Cognizant of the fact that no toxicology report has been released and that people often do not dispose of meds once they finish taking them, I looked up the meds they listed. Out of 10, 3 have addictive potential: Ativan, Vicoprofen, and hydrocodone. Even if Murphey were taking them all at the same time, that doesn’t mean much. Shockingly, people can actually take meds that have addictive potential and yet not abuse them. People always seem to forget that.

I’ve never known anyone who abused prescription medication they were prescribed, the meds they abused were always purchased from someone with a prescription or a third party. Similarly, I’ve only ever heard sensationalist stories in the media of “doctor shopping” in order to acquire the meds one abuses. I mean, I’m sure people do it but maybe I don’t have enough rich friends to hear personal anecdotes on the matter.

…guys? Anyone?

And as far as I know, there’s no “epidemic” — or even a scintilla of evidence — of people abusing Topamax, Biaxin, propranolol (it’s a beta blocker, Dr. Vulture, you know that), methylprednisolone, or fluoxetine (aka Prozac).

Only four of those drugs are even controlled substances at all, and hydrocodone is part of Vicoprofen, so it wouldn’t even show up in a tox report as a separate drug. And yeah, I have drugs in my house I don’t take any more because I just haven’t gotten around to tossing them yet. I guess I’d better not let them see the bottle of (gasp) dextroamphetamine that I use in small doses to counter the soporific qualities of Remeron. Or the clonazepam (Klonopin) I use maybe once or twice a month, in doses so tiny my pharmacist actually wondered if the instructions were a typo. (“One-sixteenth of a pill? Is that right?” “Yes, any more than that and I fall asleep.” “Oh.”) This prejudice that anyone who uses any controlled substance for more than 48 hours is a DOPE FIEND!!11!!! is total crap.

And Dr. Clownshoes doesn’t even stop to think that celebrities (and other rich people) can get the scrips they need or want a lot more readily than the rest of us can. Or that men can get them a lot more readily than women, whose symptoms more often get written off as malingering. What he’s suggesting — that doctors have immediate computer access to all prescriptions that a patient has filled — might help them catch the few people who actually are prone to abuse and/or overdose, or might be dealing them on the black market.

But if they can’t tell the difference between someone who’s mixing the drug with other drugs and/or alcohol for kicks (who more often than not raid someone else’s supply anyway, or buy it on the street), or stockpiling drugs for a deliberate OD, or taking way more than the maximal recommended amounts or rapidly escalating dosages, with someone who’s being very careful and conscious with the meds and (like you say) probably doesn’t have the energy to doctor-shop in the first place…geez. What are we paying them for, anyway?

My neurologist a long time ago believed I didn’t need anything narcotic at all. HAH. I’ve been on one for a year and a half. Strange how my life improved and my ability to do things increased once I got halfway decent pain relief!

It was heartache and headache the months of pain before I got to the pain specialist who believed me and in one visit turned my temporary dose and doubled it and made it long-term. He said that it was an innocuous dose of that prescription – the oh-so-maligned vicodin.

It is frankly infuriating how few doctors are willing to actually treat pain or refer us to people who will. It was one of the things that really brought home to me that for other people, becoming a PWD is turning in your ‘human being’ card. Maybe we’ll get through to them someday.

~Kali
http://www.brilliantmindbrokenbody.wordpress.com

Also, I think when celebrities, especially woman celebrities, run into drug problem — even if it is prescription — or any type of socially unacceptable behavior, the media has a field day with it. I have heard very little of Murphy’s private life until now, but all of a sudden she is some closet drug addict. When Heath Ledger died, we were told by the media to give his family respect… interesting the difference.

Great piece, annaham!

I don’t know the case with Murphy. The fact that numerous medications were found in her apartment means nothing. She could have been prescribed them at different times in hopes of finding something that would treat whatever issue she has. Not everyone throws medication away if they get switched; in fact, I’d think most people do not.

I hate how people see that someone is on medication and died, and then assume that either there is something wrong with the medicine or that the person is a drug addict. It makes everything so much harder for those of us who need to be on these medications. I’ve actually had people tell me I need to have my doctor switch me away from Ambien or I’ll die like Heath did. *headdesk*