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Michael Jackson
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history of
prescription drug
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June 26th, 2009
While most celebrity drug deaths have been the result of either suicide or the use of illegal drugs, a surprising number of stars have died by accident — from medications you can purchase at the corner pharmacy. Here are 13 of the most famous:
1. MARILYN MONROE. Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind” died from an overdose of sleeping pills — specifically, Nembutal and chloral hydrate [pictured]. Although Monroe’s death was officially listed as a suicide in 1962, many forensic experts and investigators now say the overdose was more likely to have been accidental.
2. ELVIS PRESLEY. Perhaps the most famous prescription-drug abuser of all time, Elvis died in 1977 from an overdose of medications while on the toilet in his Graceland mansion. Presley’s ex-wife wrote: “Presley was taking Placidyls [pictured] to combat severe insomnia in ever increasing doses and later took Dexedrine to counter the sleeping pills’ after effects.” Presley’s personal physician, Dr. George C. Nichopoulos, concluded: “Elvis’s problem was that he didn’t see the wrong in it. He felt that by getting [pills] from a doctor, he wasn’t the common everyday junkie…”
3. JUDY GARLAND. The Wizard of Oz star was found dead in her London bathroom by her husband in 1969. Coroner Gavin Thursdon said the cause of death was an accidental overdose of Seconal [pictured].
4. HEATH LEDGER. Found dead in a Manhattan apartment he had been renting on Jan. 22, 2008, the 28-year-old actor died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs that included the painkillers OxyContin and Vicodin, the anti-anxiety drugs Xanax and Valium, and the sleep aid Restoril [pictured], according to the New York Times. Upon learning the findings of the New York City medical examiner, Ledger’s father stated: “While no medications were taken in excess, we learned today the combination of doctor-prescribed drugs proved lethal for our boy. Heath’s accidental death serves as a caution to the hidden dangers of combining prescription medication, even at low dosage.”
5. HOWARD HUGHES. The germophobic genius and subject of Martin Scorcese’s The Aviator died in 1976 in route to a Houston hospital from his Acapulco estate. Although the official cause of death was liver failure, his autopsy showed lethal amounts of codeine and valium [pictured] in his system.
6. ANNA NICOLE SMITH. According to Wikipedia, “Ultimately her death [in 2007] was ruled an accidental drug overdose of the sedative chloral hydrate that became increasingly lethal when combined with other prescription drugs in her system, specifically 4 benzodiazepines: Klonopin (Clonazepam), Ativan (Lorazepam), Serax (Oxazepam), and Valium (Diazepam). Furthermore, she had taken Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) and Topamax (Toprimate), an anticonvulsant GABA agonist, which likely contributed to the sedative effect of chloral hydrate and the benzodiazepines.”
7. DOROTHY DANDRIDGE. The first African-American actress to be nominated for an Academy Award, Dandridge was found dead in West Hollywood in 1965 from an overdose of Imipramine [pictured], a tricyclic antidepressant. It’s believed she improperly combined the medication — which she took for her bipolar disorder — with pain medication she received after breaking an ankle.
8. DANA PLATO. The long-troubled Diff’rent Strokes star died from an accidental overdose of Vanadom [pictured] and Vicodin at her mother-in-law’s Oklahoma home in 1999.
9. KEITH MOON. The Who drummer died in 1978 from an accidental overdose of Heminevrin [pictured], a medication taken as part of a program to wean him off alcohol.
10. ROB PILATUS. The Milli Vanilli star, disgraced after the public learned the music duo did not actually sing on its hit records, died in 1998 of an accidental overdose of a medication (reportedly methadone [pictured]) designed to help him with drug withdrawal symptons.
11. ROBERT WALKER. Perhaps the most bizarre accidental prescription-drug death. The star of Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train died mysteriously in 1951 after being given an injection of the “truth serum” sodium amytal [pictured] by psychiatrists at his home.
12. NICK DRAKE. The influential singer-songwriter died at his childhood home in the U.K. in 1974 from an accidental overdose of the antidepressant amitriptyline [pictured].
13. PAIGE SUMMERS. The 1998 Penthouse Pet of the Year was found dead in her fiance’s home in 2003 from a combination of the painkillers codeine and oxycodone. Her death may or may not have been an accident; some have pointed a finger at fiance Bracey Bobbitt — who was a pharmacist.
Life & Style reports that Michael Jackson was taking a cocktail of up to seven prescription drugs in the months before his death.
The star had been taking prescription painkillers including anti-anxiety drugs Xanax, Zoloft and painkiller Demerol in recent months, sources close to Jackson told Life & Style. The insider close to the star said he took a suspected overdose of drugs on Thursday morning, which caused respiratory and cardiac arrest.
And a Jackson family lawyer told CNN he "feared" the drugs could kill the pop star. CNN's interview with the source follows the jump.
