Meds killed Anna Nicole Smith's son (methadone, Zoloft, Lexapro)

[Herman Munster]

http://people.aol.com/people/article/0,26334,1540184,00.html

The death of Anna Nicole Smith's 20-year-old son Daniel was caused by a lethal combination of methadone, Zoloft and Lexapro, pathologist Cyril Wecht has revealed to PEOPLE exclusively.

Wecht said the drugs caused the cardiac dysrhythmia that led to Daniel's death. Wecht got the toxicology results from National Medical Services in Willow Grove, Pa., today.

Daniel Smith died in his mother's hospital room Sept. 10 while visiting her in the Bahamas three days after she gave birth to a baby girl named Dannielynn Hope.

Smith's longtime lawyer, Howard K. Stern, revealed Tuesday that he is the father of the little girl.

[LTR]

1. Didn't she used to give her dog Prozac?

I'm just sayin'.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

14. Prozac is commonly prescribed for behavior problems in pets.

I know someone who had to put her cat on Prozac. It's the only thing that keeps him from destroying the house.

[cynatnite]

2. I really feel for her on this...

Losing her son like that in front of her right after having a baby...that's just horrible.

[hyphenate]

3. What doctor in his or her right mind

would give anyone two different anti-depressants?

[powergirl]

5. Maybe a doctor didn't give him two different meds

If he had a problem maybe he was doctor shopping. I do feel bad for their family. Anna Nicole's son seemed like a really nice kid. He was quiet and I think he was in college. Rumor has it that he was distraught over a breakup with a girlfriend. :cry:

[bananas]

6. That's actually becoming pretty common

two or three antidepressants at once.
It's called "augmentation".

edit to add:
"Over one in 5 patients, or 22%, received an augmenting agent, researcher Marcia Valenstein and co-authors reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Of these, 4% received more than one such treatment throughout the year."
http://www.anxiety-and-depression-solutions.com/articles/news/082806_antidepressant.php

[SmokingJacket]

4. That's really terrible.

I once complained to my doctor that Zoloft was making my heart do funny things, but he laughed me out of the office. "The brain has nothing to do with the heart!" I think were his exact words.

[sendero]

8. Family doctors..

... are often clueless about these drugs, but they prescribe them anyway. I'd never take them over a long term without consulting with a psychiatrist.

[Stu DeBeouf]

7. Video killed the radio star....

Celebrity, in this culture, is a disease....ahhh the good life.

[alstephenson]

9. Methadone???? That's synthetic heroin...

they use it to treat heroin addicts. It can also be abused just like heroin.

[cynatnite]

19. Hubby was on it for his back injury a few years back...

not uncommon to use for chronic pain.

[rocktivity]

10. Why would he be taking methadone?

Can it be used for something besides heroin withdrawl?

At any rate, it sounds like an accidental overdose--especially if it's true if he had drinks on the plane ride over.

:headbang:
rocknation

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

15. It's also prescribed for chronic pain sometimes. nt

[Shakespeare]

11. Show me a paternity test, and then I'll believe Stern's the baby daddy.

He's been obsessed with Anna Nicole for years, and has FAR too much control over her. I really, really hope she's got other people around her right now besides Stern. The whole thing is creepy and gives me a bad feeling.

[Radio_Lady]

16. He said the timing would suggest the child is his. This is their

determination and not ours. If the other man wanted a paternity test, he really should have pursued it through the courts, not a national TV tabloid program.

Just my humble opinion. Sad story all around and partially the result of sleeping around -- and the accidental death of a young man with his life ahead of him. Anna Nicole is said to be estranged from her mother -- Daniel's father is not in touch -- the whole thing is just so very sad.

My God, if I were as judgmental as you, "Shakespeare", I would be hanging my head in shame. I had never seen or heard of Mr. Stern until last night -- are you concerned that he's being "kept" by Anna Nicole? He seemed very muted and really more than a little depressed himself.

[Shakespeare]

18. No, I'm not concerned that he's being "kept."

Frankly, I'm concerned about HER safety, and I'm not the only one. I've followed her story closely over the years, because we come from towns rather close together. I think she's a very sweet, naive (if not well educated) woman who's been exploited by far too many people, and Stern is certainly one of them.

I have no idea if the other man is the father--and frankly find his story doubtful, though it seems the two certainly had a short-lived fling. I agree with you completely that his public behavior since the birth (and since the death of her oldest son) has been disgusting.

I think Stern is in love with her, but from what I've read, not in a terribly healthy way. And there's zero evidence--especially from Anna Nicole herself--that she has any romantic feelings for him. I'm seriously concerned about HER right now. Sorry you find that so offensive.

