Brittany Murphy died

[berthesghost]

I haven't read that she had Type II. Just "diabetes". The extreme thinness is definitely something you see with a lot of people who have Type 1 Diabetes so that seems more likely to me.but the coroner also said that she was "normal" weight, and not too thin.

of course, the authorities also said that Jacko wasn't underweight at something crazy like 130 lbs and 5'-10" :eek:

if Murphy and Jackson were "normal", then I guess Calista Flockhart and Rachel Zoe better start getting help for their clinical obesity. :lol:

[IceAlisa]

Demystifying the meds:

methoprenisolone is a steroid
Fluoxetine is generic for Prozac
Vicoprofen is Vicodin+Ibuprofen-acetomenophen, basically Tylenol is taken out and replaced with Ibuprofen
hydrocodone (with acetamenophen)=Vicodin

[Anita18]

but the coroner also said that she was "normal" weight, and not too thin.

of course, the authorities also said that Jacko wasn't underweight at something crazy like 130 lbs and 5'-10" :eek:

if Murphy and Jackson were "normal", then I guess Calista Flockhart and Rachel Zoe better start getting help for their clinical obesity. :lol:
I think for a coroner, life-threateningly dire underweight means sub-90 lbs for a normal-height woman.

Jackson was certainly scary-thin, but I know men that thin and they just don't put on weight. My dad's one of them, and I work with another who does eat. Quite a bit, actually, but he still looks like skeletor. :lol: Could they work more at putting on weight? Sure, and my dad could honestly use more muscle mass. But it doesn't mean they're on the brink of death.

[Holley Calmes]

First of all, I am so sorry about Brittany. I thought she was really charming. I'll never forget her in "Clueless" sitting on that couch, swinging her legs and singing the "Mentos" song. I eat mentos like they're going out of style, and often I'll start singing that song.....ok. I know that's pathetic. But still, she was a beautiful lady. I am so sorry.

About skinny people. Evidently, my husband was an ectomorph trying to get out of an endomorph body. Until he was 25, he was 6'3" and weighed a lot. He finally decided to do something about his weight, quit smoking and started running. Turned out he was good at it, and he's remained a 6'3" person who's weighed between 170 an 190 pounds for the past 40 years. He eats a LOT, though no red meat, and he gave up alcohol, though he was thinner during the years he drank some. Human metabolism is a fascinating subject.

[laurenjm]

Demystifying the meds:

methoprenisolone is a steroid
Fluoxetine is generic for Prozac
Vicoprofen is Vicodin+Ibuprofen-acetomenophen, basically Tylenol is taken out and replaced with Ibuprofen
hydrocodone (with acetamenophen)=Vicodin

Is this some of what she was prescribed?

[skaternum]

This thread got me thinking about what the authorities would find if I ever died in my home -- and how those findings might be interpreted.

I practically have a pharmacy in my house. I've had 5 knee surgeries of various sorts (some quite nasty). My husband has arthritis and a couple of surgeries of his own, including a UPPP, and he takes a cocktail of antidepressants and stabilizers to keep his episodic depression under control. His last episode of depression was accompanied by anxiety and insomnia (not uncommon). We generally keep our unused medication around until it expires.

So if one of us dropped dead, the authorities would find a variety of hardcore pain killers, anti-depressants, sleep aids, anxiety medication, etc. If we were famous, what would you guys be saying about us? :eek:

[cruisin]

Is this some of what she was prescribed?

The article does not say if all of the above named drugs were prescribed to her. It was originally stated that prescriptions were found in her name, her husband's name, and her mother's name.

There are quite a few psychiatric drugs, and doubles of types (though some do work differently). Ativan and Klonopin, both pretty strong anti-anxiety. Fluoxetine (Prozac) is the only designated anti-depressant, but Topamax is also prescribed for depression, OCD, bi-polar, psychosis, though it is actually an anti-seizure drug. Granted, it is not unusual to use anti-anxiety with anti-depressants for some psych disorders. Two forms of Vicodin. The Propranolol could indicate that there was some underlying heart/vascular issues, it lowers blood pressure (though that could be her mother's). If she was drinking with that drug cocktail, whew!

skaternum, I throw all pain meds away as soon as I am done with them. I don't like to take them, but I have had a lot of oral surgery lately. I will take one or two of the 20+ they give me and then flush them. You never know if one of your kid's friends might go looking for something in the medicine cabinet. But I'm neurotic and OCD, so....

[orientalplane]

I practically have a pharmacy in my house.

So if one of us dropped dead, the authorities would find a variety of hardcore pain killers, anti-depressants, sleep aids, anxiety medication, etc. If we were famous, what would you guys be saying about us? :eek:

Same here. I'm taking a combination of anti-psychotics, anti-depressants, anti-anxiety medication, sleepers and antibiotics. Yet physically I am healthy and active.

'Drug cocktails' aren't always bad news. Sometimes that's the only way to get someone through really difficult and distressing times.

