The Real Reason for Michael Jackson's Death? His Secret Fatal Illness

Was the King of pop really felled by prescription drug use and abuse ? Those who speculate on this theory could be dead wrong! Instead, Michael could very well be the victim of the lupus he suffered from.

Did you know that Michael Jackson, was the victim of a rare auto-immune disease called lupus? Yes, he was according to his Wikipedia biography and as it turns out -- lupus sufferers frequently die in their 40s and 50's from sudden heart attacks, caused by atherosclerosis. Let me explain.

Lupus causes inflammation in many of the body's organs including the arteries of the heart. The inflamed arteries then cause cholesterol to deposit on their walls.These deposits cause scarring, and the whole process primes lupus victims to have massive heart attacks, which are often asymptomatic beforehand.

Mild lupus sufferers, like Jackson, are actually more at risk for having a fatal heart attack, according to Dr Michael Lockshin, a rheumatologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. The reason for this is because people who have a mild case of lupus are less likely to take any of the medications which would prevent inflammation of the organs.

Now if you don't believe that Jackson had lupus consider this: vitiligo, which Jackson also suffered from, resulting in the famous pigment loss in his skin, is also an auto-immune disease. Coincidentally, vitiligo and lupus are often diagnosed in the same person, explains Dr. Lockshin. In other words, it would not have been unusual for Michael Jackson to have suffered from both ailments.

Here's another key fact: African-Americans are four times more like to be lupus victims than Caucasians. However, lupus is far more common in women than men. Still men, do get it.

So would prescription drug abuse have exacerbated a case of lupus? Only if demerol was injected intravenously, would it also have damaged Jackson's heart, according to Dr. Lockshin. Demerol injected into his muscles would not have played a deadly role and neither would drugs like Xanax and Zoloft.

Lupus also frequently causes inflammation and pain in the joints, which could explain why Jackson was sometimes seen in a wheel chair. This might also explain why Jackson had not performed in years. Maybe it wasn't just the stress of the child molestation charges and trials that forced him to put his performance career on hold. Maybe, he was simply unwilling to share his medical problems with the public.

Until a possible lupus-induced heart attack felled him, the King of Pop may have preferred to preserve the illusion that he was still, at least in some ways, invincible!

Follow Bonnie Fuller on Twitter: www.twitter.com/bonniefuller

Comments

[Michael Larson]

I would like to know how these people are able to accuse the author of citing her article based entirely from Wikipedia. I do not remember her even using a work cited. In addition, the best information we have is based on Wikipedia, because ALL information written on a Wikipedia must be cited from other reliable sources. If it is not properly cited, it is contested, marked for citation, and must be changed or cited to become creditable. All you have to do is scroll to the bottom of the page to see sometimes hundreds of foot notes.

On the other hand, the old encyclopedia worked much the same way... only was NEVER fully current, and could not be contested and edited except by issuing a new edition.

These blowhard comments about the use of Wikipedia are just an attempt to discredit based on the human weakness to discredit because of possible suspicion. I will cite a Wikipedia any day if it has the proper proof to back it up.

[Michael Larson]

Dear Reader,

Please be advised of my blog post at www.pyxisstudios.us pertaining to Michael Jackson's Lupus condition.

Pyxis Studios
Michael Larson
San Diego, CA

"Having lupus is like having your mind in fifth gear and not being able to get your body out of first."
"It's the tiredness. Even if you could sleep all day and night it wouldn't help."
"Because you look well, nobody understands the way you are feeling."
Demographics of Lupus
[xv]Races effects: African American > Hispanic > Asian > Native American > Caucasian
Sex percentages: 90% are women
Estimated 1.5 million Americans are affected by lupus each year
Over 5 Million worldwide
--

Sincerely,
Michael Larson

Multimedia Design
Pyxis Studios, Inc.
San Diego, California
pyxisstudios.comyxisstudios.com
[e-mail]

[shimari]

Lupus is not rare and not fatal.

FAIL.