(CNN) -- Pop icon Michael Jackson, 50, who died Thursday afternoon after being rushed to a Los Angeles hospital in cardiac arrest, had a long history of confirmed health problems, in addition to rumored conditions.
Michael Jackson, seen here in 2005, was taken to UCLA Medical Center in cardiac arrest Thursday.
In 1984, Jackson was burned while singing for a Pepsi-Cola commercial in Los Angeles, when a special-effects smoke bomb misfired. He had to have major surgery on his scalp and said that because of the intense pain, he developed an addiction to painkillers.
He also was reported to have a form of lupus in the 1980s, but it was later said to have gone into remission.
Jackson also had had numerous plastic surgeries, including rhinoplasty and a chin implant.
In 1993, Jackson's dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein, released a statement saying that Jackson had a skin disease called vitiligo. The condition causes a person to lose melanin, the pigment that determines the color of skin, hair and eyes, in patches or all over the body. Vitiligo affects 1 million to 2 million people in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health, and no one knows what causes it. Learn about the difference between heart attack and stroke
He was also hospitalized with chest pains in 1990 and postponed a concert because of dehydration in August 1993. A concert tour was cut short in November 1993 because of an addiction to prescription painkillers amid allegations of child molestation.
During a rehearsal at the Beacon Theater in New York in December 1995, the entertainer collapsed onstage from apparent dehydration and low blood pressure and was hospitalized.
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While jurors deliberated in a case in which he was accused of child molestation in June 2005, Jackson went to a hospital for treatment of what his spokeswoman said was recurring back pain. He had complained of back problems before.
Rumors circulated in December that Jackson was ill and in need of a lung transplant because of Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a rare genetic condition.
More rumors emerged in May that Jackson had skin cancer. But Randy Phillips, president and CEO of AEG Live, told CNN at the time, "He's as healthy as he can be -- no health problems whatsoever."
Jackson apparently collapsed in his home in Los Angeles on Thursday and was taken by ambulance to UCLA Medical Center. 
Jackson family attorney Brian Oxman told CNN on Thursday that Jackson's use of medications had gotten in the way of doing rehearsals.
"His injuries, which he had sustained performing, where he had broken a vertebra and he had broken his leg from a fall on the stage, were getting in the way. I do not know the extent of the medications that he was taking," he said.
From TMZ.com: Members of Michael Jackson's family told us the singer
was given a "heavy dose of morphine" prior to his death, and family
members were alarmed.
We're told Joe Jackson recently wanted to
put Michael in a rehab facility in Palmdale, California for what he
considered an "addiction" to morphine and prescription drugs.
Family members say they felt he was unable to perform for his upcoming concerts because of his drug use.
Members of the upcoming tour tell TMZ Jackson was generally lethargic and very late for rehearsals.
There are reports Jackson OD'd yesterday on Demerol, a drug similar to morphine.
Interestingly,
Jackson wrote a song called "Morphine" in 1997. One of the lyrics --
"Demerol. Demerol. Oh God he's taking Demerol."
"If you think the case with Anna Nicole Smith was an abuse, it's nothing in comparison to what we have seen taking place in Michael Jackson's life."
Jackson family lawyer Brian Oxman confirmed Jackson may have had trouble with prescription drugs as he prepared for his London show.
"This was something which I feared and something which I warned about," Oxman said on CNN. "I can tell you for sure that this is something I warned about. Where there is smoke there is fire."
Mr Oxman compared Michael to Anna Nicole Smith, alleging that Michael had 'enablers' just like her.
CNN details Jackson's long history of medical problems here. At a news conference, brother Jermaine Jackson said doctors and family tried "for an hour" to resuscitate the performer. TMZ's video of the conference is here.
Meanwhile, Hollyscoop reports that doctors visited Jackson "daily." THe site's latest update:
While news of Michael Jackson's death came as a shock to many, inside sources tell Hollyscoop exclusively that the King of Pop "had doctors visiting him daily."
Michael went into cardiac arrest Thursday afternoon and was rushed to UCLA Medical Center around 1pm. His personal physician was with him at the time and accompanied him to the hospital.
At approximately 1:14pm when he arrived at the hospital, doctors and emergency personnel performed CPR and tried to resuscitate him, but were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at 2:26pm.
The cause of his death is still unknown, but an autopsy is scheduled for this coming Friday afternoon. Michael was transferred from UCLA Medical Center to the coroner’s office via a Los Angeles Sheriff's helicopter shortly after 6pm.
(me per' i need)
Why is this medication prescribed?
How should this medicine be used?
Meperidine comes as a tablet and a syrup (liquid) to take by mouth. It is usually taken with or without food every 3-4 hours as needed for pain. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take meperidine exactly as directed.
