Report: Overdose of prescription drugs may have killed Michael Jackson

Thu, Jun. 25, 2009

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 (SSRI Antidepressant) 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 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.

Posted on Thu, Jun. 25, 2009 08:41 PM

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

Jackson family spokesman Brian Oxman reacts to the news of
Michael Jackson’s death. He says he is “stunned” and adds that he
warned the family that prescription drug abuse might have contributed
to his death.

“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.”

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