[mthgeek14]

Lupus can be fatal. SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) runs in my family. I had a cousin who died of complications from SLE, and it's caused my kidneys to shut down twice already.

[Michael Larson]

Actually yes, complications from Lupus can and are generally fatal at some point. Lupus also degrades the body's natural ability to heal properly. Sorry to burst your uneducated bubble, but you are only partially correct. Lupus is not rare. but then again against world populations, 5 million lupus sufferers in the world is not that much. So then again, yes it is rare. Go educate yourself before making completely baseless arguments.

http://www.pyxisstudios.us/apps/wordpress/2009/07/09/michael-jacksons-story-of-lupus-why-the-media-doesnt-want-you-to-know/

[singingpatient]

oh by the way lupus is not rare; it's just not well-known. more than 1.5 million americans have lupus.

[singingpatient]

here's the thing. If michael jackson had lupus, he would have to hide it in order to be able to keep working. that's how show biz works. you can't get anyone to insure your tour if you might end up sick and cancel because of a rpe-existing condition. so if i were him and wanted to keep open the option of working, i would hide the fact that i had lupus. also, lupus is so misunderstood that i imagine he did not want to have to be the poster child for it and have ot educate everyone on this misunderstood disease. he had enough crap swirling around him as it was.

lupus would explain everything- the umbrellas shielding him from the sun, the autoimmune skin disease, the need for pain killers and other drugs.

some say that anna nicole smith had lupus, and that she hid it because she didn't want to be remembered that way.
very few celebs come out adn admit to a chronic illness. lots of them come out and talk about cancer, because cancer has a great public campaign of awareness and no stigma attached to it anymore. also, it's something that happens, then you get better. the chronic illness... is chronic.

[sweetcaroline7]

DO you know anyone with LUPUS ? --if so you will hear the PAIN and STIFFNESS and INSOMNIA they go thru --its a very painfull disease that is made worse by STRESS ---I feel very sad for the things that MJ went thru --the FATIGUE is so so so terrible ---he must have fought very hard to entertain --and if he used drugs to stop the pain its very understandable ---a DAILY CONSTANT PAIN IS NOT THE SAME AS A HEADACHE OR BROKEN BONE EVEN ---ITS DAILY AND ALL NIGHT LONG ----so he had his STORY and its got to be fairly told ----get the facts on LUPUS AND VITALIGO ----he deserves respect and understanding .

[davide1982]

I wonder why everyone now consider only drugs misuse as the main reason of Michael Jackson's sudden death!?!? There were plenty of events contributed to his poor health that happened quite before the recent times. Here I've tried to list all of them:

http://www.myhowtoos.com/en/red-hot/85-what-really-killed-michael-jackson-full-list

[longlivemjj]

Michael had Discoid Lupus and it's OLD NEWS.

For those saying Michael could have treated his Vitiligo by going to dark that's only if the Vitiligo hasn't spread over your entire body. Why would he try to make his skin brown if the majority of his body is milk white?

[mthgeek14]

Are you sure it was discoid and not systemic? I never heard anything official before until his dermatologist said he had lupus a few nights ago on the news, and he didn't say what kind.

[Michael Larson]

His dermatologist could never diagnose SLE. It takes blood work and a rheumatologist who studies your blood, kidney functions, and other things like capillaries under your fingernails, all of which can point them toward the proper diagnoses. No wonder he died if he doctors that literally had no education on the difference. All lupus patients have the same skin disease, but there are some huge difference­s... and DLE never looks as bad on the surface either. Michael actually showed all the signs of SLE and was diagnosed a long time ago with SLE not DLE. See, people generally just do not have the ability to look deeper than the skin. I am so tired of the complete lack of knowledge so many people exude. Just a simple Google search could clear up so much about the differences, and just a little more would educate you on Michael's health history... I wonder what people actually do spend time doing online. I think they be run around trolling for places to publicly display their ignorance.
I have lived with diagnosed lupus (SLE) for 8.5 years, with signs of it all the way back into my mid-teens. Thank God I had doctors who educated themselves in order to make sure got the best treatment they could find for me.

