New Details Emerge About Pastor Bryan Dunagan's Sudden Death

Bryan Dunagan, who served as the senior pastor of the 5,500-member Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas, passed away in his sleep on Oct. 26. New details have emerged this week regarding his unexpected and sudden death. Dunagan was only 44 years-old.

Dr. Robert J. Burke, an anesthesiologist who also serves as an elder at the church, issued a statement Tuesday explaining that Dunagan died as a result of mixing alcohol with therapeutic doses of anti-anxiety medication and a painkiller.

Burke explained in his statement that while Dunagan was a college athlete at Stanford University, he suffered a knee injury that led to pain for which he was prescribed the opiate Tramadol. On the day he died, Dunagan had gone on a run and taken Tramadol to treat the soreness in his knee.

"Additionally, Bryan had often mentioned-and even preached about-his anxiety. To help address this, Bryan was also prescribed a low dosage amount of sertraline, a generic version of Zoloft. The evening before his death, Bryan hosted family at his home for dinner and drinks. Early the next morning, Bryan was found unresponsive in his home."

Bryan's wife, Ali Dunagan, requested an autopsy, which was performed by the Dallas Medical Examiner's office. After the autopsy, and a subsequent careful review of the report by a boardcertified toxicologist as well as another forensic medical expert, it appears that a combination of alcohol and the two commonly prescribed medicines, in their regular therapeutic amounts, resulted in a completely unexpected and unintentional cardiac and/or pulmonary event/reaction. 

 

 

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