Did demerol cause Michael Jackson's death?

Michael Jackson used to travel with a mini drugstore and an anesthesiologist, according to CNN website. In "Morphine", the pop star talks about a morphine addict who is taking Demerol, the same drug that is rumored to have been given to the King of Pop before he collapsed and stopped breathing.

“Demerol has a tremendous amount of side effects,” Dr. Patrick Annello, an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist at St. Francis Hospital on Long Island told FOXNews.com.

“It can cause rapid heart rate, arrhythmias — and given in high enough doses — it can cause respiratory depression or shallow breathing”.

That is exactly what a source told The Sun happened shortly after Jackson was administered an injection of the drug.

“After taking the Demerol, he started to experience slow, shallow breathing,” the source told the newspaper. “His breathing gradually got slower and slower until it stopped.”

There are also reports the icon was taking a cocktail of prescription drugs including antidepressants.

If antidepressants are accidentally given in conjunction with Demerol, it can cause a very bad hypertensive reaction, and the patient can have a heart attack and stroke as a result, Anello said.

Dangerous reactions can occur if Demerol is administered while a patient is taking other narcotic pain medications, sedatives, tranquilizers, muscle relaxers, or other medications that can make them sleepy or slow respiratory function.

Brian Oxman, Jackson family attorney, confirmed Jackson's use of other medications when he told CNN Thursday that they had gotten in the way of doing rehearsals.

“I do not know the extent of the medications that he was taking,” Oxman said.

Did Michael Jackson's song 'Morphine' from his 1997 album Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix foreshadow his death and tell of his Demerol addiction? Read the lyrics below.

Relax
This won't hurt you
Before I put it in
Close your eyes and count to ten
Don't cry
I won't convert you
There's no need to dismay
Close your eyes and drift away

Demerol
Demerol
Oh God he's taking demerol
Demerol
Demerol
Oh God he's taking demerol

He's tried
Hard to convince her
To be over what he had
Today he wants it twice as bad
Don't cry
I won't resent you
Yesterday you had his trust
Today he's taking twice as much

(END)INT/RMB

Published: 7/3/2009