AUTHOR: Romie DATE: 4/09/2007 10:49:00 AM ----- BODY:

Okay, so we’ve held out as long as possible on this story, but when it was announced by the California State Medical Board to news outlets that a Los Angeles psychiatrist is being investigated for prescribing all of the11 types of drugs that were found in Anna Nicole Smith's room at the Florida hotel where she died, we had to chime in. The report said that while they were not all prescribed directly to Anna Nicole, they were all provided by the same doctor. Another doctor is also being investigated by the California State Medical Board for prescribing the painkiller methadone and the sedative Ativan to Smith, both of which were found in her system when she died. As reported earlier, the medical examiner did state that the mixture of prescription drugs is what killed her, but which ones or which combinations caused the most damage? For her son, it was a combination of methadone and two antidepressants, Lexapro and Zoloft. The common factors in the death of Anna Nicole and her son are methadone and psychiatric drugs. Do you think the same psychiatrist was involved? Should this be a lesson to the millions of people out there taking similar drug combinations and thinking they’re safe? If so, it is a tragic way for the truth to come out, but if you do some searching, you’ll find that Smith and her son weren’t exactly the only ones in the country who died from these drugs this past year, only the most famous. Article by Eric Digg It | Reddit | Newsvine Seed Add to your bookmarks in: del.icio.us | Yahoo! | Google | Furl | ma.gnolia | Spurl

Labels: celebrity, prescription

-------- AUTHOR: Romie DATE: 3/26/2007 11:33:00 AM ----- BODY:

Recently the Broward County Medical Examiner has ruled that Anna Nicole Smith’s death was the result of an accidental drug overdose. Since she was found unresponsive on Feb 8th in her hotel room in Hollywood, FL there has been a media storm surrounding questions of how she died as well as where to bury her and who gets custody of her infant daughter Dannielynn. It was stated by the Medical Examiner that prescription drugs found in therapeutic levels were present when the body was examined. Benzodiazepine medications such as Klonipin, Valium and Ativan were all found in her body as well as Chloral Hydrate, a sedative used in the short-term treatment of insomnia as well as to relieve anxiety and induce sleep before surgery. It is also used after surgery for pain and to treat alcohol withdrawl. Additionally Topomax, a medication commonly used in the treatment of seizures, the muscle relaxant Soma as well as over the counter medications such as Benedryl and Tylenol were also found to be present in her toxicology report. It is believed that the combination of these and other drugs found in her bloodstream are what resulted in her death. Questions of whether this could have been prevented if the multiple doctors who prescribed these medications were aware of the interactions between them could not be answered. More and more in the United States this is a trend for many drug users who seek out prescription medications from multiple doctors without letting one know about the other, called “doctor shopping” it is a practice many prescription drug abusers are all too familiar with. As we can now see the results of the interactions of these drugs taken together even at therapeutic levels can be deadly. Did Anna Nicole intend to commit suicide or was she simply taking medications as directed? At this point, at least as far as the medical examiner is concerned, the death was accidental; an eerie warning to those who use any combination of these drugs without the physicians who prescribe them being aware of the combinations the patient is taking. Should doctors who prescribe benzodiazepines be held responsible if a person dies from the interaction of drugs they prescribe when taken at therapeutic levels? What do you think? Article by Eric Digg It | Reddit | Newsvine Seed Add to your bookmarks in: del.icio.us | Yahoo! | Google | Furl | ma.gnolia | Spurl

Labels: celebrity, prescription

-------- AUTHOR: Romie DATE: 3/02/2007 01:44:00 PM ----- BODY:

A couple of weeks ago we wrote about celebrities going into rehab. It’s been a hot topic lately, which has only been fueled by the bizarre behavior of the once-labeled “pop princess” Britney Spears. You’d think that the tanked careers and ruined lives of former stars caught up in the “lifestyle” would serve as an example, but I guess that’s not the case. “Party like a rock star” doesn’t seem very appealing any more, but is very cliché. Privacy and comfort seems to be a big issue when celebrities do decide to get help, whether they really mean it or it’s just a public relations handling. However, high prices ranging close to 100K for 3 months and a nice place close to the beach doesn’t necessarily mean they will get the best type of treatment. Accommodations and setting doesn’t equal results. Since celebrity rehab stays have been in the news lately and the reporting has been slammed in your face everywhere you turn, we’d like to turn the tables a bit and see what you have to say about the subject. If you have something to say about it, then this is the place to do it. Tell us your thoughts on the matter and what you would do, for example, if Britney were your relative...? Article by Eric StumbleUpon Toolbar

Labels: celebrity

-------- COMMENT-AUTHOR:Anonymous COMMENT-DATE:Mar 10, 2007 2:38:00 PM COMMENT-BODY:Brittany - So so so so so sad. Do you htink maybe we could of guessed months (years) ago that she doing drugs of some sort? She went so downhill so fast. Imagine with all that she had (money, fame etc...) and whatever her addiction was was more important. Sad so so so sad. But I guess on the bright side .....she is FINALLY getting help and that IS something to respect! -------- AUTHOR: Romie DATE: 2/14/2007 02:24:00 PM ----- BODY:

