[xTerm]

Well, I was really no fan of his and some may think that this "news" has no business here but if this turns out to be true, it could well lead even tighter regulations on opiate based pain killers, especially since his personal physician is supposed to have been present when this happened.
Thousands of nobodies can die from something like this each year, with no action but if someone as important as MJ dies from a drug over dose, people will take notice and certain regulators could seize on the opportunity to make sweeping changes in the way doctors prescribe opiates.
Pain patients are already broken down in classes, two of which are the ones that are under-medicated and the ones that are over-medicated.
There are definitely people out there that need pain meds that cant get it or cant get it in effective doses and there are people out there that may or may not need it and get way more than they need, i include myself in the second class of patients.
Basically, what im trying to say is that, if toxicology reports come back positive for an OD, this event could be a defining moment for chronic pain patients, so just be aware.

http://www.kansascity.com/stargazing/story/1282600.html

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.

[chronic09]

I know this is an old post, but I just wanted to say that, yes, this has changed the way my PA looks at things. When I asked him for something for anxiety, he said he didn't want me to end up like Michael Jackson or Anna Nicole Smith.

It's a shame that celebs can even influence how our doctors treat us!

[Robert_325]

I agree that the incident with Michael is affecting the manner in which RX narcotics are being prescribed by many drs (especially the script drs). But in my own recent experience with legitimate drs even though I refused the RX opiates when they've been offered to me I have seen no hesitation on the part of any of my drs to prescribe any pain medications when I've needed them.

It primarily depends on the history of the patient and the conditions for which the meds are being offered. RX opiates are still relatively easily obtained for patients without histories consisting of recent abuse and for those with real medical problems. I've been declining RX opiates from drs for months. God bless.

[Cats Meow]

When you're a MJ, you have access to anything you want, if one doctor (or whatever) doesn't give you what you want, you simply go to another one, someone eventually will give you what you ask for, and I feel his personal physician will end up railroaded, but I guess somebody has to take the blame, but it should be MJ alone, he made the choice and should have known the consequences.
A "tragedy" such as this will have no effect on the medical profession or how drugs are prescribed, and one happenstance should not anyway.

[MaisieC]

It seems to me the Heath Ledger thing is much more relevant to regular folks like us than the MJ thing. MJ was involved in drug abuse on a scale that most of us (fortunately) cannot touch. Apparently he was being anesthetized every night! It also sounds like he had a major pain pill habit, but it doesn't sound like that was the cause of death.

By the way, I saw the MJ movie over the weekend (I was never a huge fan of his, but I did like some of his songs). It really is a fascinating movie, and it's great to watch him working. But I kept staring up in wonder at the screen thinking, "this guy got anesthetized every night, then came to work the next day and did this." It really is astounding the amount of abuse the human body can tolerate before it expires. Terrifying the way tolerance builds up, and of course that's how so many ODs happen...through people mistakenly thinking they "know what they're doing." That's how my best friend ended up killing herself, because she thought she was in control.

[cheekysod]

hi maisie,
i work with youth. we took ourselves along to "this is it", we all enjoyed it. some laughs, specially the crotch grabbing ay, with that girl. funny.
anyway i was amazed also, that for his apparent taking of large quantities of combinations of drugs, that he managed to remember all the moves required, i was thinking "and hes on a ton of opiates, benzos, downers, sleepers" it is quite mind boggling to think how he did it alright. specially as in my small experiences with benzos, they make you groggy the next day as well.

i feel sad that people can enable in such a massive way. we know it is MJ's own addiction, but he had hoardes of people and yes men, getting everything he wanted. how many people you know will administer a drip for you.?
a couple. but they ain't doctors. shame on that doctor is all i can say.

and we often do things, not expecting FATAL consequences, we are the lucky ones,
he was an amazing artist,
rock on MJ

[newyorkgal]

Maise is right. We relate much more to the Anna Nicole and Heath Ledger story that the MJ story. MJ was taking drugs in an amount pretty unknowln to humankind. He died from a combo of benzo and anesthetic, a med that they would use to put you to sleep before surgery. WTF???? The point is, when you have "everything" you can get "everything" as well. even when what you're getting is bad for you.