitalized less than a month ago on September 24, after she felt lightheaded and fatigued. She was released from the hospital the following day.

The Supreme Court Justice also underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer in February and said the operation was successful, stating she is now cancer-free. She was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 1999, and throughout her treatment regimen of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation did not miss a day on the bench.