Brittney Murphy's cause of death

Brittney Murphy's cause of death is a combination of pnemonia and prescription drugs and anemia.

List of medicines found in her home: (no signs of illegal drugs or alcohol)

1. Topamax an anti-seizure medication that also is used to treat migraines
2. Methylprednisolone - an anti-inflammatory drug
3. Fluoxetine - another anti-depression medication
4. Klonopin an anti-anxiety medication,
5. Carbamazepine - a medication to treat symptoms of diabetes and it is also drug to treat bipolar disorders bipolar
6. Ativan - a medication to treat anxiety
7. Vicoprofen - a pain reliever,
8. Propranolol - a medication to treat hypertension and also used to prevent heart attack
9. Biaxin - an antibiotic
10. Hydrocodone - a medication to treat pain

Before this list the media TMZ article said ""A check of the nightstands revealed large amounts of prescription medication in the decedent's name. Also noted were numerous empty prescription medication bottles in the decedent's husband's name, the decedent's mother's name and unidentified third party names."

So there is no telling which was the mother's and which was the husband's drugs, and I personally doubt she took all of this, at least not at one time. The media source tends to exaggerate for ratings (ie: large amounts).

I brought this up because many of us are on some of this stuff and for myself, the other day, the doc took my blood to check for anemia and I haven't heard back yet. So many times I've wondered if I am a ticking time bomb waiting for that right combination to toss me over the edge.

Anyone else ever feel this way?

Angela

Sure, I certainly do. And in October I was in the hospital for pneumonia. I have been anemic in the past but iron seems to be OK now. I don't take all of the meds on her list but enough of them to make me wonder.

Chris

I'm on topomax, have taken hydrocodone, and have always been anemic. I'm not on anything special for anemia though. Supposed to be on iron, but went off the iron supplement. It's too expensive (liquid iron, get it at the health food store, costs about $35 a bottle, bottle lasts about 2 weeks). It's herbal, though.

Interesting to read the list. Very sad, very scary. I feel for her, for her family, for all of us on such potent cocktails for various conditions. I know I often feel like I gamble with my health in search of the "next great thing" that can offer me relief. I bet Brittany Murphy felt that way too.

I am anemic too, and I am on Iron pills forever, I wonder if this is a common denominator for M,
or it's because we take so many pills it affects the Iron absorption?

Back respectfully to Brittany, - I am so sorry she died. She was such a sweetie, I liked her very much in Uptown Girls and also managed to see parts of comedy where she plays a girl who reads a blackberry diary or pictures (?) or something like that belonging to a guy she likes a lot.
She has -had - such a nice huge eyes and sweet trusting face.

From the meds she was taking I guess yeah,
she might have been suffering from anxiety, thus possibly also depression, maybe bipolar, yes,
certainly she did suffer some pain although since triptans seem to be missing from the combo
she it might not have been M. Hard to say though as not everyone takes them for it, of course.
Topamax- again, maybe for M prevention, maybe mood stabilizer, maybe weight loss, who knows.

I agree the media tend to sensationalize the amount and the nature of the medications.
Plus most people don't understand the level of tolerance we are able to build to them over the time.
So I am inclined to think if she had a pneumonia, her breathing was surely affected and it could have been an unfortunate instance that when she took her pain meds as always (these does affect the breathing) this time maybe she wasn't able to breath properly and sadly it killed her. Just a wild shot in the dark.

Risa

We all knew she had a heart condition from her childhood or birth right? Her mom came out publicly and admitted this, and had said she thinks that had something to do with her death among other factors.

I feel horribly for this beautiful woman. I loved her movies and truly think she was one of the good ones. I suppose you'd never know unless you knew her personally, however I still don't think she deserved the amount of uncertain/bad press she had received following her death. I will miss her work and delightful presence in Hollywood.

I guess we can all speculate on what she was taking her medication for. As far as what was on her bedstand I can say that I currently have Topamax, Methylprednisolone, and two different scripts for Hydrocodone that where they may differ slightly from Brittanys', they are very much alike. Where as I am not taking it currently, I also have an older script for Biaxin in the house.

Risa, before this month I had all those minus the Methylprednisolone and no triptans simply because I have no success with triptans. I have more narcotics though, but keep in mind I am still in the process of trying to find something that works for me...although I am having great success this month. Also, so many people who have chronic migraines and who deal with stressful lives (seperately..let alone together) deal with anxiety and/or depression.

I would be interested to know what conditions she had but to be honest, that is left up to her family to either keep private or tell. I respect that.

What I am most outraged for is that in magazines they had speculated she was a drunk because of the way she sometimes blanked out and forgot lines, messed them up or dazed off. Does this sound familiar to anyone on topamax? If one single person stopped to look at this poor girl and took the time of day to get to know her and care, they would know the answer to why she was blanking out and understand that it wasn't because she was taking illegal substances. I truly believe she was not taking topamax for weight loss, so honestly..that pissed me off.

Either way, I am truly sorry for the family and loss of Brittany.

however I still don't think she deserved the amount of uncertain/bad press she had received following her death.

I wholeheartedly agree!

Biaxin - this is my fav antibiotic for sinus infection. It is used for respiratory and skin infections.
And of course, who if not us would know what sudden mental blocks would come from.
And you don't even need Topamax to do that to be precise but it certainly helps.
But of course would anybody bother to educate themselves what's going on before criticizing anyone??
hmphm!, of course not.

Risa

lovegia wrote:What I am most outraged for is that in magazines they had speculated she was a drunk because of the way she sometimes blanked out and forgot lines, messed them up or dazed off. Does this sound familiar to anyone on topamax?

I agree with Risa....you don't even need to be on Topamax to have problems with this. Often it's just another symptom of migraines we have to deal with.

I really get tired of the assumptions made by gossip media. Everyone has problems they'd prefer to have kept quiet. Why do they feel they need to publicize this stuff? It's just hurtful.

Becky