Brian Oxman, Jackson family spokesman and attorney, reacted to the tragic news of Michael Jackson's death on CNN. He said he was "stunned" and that he cried with the family. He also said that the people surrounding Michael were "enabling him" and that he "warned" the family that Michael may have been abusing prescription drugs.
MARK J. TERRILL Michael Jackson waves as he leaves court, Monday, June 13, 2005, in Santa Maria, Calif. Jackson was found not guilty on all counts against him. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) ORG XMIT: CAMT105More News Gary, Ind. mourns native son Michael JacksonReport: Overdose of prescription drugs may have killed Michael JacksonReuters: Michael Jackson leaves behind huge financial debtPoll: Your favorite Michael Jackson hitDeath of Michael Jackson slows the Internet to a crawlMichael Jackson dies at age 50Dane Cook's sister-in-law accused of stealing from himOxygen to re-air Farrah's cancer documentaryJimmy Fallon beats Tiger Woods at (Wii) golfFarrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal didn't get marriedAmy Winehouse greeting cards: You know this is no goodFarrah Fawcett: Video tributesFarrah Fawcett, 1947-2009Megan Fox and the boy with the roseJenny Sanford, wife of adulterous gov: Love him or leave him?Judge halts release of 'Real Housewives' sex tapeFarrah Fawcett reportedly close to deathAfter Hogwarts: Emma Watson going to ColumbiaEdward Furlong had a record?Sneak peek at Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg's 'The Pacific'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.
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 Sun newspaper today reported that Jackson aides told medics at the UCLA emergency room that the star had collapsed after an injection of the drug Demerol, a powerful painkiller which is similar to morphine and which is known to come with the risk of cardiac arrest.
Shortly after taking the Demerol he started to experience slow shallow breathing," the newspaper quoted one source as saying. His breathing gradually got slower and slower until it stopped."
No confirmation was immediately available on that report, but the celebrity website TMZ said that Jackson had on Wednesday night attended a rehearsal at LA's Staples Center to prepare for the series of 50 concerts scheduled for London's O2 dome that had been due to start next month and last into next year.
Brian Oxman, a Jackson family lawyer and spokesman, told CNN that Jackson had been struggling to cope with the after-effects of various performance injuries, including a damaged vertebra and a broken leg, which had been interrupting scheduled rehearsal for the London dates.
He went on to accuse those around Jackson of letting him slip into dependency on prescription drugs and painkillers.
"I can only tell you that this is not something which has been unexpected," Mr Oxman told CNN from the LA hospital as family members came to terms with the news from doctors.
"This family has been trying for months and months to take care of Michael Jackson. The people who have surrounded him have been enabling him: if you think that the case of Anna Nicole Smith was an abuse, it is nothing to what we have seen taking place in Michael Jackson's life."
He added: "I can tell you for sure that this is something I warned about. Where there is smoke there is fire."
Jackson's home in the Holmby Hills - once the home of the British actor Sean Connery - was searched by detectives from LAPD's Robbery Homicide division at the behest of city police chief William Bratton - although officers called it an "everyday" event.
The allegations of drug abuse were echoed by Jacksons former producer and friend, Tarak Ben Ammar, who denounced the late pop icon's doctors ascriminals andcharlatanswho had taken advantage of his hypochondria.
Its clear that the criminals in this affair are the doctors who treated him throughout his career, who destroyed his face, who gave him medicine to ease his pain, he told Frances Europe 1 radio..."
'Its clear that the criminals in this..are the drs who treated him throughout his career'
June 26 2009, 11:26 AM
"...The allegations of drug abuse were echoed by Jacksons former producer and friend, Tarak Ben Ammar, who denounced the late pop icon's doctors ascriminals andcharlatanswho had taken advantage of his hypochondria.
Its clear that the criminals in this affair are the doctors who treated him throughout his career, who destroyed his face, who gave him medicine to ease his pain, he told Frances Europe 1 radio..."
The major hazards of meperidine, as with other narcotic analgesics, are respiratory depression and, to a lesser degree, circulatory depression; respiratory arrest, shock, and cardiac arrest have occurred..."
Demerol With Xanax, a tranquilizer.
(Same url) "Demerol
"Dosage should be adjusted according to the severity of the pain and the response of the patient. Meperidine is less effective orally than on parenteral administration. The dose of DEMEROL should be proportionately reduced (usually by 25 to 50 percent) when administered concomitantly with phenothiazines and many other tranquilizers since they potentiate the action of DEMEROL..."
Demerol with Zoloft, an SSRI (a serotonin reuptake inhibitor):
MONITOR CLOSELY: Concomitant use of agents with serotonergic activity such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, 5-HT1 receptor agonists, ergot alkaloids, lithium, St. John's wort, phenylpiperidine opioids, dextromethorphan, and tryptophan may potentiate the risk of serotonin syndrome, which is a rare but serious and potentially fatal condition thought to result from hyperstimulation of brainstem 5-HT1A and 2A receptors. Symptoms of the serotonin syndrome may include mental status changes such as irritability, altered consciousness, confusion, hallucinations, and coma; autonomic dysfunction such as tachycardia, hyperthermia, diaphoresis, shivering, blood pressure lability, and mydriasis; neuromuscular abnormalities such as hyperreflexia, myoclonus, tremor, rigidity, and ataxia; and gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
MANAGEMENT: In general, the concomitant use of multiple serotonergic agents should be avoided if possible, or otherwise approached with caution if potential benefit is deemed to outweigh the risk. Patients should be closely monitored for symptoms of the serotonin syndrome during treatment. Particular caution is advised when increasing the dosages of these agents. The potential risk for serotonin syndrome should be considered even when administering serotonergic agents sequentially, as some agents may demonstrate a prolonged elimination half-life. For example, a 5-week washout period is recommended following use of fluoxetine before administering another serotonergic agent. If serotonin syndrome develops or is suspected during the course of therapy, all serotonergic agents should be discontinued immediately and supportive care rendered as necessary. Moderately ill patients may also benefit from the administration of a serotonin antagonist (e.g., cyproheptadine, chlorpromazine). Severe cases should be managed under consultation with a toxicologist and may require sedation, neuromuscular paralysis, intubation, and mechanical ventilation in addition to the other measures."