I believe that doctor, Inside Edition, and anyone else who spouts out with DLE should be held accountable for propagation of false information and blatant negligence.

[Michael Larson]

You are incorrect, and ill informed, just like so many others. It was not Discoid, It was Systemic..­. I think you need to read the difference.

http://www.pyxisstudios.us/apps/wordpress/2009/07/09/michael-jacksons-story-of-lupus-why-the-media-doesnt-want-you-to-know/

[Amina]

Thank you for posing his medical maladies as a possible explanation for his cardiac arrest.
If the toxicology tests return as unremarkable; the naysayers/­pundits/es­tranged former staff just MAY
bow out of their brief moments in the spotlight.

[LiseyBendy]

My father died of cancer last year in June. Four days before his death he turned to me and looked me deeply in the eyes and he said "This is it!"

I knew what he meant, but I asked him what he meant. He said "This is it, the gate is shut."

I am amazed Michael Jackson called his tour "THIS IS IT"

I think they both knew that death was near.

RIP Michael and Stanley.

[ladyoftheisland]

A long time ago I was surprised to learn lupus is a "woman's disease" only because I'd never heard of the disease until I met a man who had it. Not sure how this writer managed to make this a big headline, even I, who know little of the music business, had heard Michael Jackson had it which would explain a lot. BUT, were it true why wouldn't it be openly discussed? Primarily but not exclusively a woman's disease, the man I knew had no gender issues and was solidly hetro.

But citing Wikipedia, please?!

[DM08]

Why was there so much focus on vitiligo during his lifetime and no mention of his lupus?

Interesting article, anyway. And this:

"Still men, do get it."

is either regrettable grammar or profound advice. I'll assume it was the latter. I will try to be a "still" man and hope that I "get it." I've been pretty confused lately.

[Michael Larson]

I am a 31 year old male, and yes, I have it.
I do not suggest you wait to "get it", it is something you DO NOT want to get. Trust me.

[piompino]

That was the exact thought that popped into my head...not exactly investigative reporting!

[bryony01]

Jackson's lupus was diagnosed as being in remission. Fuller's made a lot of hay out of her sudden "discovery," which turns out to be no discovery at all. As for his skin disease, the Mayo Clinic (online -- you can check it out) says that the dark portion of skin can either be removed or RESTORED. We know which decision the pop star favored. How better to repudiate his father and entire family than to take away all trace of their race, also his own regardless of his skin color. It's the choice an aggrieved child would make, and Jackson was the worst case of arrested development that has ever played itself out on a world stage.

[Michael Larson]

Actually If you read just a bit more about his life, and understand ANYTHING about lupus, you will realize a few facts.
1. At the "time" of his announcing he had lupus, it was "currently" in remission. I do not know what makes you think remission means permanent disappearance of symptoms.
2. He was diagnosed about 25 years ago. They knew much less about the disease at that time.
3. He was diagnosed about 25 years ago. Stress induces lupus flares, almost guaranteed. In addition secondary injuries can cause a lupus flare also. It is also documented and can be found with just a little bit of research that Michael's lupus condition flared multiple times after his original diagnoses.

As far as his skin turning white, I can not believe how uneducated you really are. I wont even waste my time to comment further...

No, the author of this article does not have Breaking News, except that it breaks the rules so many want to keep in judging the life and death of Michael.

[Sunshine1970]

...You're trusting Wikipedia as a source...

[Michael Larson]

of course we trust Wikipedia as a source. it is the official and most well documented resource available at this time. I would trust it far more than any book of references. Wiki can be contested, edited based on new more reliable sources, and has the whole world as it's critic. Your days of citing books as the only definitive source of reference are in fact dead! Colleges now find more credible work cited by online resources than any other media, and have adjusted MLA format in order to accommodate these materials.

[Chubbster]

Michael is dead and it's way past time to move to another distraction. More TV anyone?

[hippiesandwich]

But... but... but... Jon & Kate are on hiatus...

*sigh*