Swallow the tablets whole; do not split, chew, or crush them. People who are dependent on meperidine or who want to abuse the medication may consider crushing, chewing, snorting, or injecting it. Meperidine may cause serious side effects or death if it is taken in these ways.
If you are taking meperidine syrup, mix your dose with half a glass of water and swallow the mixture. Swallowing undiluted meperidine syrup may numb the mouth.
Your doctor will probably adjust your dose of meperidine during your treatment. Be sure to tell your doctor about any pain and side effects you experience while taking this medication. This will help your doctor find the dose that is best for you.
Meperidine can be habit forming. Do not take a larger dose, or take it more often or for a longer period of time than you were told by your doctor. If you have taken meperidine for longer than a few weeks, do not stop taking the medication without talking to your doctor. Your doctor will probably decrease your dose gradually. If you suddenly stop taking meperidine, you may experience withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms may include: restlessness, watery eyes, stuffy nose, yawning, sweating, chills, muscle pain, irritability, nervousness, stomach pain, upset stomach, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea, fast breathing, fast heartbeat, and back pain.
Other uses for this medicine
This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
What special precautions should I follow?
Before taking meperidine,
-
tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to meperidine or any other medications.
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tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking. Be sure to mention any of the following: acyclovir (Zovirax); antidepressants; butorphanol (Stadol NS); cimetidine (Tagamet); chlorpromazine (Thorazine); fluphenazine (Permitil, Prolixin); medications for anxiety, mental illness, pain, upset stomach, vomiting, and seizures; mesoridazine (Serentil); muscle relaxants such as baclofen (Lioresal), carisoprodol (Soma), cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), methocarbamol (Robaxin), and tizanidine (Zanaflex); pentazocine (Talwin); perphenazine (Trilafon); phenytoin (Dilantin); prochlorperazine (Compazine); ritonavir (Norvir); sedatives; sleeping pills; thioridazine (Mellaril); trifluoperazine (Stelazine); triflupromazine (Vesprin); and tranquilizers. Also tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking the following medications or have stopped taking them within the past 2 weeks: monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors including isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl), and tranylcypromine (Parnate). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
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tell your doctor if you use or have ever used street drugs, if you drink or have ever drunk large amounts of alcohol, and if you recently had surgery. Also tell your doctor if you have or have ever had Addison's disease (a condition in which the body does not produce certain important chemicals); a head injury or a problem with pressure in your head or brain; mental illness; asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or other conditions that affect your breathing; sickle cell anemia (a blood disease); pheochromocytoma (a type of tumor); an abnormally curved spine, especially if it causes breathing problems; enlarged prostate; urethral stricture (narrowing of the opening through which urine leaves the body); irregular heartbeat; seizures; stomach problems; or thyroid, liver, kidney, or lung disease.
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tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking meperidine, call your doctor.
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if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking meperidine.
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you should know that meperidine may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you.
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ask your doctor about the safe use of alcoholic beverages while you are taking meperidine. Alcohol and street drugs can make the side effects from meperidine worse and can cause serious harm or death.
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you should know that meperidine may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting when you get up too quickly from a lying position. This is more common when you first start taking meperidine. To avoid this problem, get out of bed slowly, resting your feet on the floor for a few minutes before standing up.
What special dietary instructions should I follow?
Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.
What should I do if I forget a dose?
This medication is usually taken as needed. If your doctor has told you to take meperidine regularly, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.
What side effects can this medication cause?
Meperidine may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
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lightheadedness
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dizziness
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weakness
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headache
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extreme calm
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mood changes
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confusion
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agitation
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upset stomach
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vomiting
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stomach pain or cramps
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constipation
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dry mouth
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flushing
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sweating
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changes in vision
Some side effects can be serious. The following symptoms are uncommon, but if you experience any of them or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor immediately:
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slow or difficult breathing
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shaking hands that you cannot control
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muscle twitches or stiffening
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seizures
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hallucination (seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist)
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slow, fast, or pounding heartbeat
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difficulty urinating
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fainting
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rash
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hives
Meperidine may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.
If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/MedWatch/index.html] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].
What storage conditions are needed for this medicine?
Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Protect this medication from theft. Medication that is outdated or no longer needed should be flushed down the toilet, not thrown away. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication.
In case of emergency/overdose
In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.
Symptoms of overdose may include:
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slowed breathing
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extreme sleepiness
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coma
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loose, floppy muscles
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cold, clammy skin
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slow heartbeat
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upset stomach
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blurred vision
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dizziness
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fainting
What other information should I know?
Keep all appointments with your doctor.
Do not let anyone else take your medication. It is against the law to give this medication to anyone else. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.
It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.
Brand names
Demerol® Hydrochloride
Demerol® Hydrochloride Syrup
Other names
Isonipecaine
Pethidine