"...Responses to any medication are governed by three genetically determined systems: transporters, receptors and cytochromes. There is also drug sensitivity, just like allergy to penicillin, and CYP450 metabolism might be normal in those cases.
We know nothing that can as yet be clinically applied about the first two, but genetic testing is available for CYP450 polymorphism..."
Charts are available to predict reactions to and interactions between drugs that are metabolised by CYP450.
These charts go a long way to elucidate adverse drug events, which are clinically visible but universally unacknowledged and unrecognised in Australia.
Note that the use of one drug, such as Aropax (and other "SSRIs") can turn a rapid metaboliser into a poor metaboliser by inhibiting cytochrome P2D6 needed both to metabolise itself and often more so for the second drug. That is one of the reasons that polypharmacy is a pernicious practice..."
"...Cardiac arrest, coma and multiorgan system failure have been reported as consequences of serotonin syndrome. 123..."
References on Page 90 of Pharmacotherapy (scroll down the above link)
"123. Boyer EW...The Serotonin Syndrome..." - difficult to read the entire title
but assuming it refers to the book mentioned in this google searchwhich lists links below as:
"NEJM -- The Serotonin Syndrome The Serotonin Syndrome Basu D., Gillman P. K., Gnanadesigan N., Espinoza R. T., Smith R. L., Claassen J. A.H.R., Gelissen H. P.M.M., Boyer E. W., Shannon M. ... content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/352/11/1112 - Similar by EW Boyer - 2005 - Cited by 252 - Related articles
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor poisoning Boyer, EW, Shannon, M. The serotonin syndrome. N Engl J Med 2005; 352:1112. .... of Torsades de Pointes (TdP) with cardiac arrest (abstract #86). ... www.uptodate.com/patients/content/topic.do?topicKey... - Cached - Similar
Advanced Emergency Nursing Journal This dysfunction could take the role of cardiac or respiratory arrest, status epilepticus, .... Boyer, ew, & Shannon, M. (2005). The serotonin syndrome. ... journals.lww.com/.../Management_of_Serotonin_Syndrome__Clinical.4.aspx - Similar [In the previous message on the forum, you can see "autonomic dysfunction" as a symptom of Serotonin Syndrome listed in the paragraph commencing Monitor Closely (under the heading Zoloft and Demerol Interactions) from drugs.com]
Informa Pharmaceutical Science - Clinical Toxicology - 45(8):961 ... No evident explanation for this sudden cardiac arrest was found; .... Boyer EW, Shannon M. The serotonin syndrome. N Engl J Med 2005; 352: 111220 ... www.informapharmascience.com/doi/pdf/10.../15563650701438847 - Similar by C Daubin - 2007 - Cited by 2 - Related articles..."
Critical Care | Full text | Bench-to-bedside review: Mechanisms ... 6 Dec 2007 ... Management of the serotonin syndrome involves the removal of the precipitating drugs, ... elevation of serum creatine kinase and hyperkalemia resulting in cardiac arrest, .... Boyer EW, Shannon M: The serotonin syndrome. ... ccforum.com/content/11/6/236 - Cached - Similar by F Eyer - 2007 - Cited by 1 - Related articles - All 6 versions..."
MJ 'surrounded by enablers inc a shameful plethora of MDs who supplied him with drugs'
June 26 2009, 3:38 PM
"Brian Oxman, Jackson family spokesman and attorney, reacted to the tragic news of Michael Jackson's death on CNN. He said he was "stunned" and that he cried with the family. He also said that the people surrounding Michael were "enabling him" and that he "warned" the family that Michael may have been abusing prescription drugs.
Gotham Chopra: Writing Songs With My Friend Mike
My friendship with Michael Jackson was very special to me. Over the last few years, it always felt awkward to explain that I met him initially when I was fifteen-years-old and that we instantly hit it off.
Deepak Chopra: A Tribute to My Friend, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson's mixture of mystery, isolation, indulgence, overwhelming global fame, and personal loneliness was intimately known to me. For twenty years I observed every aspect, and as easy as it was to love Michael -- and to want to protect him -- his sudden death yesterday seemed almost fated. What began as idiosyncrasy, shyness, and vulnerability was ravaged by obsessions over health, paranoia over security, and an isolation that grew more and more unhealthy. He was surrounded by enablers, including a shameful plethora of M.D.s in Los Angeles and elsewhere who supplied him with prescription drugs. "
Physicians/MDs are supposed to be healers, not drug pushers.
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Demerol:
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); chest pain; difficulty urinating; fainting; fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat; mental or mood changes; numbness of an arm or a leg; seizure; severe or persistent dizziness; slowed or difficult breathing; sudden severe headache, nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain; tremor; vision changes.
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: skin rash or hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have any new or worsening symptoms such as: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.
Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
*
very stiff (rigid) muscles, high fever, sweating, fast or uneven heartbeats, tremors, overactive reflexes;
*
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, feeling unsteady, loss of coordination; or
*
headache, trouble concentrating, memory problems, weakness, confusion, hallucinations, fainting, seizure, shallow breathing or breathing that stops.
decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