[Radio_Lady]

20. Well, she seems to become estranged from her own mother.

I assume her own father is deceased -- does she have any siblings or other extended family? It's not like there's a tightly knit group clustered around her, which is quite sad.

I don't know what to make of your saying that "Stern is in love with her, but not in a terribly healthy way." What do you mean by that allusion? Is he after her money, is he physically abusive to her, is he trying to worm his way into her life without her permission and speak of her child as his own and his plans to marry her? Well, it could all be an act, but for what purpose? Furthermore, why would she encourage him to go on the Larry King Live Show with this story without her permission?

Unlike you, I have really little knowledge of this particular woman other than the fact that she is quite attractive, and was a model who did a reality TV show (never watched it), she lost a lot of weight, married an older man, and finally has a court judgement that has given her some of the gentleman's money, much to the chagrin of his natural son.

I could tell you about an incident I had with a much older man. He took me out once when I was divorced with two little kids and virtually no money. He offered me a nice sum of money at the time of his death, if I would just look after him for a couple of years because he was dying. I told him "no" but had I less education and no family support, I might have said, "Yes."

My background is in theater arts and broadcasting, and believe me, I've seen lots of performers who get involved with people in their entourage -- and many of these marriages ultimately work out quite well. I can only hope that Mr. Howard Stern (no, not that other one...) means what he says -- and she shares his views.

Keep me posted. Thanks for your comments and I apologize if my flippant answer was odious to you. I didn't mean it that way.

In peace,

Radio_Lady

[Shakespeare]

21. No problem--here's what I know.

She's not very close to anyone in her family, as far as I know. She's been surrounded by hangers-on for years now, most of whom have tried to take advantage of her or use her for their own benefit.

In the case of Stern, I think he's got a sick relationship going on that's not dissimilar from what happened between Brian Wilson and his doctor (the one who kept him estranged from his family and kept him drugged all the time). I think something very much like that is happening with Stern--he's extremely controlling. He wouldn't *allow* her to announce her pregnancy for quite some time, and only did so after the other guy came forward claiming to be the father. Friends of hers were quoted at the time noting that Stern was jealous and attempted to keep her separated from anybody who might get in HIS way.

I'm not so sure that she's authorized him to do ANYTHING since the death of her son, and that's what leaves me feeling queasy. The only information coming from non-Stern sources are that 1. she was heard screaming at Stern that the death was his fault, and 2. she's been kept sedated ever since the death (and presumably--and disturbingly--under the care of Stern). I'll feel much better (and believe me, I'd LOVE to be proven wrong about Stern) if/when we see Anna Nicole herself talking (and not under the obvious influence of drugs, as she so clearly was during that godawful, humiliating reality show).

I think the only person who's ever treated her with true kindness (and not in any kind of unhealthy way, like Stern), is the dead millionaire. I think she's an utterly tragic figure.

[Radio_Lady]

22. Shakespeare, this seems to be a particularly well documented news story.

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=2499105&page=1

All I can say, from the vantage point of my 67 years, is that all of these people hopefully will grow up, grow older, and mellow out somewhat. A lot of things can change when life experiences begin to impact people. You can outgrow a terrible childhood, lack of education, poor choices, lots of money or the lack of it. There are so many twists and turns in this life.

I've been married three times. Had to marry a young doctor who got me pregnant in March 1960. We lost a stillborn daughter in November 1960. Then I married a school chum who had helped me through the first marriage. We were married for nine years. I had two kids in 14 months and my ex-husband found someone he loved more, and walked away in 1971. For a while, I was an "escort" to men in Florida. It was a perfectly legitimate job; there was NO prostitution and I was able to pay the mortgage.

I dated the famous Larry King when he was a young announcer in his 20s and I was a Miami TV star in the 1950s. We met up again and I ended up taking over his radio show when he was arrested in 1971. That catapulted me to some nominal fame as one of the pioneer women radio talk show hosts in Miami and Boston.

Luckily, when I moved to Boston, I met and married a strong, stable, and straight widower with three children -- who helped anchor my scattered life. We will celebrate 34 years of marriage on February 4, 2007. I have learned a great deal since I was this girl on the diving board at the Venetian Pool in Coral Gables, Florida (1956).



Warm regards,

Radio_Lady in Oregon

[FooFootheSnoo]

12. I used to work for a widower

whose wife died under the exact same circumstances. She was in the bathtub by herself when it happened. I think there should be more public warnings about the dangers of mixing antidepressants.

[Stephanie]

13. Methadone - I just saw a show about this

It's being prescribed as a cheap painkiller, but people are dying from it.

[newsguyatl]

17. fucking methadone should be pulled

... folks are dying left and right from that drug!

i personally know one teenager who died from it last year, just by taking one pill!