Michael Jackson's Drug Abuse: Portrait Of His Pill Consumption Emerges

A picture is emerging of Michael Jackson's copious consumption of prescription pills that is downright disturbing. CNN obtained a confidential document that portrays the pop singer as heavily addicted to the powerful anti-anxiety drug Xanax, which Jackson used to battle insomnia.

Jackson was routinely taking more than 10 Xanax pills a night, and was going to extreme lengths to keep up his vast supply, using multiple employees to fill prescriptions of the drug for him under their own names.

According to the document CNN obtained, one Jackson staffer offered this shocking statement: "Jackson was doing better because he was down from 30 to 40 Xanax pills a night."

Additionally, TMZ reports that they've confirmed via law enforcement sources that "Jackson had "dozens" of injection sites and punctures all over his body the day he died."

Comments

[sexyrexy]

finally, now the press is digging the source of MJ's addiction when he had that Pepsi accident. I cannot watch this Pepsi clip-- HORRIFYING!

MJ always needed compassion.

[xtherocksx]

If the charge of 30-40 Xanaxes a night is to be believed, I'm frankly surprised he didn't die sooner considering that the copious Xanax abuse was surely only one part of an unfathomable drug cocktail. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F166o1QO6Y8

[mazaza]

Have sometimes taken Xanax as 0,5mg a day for a couple of weeks in hard times. Can't even think how you'd come out alive with 40 pills.... Seems really weird.

[gracie99]

Forty xanax per night seems incredible. The tablets come in .25, .5, 1 and 2 mg, so he would have been taking a dose between 10 mg and 80 mg!

Anything more than 4 mg/day is considered a high dose. The PDR mentions 10 mg doses as occasionally being necessary. I'd be surprised that a 40 mg dose would even be survivable, and even if it were, there would be a high risk of seizure as the blood levels dropped.

Frankly, I just don't believe this report of how much he used.

I've used xanax off and on for years for anxiety and insomnia, and even .25 mg will put me to sleep. (But I'd never use it every day for fear of developing tolerance and getting hooked on it.)

[missmaryherself]

Much of the criticism of Big Pharma is legitimate, and I'm grateful to the poster who is calling out our poor mental health care for being so persistent because he's right, and the responsible party is insurance companies. They want patients to be prescribed pharmaceuticals, not therapy, because pushing pills at people costs so little. People get their symptoms treated, their root problems ignored, and addiction becomes likely.
That said: I was born with spinal problems that I've "doctored" for since I was 9 years old. The deterioration that I was told then would take place has arrived on schedule. I've worked hard all my life to stay physically strong and not add extra weight. But it is what it is, and I've been a chronic pain patient for the past 8 years: pain medication is now what makes a normal life possible for me. The meds I take are strictly controlled: patients must be seen every month, there are no refills, scripts cannot be called in, they randomly do both drug tests and psychiatric evaluations. I lock my meds up at all times and gladly and gratefully do whatever I’m asked: without pain meds, I'd head for the tallest building. But creating addicts by ignoring their root problems is the underbelly of Big Pharma and Big Insurance. Thanks to all who continue to speak this truth to those formidable powers.

[gracie99]

As you probably are aware, given your condition, there's quite difference between dependence and addiction.

Doesn't seem to be clear yet whether Jackson was addicted or just dependent, i.e. whether he was just controlling symptoms with the need for ever-greater amounts and unable to stop without severe withdrawal or whether he was abusing drugs to get high.

[sexyrexy]

huhm.. Elvis was just as bad.. he'd take his pills, then eat his late night dinner.. then he'd fall asleep almost choking him.. so many SOS he Had.. these huge pieces of meat would come flying out his mouth !!!

whatever!

[SUNRAI]

Who knows how many pills MJ was taking...was this person counting them out for him?

If so...shameful...and we don't even know the dosage levels. He could have been on a low dosage and needed to take more pills to get the effect he needed....

Truly we just don't know unless there. So the majority of this is hearsay.....

[ssevngs]

If america thought they had a problem with members of our armed forces getting addicted to heroin during the Vietnam war they better get ready for the troops fighting in Afghanistan. This is about addiction. NOT MICHAEL JACKSON! what do you think they turn those poppies into? Wake up to a larger picture America. All of you whiners go cry in your pillows why don't you.

[Bude]

Have another beer. Get me one too.

[sexyrexy]

you should get together with debbie and have a high ol' time knocking back dos equis & tequilas!

[ssevngs]

What is the deal with this "everyone is to blame except me attitude"? I have known a few addicts and not one of them was tied down and forced to inject the drug of THEIR CHOICE into THEIR VEINS! If mental health issues were not so taboo in this country maybe M.J.'s death and that of THOUSANDS of other lesser known citizens in our country could have been prevented..he was not shooting drugs for absolutely no reason at all people.

[eleanorhawking]

Yeah. Always blaming somebody ELSE, when the person responsible is right there in the MIRROR.

[slaxx]

insomnia sux. 10 xanax a night? 30? 40? even though people do build up a tolerence, i think that amount would be enough to k.i.l.l a horse.

and docs or nurses here with an opinion on this?

