I just read in the news that Michael Jackson's death was ruled a homicide. I predict a media orgy that will be longer and louder than you'd think was possible.
We're hoping this will be your ticket to fame, fortune, and a chance to meet Oprah.
Maybe the whole sad incident will focus attention on the appalling lack of research on drug combinations. From what I've heard, doctors don't pay nearly enough attention to what medications someone's on before prescribing others. Not that that was a factor, here, since it sounds like anyone with an M.D. would have known that this was a toxic combination. There are definitely some doctors who'll write an Rx for anything the patient wants, or maybe it's only if the patient is rich and famous and persistent.
My late ex-husband had a psychiatrist who treated his depression with oxycodone, and I have little doubt that Matt was addicted to oxycodone at the end of his life (I saw the signs when he and I split up three years earlier) and that that was a factor in his suicide. The doctor was doing all sorts of research supposedly showing that oxycodone was often effective for people with otherwise intractable depression, and the patients didn't show a rise in addiction, though a five-minute interview with anyone who knew him (me, for example) would have revealed that Matt was a high risk for addiction. But would I even have said that? I was so desperate, as was Matt himself, for something that would make a difference.
The doctor was doing all sorts of research supposedly showing that oxycodone was often effective for people with otherwise intractable depression Wow! That's really a shame. I'm amazed that any doctor would try using oxycodone for depression. Injecting heroin would probably also make a person feel less depressed (while the heroin was active), but that doesn't make it a good idea. If I were severely depressed, I'd do ECT (electroshock therapy) before trying oxycodone. (Frankly, I think a lot of psychiatrists are kooks.)
I actually think that quite a lot is known about drug interactions. But, getting doctors to ask patients what else they are taking, and remember which drugs interact -- now, that's another story. Probably, the only way to handle this is by having doctors enter all the patient's drugs into a computer that flags possible interactions.
I really don't know if drug interactions were an issue in Jackson's death. The doctor may have just injected the Propofol too quickly. This issue will probably be in the news again, though.
We're hoping this will be your ticket to fame, fortune, and a chance to meet Oprah. Thank you! I could certainly use some fortune. (Not sure how I feel about fame.)
Maybe the whole sad incident will focus attention on the appalling lack of research on drug combinations. From what I've heard, doctors don't pay nearly enough attention to what medications someone's on before prescribing others. Not that that was a factor, here, since it sounds like anyone with an M.D. would have known that this was a toxic combination. There are definitely some doctors who'll write an Rx for anything the patient wants, or maybe it's only if the patient is rich and famous and persistent.
My late ex-husband had a psychiatrist who treated his depression with oxycodone, and I have little doubt that Matt was addicted to oxycodone at the end of his life (I saw the signs when he and I split up three years earlier) and that that was a factor in his suicide. The doctor was doing all sorts of research supposedly showing that oxycodone was often effective for people with otherwise intractable depression, and the patients didn't show a rise in addiction, though a five-minute interview with anyone who knew him (me, for example) would have revealed that Matt was a high risk for addiction. But would I even have said that? I was so desperate, as was Matt himself, for something that would make a difference.
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Wow! That's really a shame. I'm amazed that any doctor would try using oxycodone for depression. Injecting heroin would probably also make a person feel less depressed (while the heroin was active), but that doesn't make it a good idea. If I were severely depressed, I'd do ECT (electroshock therapy) before trying oxycodone. (Frankly, I think a lot of psychiatrists are kooks.)
I actually think that quite a lot is known about drug interactions. But, getting doctors to ask patients what else they are taking, and remember which drugs interact -- now, that's another story. Probably, the only way to handle this is by having doctors enter all the patient's drugs into a computer that flags possible interactions.
I really don't know if drug interactions were an issue in Jackson's death. The doctor may have just injected the Propofol too quickly. This issue will probably be in the news again, though.
We're hoping this will be your ticket to fame, fortune, and a chance to meet Oprah.
Thank you! I could certainly use some fortune. (Not sure how I feel about fame.)
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