Report: Overdose of prescription drugs may have killed Michael Jackson

Report: Overdose of prescription drugs may have killed Michael Jackson

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.

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.