[psychmaj323]

He had too much power and too much money as a Black person. When you get that high and you begin to try and remove the power from under Whites, they try and stop you. They don't want blacks to have that kind of power, the kind of power that really shakes things up and Michael was getting ready to shake a lot of things up. I don't believe this story about drug dependence. Yes he had lupus, vitiligo & fibromyalgia   And insomnia, but I don't believe this man was hooked. At first I thought so, but after hearing that interview on youtube with Jesse Jackson, I don't believe this story. 

[sarahwaters]

you are bringing the color of a person's skin into this.........people like you make me.............

[psychmaj323]

I don't CARE. The point here is that THIS REALLY DOES HAPPEN. You can turn a blind eye if you like, but IT HAPPENS.

[PEACEKIMI]

DITTO!!!!!!!!

[XCITIZEN]

Yeah, right, and you probably don't believe MJ was gay either, although there is plenty of evidence to back that up.

[TheBaffler]

Plenty of evidence? Offer just a little. Back it up.

[ssevngs]

thats whats great about this country! even gays can be junkies if they choose. what is the problem here?

[psychmaj323]

There's PLENTY OF EVIDENCE THAT SUGGEST OTHERWISE. It's funny how you all mention this evidence, but never provide any!

EVIDENCE:

Shana Mangatal dated Michael Jackson for years, before lisa marie and she is this SECRET GF everyone is talking about.

PROOF THE MAN WAS NOT GAY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YpAFI3gPkg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDRRdpny69Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mldB_3ywBwA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8_JhGAGZLE
He didn't need to be all out there with his personal relationships

PROOF, that there is some evidence that he might have been targeted.

HE OWNED 1/2 of SONY!!!
He was about to build a resort in AFRICA,
He gave all the BLACK artists BACK their PUBLISHING RIGHTS
He was speaking out against Tommy Mottola

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNOEk9OjNro

[XCITIZEN]

And one more thing: If Michael Jackson's death was a conspiracy by whites to destroy him before he 'shook things up' - which is what I'm reading into your comment, then what role did the Nation of Islam play in getting involved in running Jackson's life toward the end - were they there to help him? More info:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196009/Im-better-dead-Im-How-Michael-Jackson-predicted-death-months-ago.html

[psychmaj323]

NOI??? lol

NOI had NOTHING TO BENEFIT FROM MICHAEL'S DEATH, get it?

It's all about money!
Michael never converted to Islam, and the Daily Mail is JUNK...

These are people OUT TO CASH IN...

[ssevngs]

Drug addiction is all about mental illness! I don't believe it is relegated to any particular race. Has nothing to do with black or white, rich or poor. Junkie on the street or addict in the house on the hill. There is a reason they have an addiction. We are wasting good money on a drug war that is no more winnable than our war in Iraq. America needs to take off its blinders and deal with the mental well being of its citizens. And i am not talking about black,whit­e,hispanic­,oriental or native americans. Our whole TRIBE of AMERICANS needs these resources made available to us without all the negative stigma that accompanies it in our society today.

[SUNRAI]

huh? MJ has had this power over 20 years...so NOW "they" [who ever "they" are] want to stop a 50 year old man? That doesn't even make any sense..."they" want to stop him from what? He was about to shake what up? It was "they" who wanted him back out there. There are interviews where MJ admits to disliking touring...so who was really running who?

[lilguy]

We do not know what caused MJs death, because the LA coroner hasnt completed his investigation. But, why do we need the coroner? The news media has convicted him of death by overdose, much like they convicted him of child molestation,of being weird of trying to be white etc.

[HeatherRay]

Exactly! The media has taken it upon themselves to decide how he died and are broadcasting it around like it's the truth. It's bad reporting and very bad ethics.

[MagicEightBall]

Poor Michael Jackson. Clearly none of the negative things that happened to him over the last 15 years were caused by his actions in any way. It can all just be chalked up to the media being out to get him (and Sarah Palin).

I don't know who you've been following, but any mainstream article or report I've seen has used sourcing to back up its claims. However, I'm sure CNN doctored the legal documents mentioned above and MSNBC has just pretended to have law enforcement contacts all of this time (because apparently Jackson always was and always will be the victim, regardless of the facts or circumstances). It's not bad or unethical reporting just because you don't want to hear the truth presented.

[Bude]

Denial is what caused his demise. Denial.

[ssevngs]

you dont know that. most drug addicts readily admit that they are an addict. it"s the alcoholics that are usually in denial. when you put a needle in you arm and fall out before you have a chance to even remove it you know for sure that you have PROBLEM!

[RACVC]

If it is true - that he had copious poly addictions and was using IV anesthesia to fall asleep - who was watching the children? What a mess on so may levels.
Authorities need to get involved big time. If this is true MJ's "doctors" and staff that contributed to his outrageous addiction need to become test cases for the law and they all need to be prosecuted.

[wanked]

Pedophile/ drugged out zombie= a true american icon

[sexyrexy]

you c an say that about Elvis,, toots..

[SUNRAI]

LOL, that's who I thought they were talking about lol ....