[cruisin]

Same here. I'm taking a combination of anti-psychotics, anti-depressants, anti-anxiety medication, sleepers and antibiotics. Yet physically I am healthy and active.

'Drug cocktails' aren't always bad news. Sometimes that's the only way to get someone through really difficult and distressing times.

As long as they are being take as directed, all doctors prescribing know what all other doctors are prescribing, and you don't add alcohol to the mix (I don't mean an occasional glass of wine or a beer, I mean drinking a lot). But some people go to several doctors, don't tell them all that they are on and think if one is good, two or three are better. Not saying this is the case with Brittany, but it does happen. I also think that knowing yourself is important. I am OCD, (though not really much more than my germ phobia) and have dealt with an eating disorder. I know that I am much more likely to develop addictive behavior than someone without those conditions. So, I am very careful to take as little potentially addictive medication as possible. I am probably being neurotic and over doing it (guess that's OCD too :)), since I've never had an alcohol or drug problem (or a desire to self medicate other than with food).

[berthesghost]

So if one of us dropped dead, the authorities would find a variety of hardcore pain killers, anti-depressants, sleep aids, anxiety medication, etc. If we were famous, what would you guys be saying about us? :eek:Are you and your husband 32? Unless you were an elite athlete, I'd say you were young for 5 knee surgeries. Then it would depend on the timing. If you'd had knee surgery 5 years ago, but were still taking pain killers daily, I might suspect a habit, I'll be honest.

They wouldn't find much in my house, but they definitely wouldn't find drugs prescribed to family members who don't live with me. Then again, it all hinges on how many rumors of me having a drug problems had been floating around before my untimely death.
I am probably being neurotic and over doing it (guess that's OCD too :)), since I've never had an alcohol or drug problem (or a desire to self medicate other than with food).that's interesting.
I definitely go for the chocolate whenever I'm down, so I guess I "food self-medicate" too. I don't have any diagnosed neurosis, but I do avoid prescription drugs when ever I can. I just think it's a foreign element, and Docs are too ready to prescribe.

ex: when I was in college, I went to the clinic one day because of insomnia. I'd had it on and off since childhood. The nurse gave me all sorts of suggestions, hot baths, etc... but the doctor barely spoke to me and just prescribed a muscle relaxant and pushed me out the door. I decided to take her advice and never swallowed a single pill. Then I started running every day and *poof* insomnia gone for good. Daily exercise was all the stress relief I needed.

[Badams]

I do avoid prescription drugs when ever I can. I just think it's a foreign element, and Docs are too ready to prescribe.
.

i am exactly the same way. i remember once, when i was 16, my doctor tried to prescribe me meds for blood pressure. my blood pressure has always been insanely LOW, and i asked him what in the world would a 16 year old, with low BP, need with a BP med??? he said it will help prevent kidney damage that i might get one day. i said no thanks and switched doctors.

the only thing anybody would find prescribed to me in my house is a fridge full of insulin. and nobody else in my house is on any meds.

[made_in_canada]

skaternum, I throw all pain meds away as soon as I am done with them. I don't like to take them, but I have had a lot of oral surgery lately. I will take one or two of the 20+ they give me and then flush them. You never know if one of your kid's friends might go looking for something in the medicine cabinet. But I'm neurotic and OCD, so....

Unused or expired medications (not just prescriptions) really should be returned to a pharmacy not just flushed. They dispose of them properly.

[skaternum]

skaternum, I throw all pain meds away as soon as I am done with them. I don't like to take them, but I have had a lot of oral surgery lately. I will take one or two of the 20+ they give me and then flush them. You never know if one of your kid's friends might go looking for something in the medicine cabinet. But I'm neurotic and OCD, so....

We don't have kids, so it's not an issue. And honestly, I like having a painkiller in the closet as a "just in case."

[skaternum]

Are you and your husband 32? Unless you were an elite athlete, I'd say you were young for 5 knee surgeries. Then it would depend on the timing. If you'd had knee surgery 5 years ago, but were still taking pain killers daily, I might suspect a habit, I'll be honest.


:) I'm only 45 and had the surgeries spread out between the ages of 34 and 45. Not an elite athlete for sure, but a former ballet dancer and (most recently) former adult Silver level skater. The date on the most recent pain killer prescription would match up to the date of my last surgery. All of this stuff would be easily explainable, but not initially if someone just went through the medicine bin and wondered why a seemingly healthy 45 year old woman died. It's just weird to ponder what people would think if they went through my stuff trying to figure out why I died suddenly. Of course, I'm not famous, so chances are good that you won't be talking about me. :slinkaway

[Skittl1321]

skaternum, I throw all pain meds away as soon as I am done with them. I don't like to take them, but I have had a lot of oral surgery lately. I will take one or two of the 20+ they give me and then flush them.

Please don't flush them! That will send them into the nearby waterways (endangering animals) and possibly back to the city water. Yes, wastewater is filtered, but the filters may not be set up to filter out these things, depending on the size they break down to.

When I got rid of my drugs after my neck surgery, the pharmacy was happy to take them back to dispose of them safely.