I was reading an article today about Mike Tyson, the former boxing heavyweight champion, and how he has just entered a rehab center for addiction. I was very interested in the article because Tyson, although very successful as a professional athlete, has struggled with substance abuse for years and subsequently has been in legal trouble off and on for several years. This is an area that I think should really be looked at... criminal behavior associated with substance abuse. Many people who struggle with drug and/or alcohol addiction often get into trouble legally, and rather than sending these guys to jail where they just await their release so that they can get out and fall right back into the same routine; I would love to see more cases where it is recognized that these people probably will not start living better lives until their addictions are successfully handled. As a former drug addict, I have experienced this in my own life. When I was addicted to drugs, I did things that I would have never dreamed of doing when I was clean and sober. I myself got into legal trouble, and fortunately for me, I was given the opportunity to seek help for my drug problem rather than being tossed in jail. For the last 10 years, I have been living a great life and have been able to help thousands of people get involved in effective drug and alcohol treatment programs, and the majority of the people I have helped have had legal problems associated with their addictions. I am not saying that there should be no repercussions for an addict that breaks the law, but let’s figure out how to turn these people into productive members of society rather than filling prisons with wasted lives... what do you say? Article by Eric

Labels: celebrity, political

-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 2/09/2007 02:19:00 PM ----- BODY:

Three titans in the addiction treatment, prevention and recovery fields have teamed up to promote a new series called "Addiction" coming soon to HBO. Collectively, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), Faces & Voices of Recovery and Join Together have formed a partnership to draw national attention to improve access to treatment and increase support for long-term recovery. HBO's project "Addiction" is a 14-part series that will begin March 15. Generally, this is a good thing, but one main part of their message is claiming that addiction is a brain disease, which has never been conclusively proven. While it's great that these organizations have come together to help support the overall efforts in communities nationwide, we fear that giving people the wrong impression could also have its drawbacks. One example of this is that by calling addiction a brain disease, this opens up the door for more chemical treatments, i.e., more drugs to treat a drug problem. There are hundreds of millions of dollars to be made in the pharmaceutical arm of addiction treatment, yet there has never been a drug that helps someone completely recovery. On the contrary, there are some drug-free programs that have been able to demonstrate that people can and do fully recover without relapse or any future symptoms. So which side of the fence do you sit on? That addiction is a treatable disease to be treated with more drugs, or that it is a serious problem that can be cured?

Labels: celebrity, television

-------- AUTHOR: Eric DATE: 2/09/2007 02:07:00 PM ----- BODY:

Original posted on Friday, February 2, 2007 It seems that the latest trend in celebrity culture isn't a new style of sunglasses, a new clothing designer, or getting married (or divorced) - it's going to rehab. Either the media has focused more attention on who is going to rehab, or there are more celebrities entering treatment centers. The trouble is not only identifying which is which, but also figuring out who is doing it as a temporary break from things and who actually is trying to change their ways. Last year it was Mel Gibson following his famous drunken tirade, and then there was Robin Williams on a less dramatic scale. There was also model Kate Moss after pictures appeared of her doing cocaine, but then she's at it again with her boyfriend Pete Doherty. Lindsay Lohan wore an AA coin as if it were a new fashion trend she was starting (because she was still spotted out at clubs and famously bragged of not drinking for a few days), and then finally entered a residential program. Former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson just checked himself into a program following an arrest for possession. Miss USA Tara Connor went for her alcohol abuse, but her half-tearful apology to Donald Trump in a press conference didn't seem all that sincere that she believed she actually had a drinking problem as opposed to getting caught doing something that shed negative light on her and the pageant. Ausie country singer Keith Urban recently went too, but his efforts actually do come across as being true. One that doesn't fully make sense though is Isaiah Washington from Grey's Anatomy. He made some inappropriate comments about a co-star - and then went to rehab, but for what? Negative feelings and horrible judgement? Whether using it as a publicity patch-up maneuver or actually seeking help, sometimes the clinic itself comes into question. Does the most money really buy the best help? While it is true that there are some very good programs out there that cost tens of thousands of dollars over several months, some of the high-priced resort-type programs can be tens of thousands of 30 days or less. Statistics have shown that a longer-term residential program (more than 30 days, and preferably longer than 90 days) is often more effective, but the type of program and environment also play a big role in it. So, is it now chic for celebrities to go to rehab or is it already more of a cliche? More stars publicly admitting they need help and receiving it could spark others to seek help as well, which would be a good thing. But, if 'going to rehab' becomes a joke, then those in need of true rehabilitation are the ones that get harmed in the end, whether we know their names or not. Article by Eric Mitchell

Labels: celebrity

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