Can someone clarify what exactly in the autopsy report proved he wasn't an addict? Many replies reference it, yet no specifics are given... it was my understanding of the report (as I remember it, I have not read it in over a year, so please correct me if I am wrong) that it just showed that he had no organ damage?? And that there was no demerol in his system, but there was lorazepam & diazepam (which do have a high potential for abuse)?? Was Murray administering benzos IV in addition to the prescribed pills (maybe a reason why the prescription was not finished)?
I'm not trying to say Michael was an addict, I am just trying to get a clearer picture & better understanding of why people are saying the autopsy proves he was not an addict...
I think this story tells it best:
Since our doc here is not an MD anyway, I can tell you what I've learned studying the latest literature -- at least the latest to be translated for laymen. The liver is principally affected by the additives in pain pills -- chiefly, tylenol. But I'm sure you knew that.
The other organ damaged by long-term opiate use is, unfortunately, the brain. Over time, the brain physically changes to adapt to the constant presence of opiates. When the opiates are withdrawn, the brain cannot function normally. This is why so many of us frequently say we are using simply to feel normal. Non-users think we're using the word normal instead of high. But the latest research tells us we are more correct that we could ever know. Researchers compare the brains of long-term opiate addicts to that of stroke victims. Without the continued use of opiates, the long-term addict must struggle as a stroke victim struggles to utilize new neural pathways to achieve a semblance of normality.
I have used opiates contantly for 30, no, 31 years. There is no way back for me. 31 years of changes in my brain cannot be undone by all the 12-step meetings in the world. My doom is sealed by my physiology. That is why, as much as I don't like the idea, I am applying for methadone maintenance. Detox for me is a waste of time. I've detoxed myself 50 times and, each time, there I sit, with a brain that can no longer function without opiates. Time does not heal all things.
I tell this story, probably too often, because for many on this forum, the way back is still open. From the point at which one begins recovery, the great dramas and opportunities of life expand in all directions to infinity. Don't throw away your chance to play a role in the world as I have.
over all, a chronic opiate user w/o the apa will die from organ damage rather than overdose, most chronic user overdoses are cause by the liver not filtering the drug like it used to leading to acute intoxication. The liver and pancreas are usually the first to have complications.
opiates lower testosterone production in men. My doc says most studies confirm that test levels increase after opiates are stopped, but unsure if they resume to full production if used for very extended periods.
Amphetamines also cause severe organ damage over time including damage to your gastrointestinal system and malnutrition. You may develop ulcers and experience extreme and unwanted weight loss. You will also be much more susceptible to heart disease and blood pressure that it dangerously high, as well as heart attack and cardiomyopathy, or the condition or a weakened heart that cannot perform its duties or is enlarged. Amphetamines also cause permanent brain damage and mental instability as well as memory loss and confusion and difficulty speaking and communicating over time.
It's almost a 2nd Vindication Day. But with the reports focusing on the doll & HNL's crap that good news will be swepped under the carpet.
