Dr. Kapoor: Methadone OK for Pregnant Anna

271. Why would ANS take methadone at all? Was it to help her off of more dangerous pain drugs while she was pregnant.

From what I've read Methadone doesn't cause euphoria/or a feeling of being high.

The use of Methadone doesn't make sense to me. Does it to anyone else?

Also her son may have helped himself to the drugs.

Posted at 2:56PM on Apr 9th 2007 by CiCi

272. #275
Anna may have been on methadone for a couple different reasons. It is used to treat opiate addiction and is used to treat chronic pain. It is in fact a narcotic pain killer. Methadone does cause euphoria/high. Someone who has maintained the same dose of methadone for a period of time will no longer feel the high. By increasing the dose as tolerance increasing will keep a person high. Methadone is synthetic herion with the same effects in not used appropriatly. Anna could have been a) abusing methadone when she got pregnant. Methadone is safe while pregnant and it is dangerous to detox a women while pregnant. 2) she may have been abusing other opiate painkillers and switched to methadone after becoming pregnant. 3) She could have been taking methadone to manage pain issues that I have heard she had.

Posted at 10:59PM on Feb 19th 2007 by *Jenn*

273. I've taken Methadone for chronic pain and it is a very dangerous drug. Tho I didn't abuse opiates I couldn't afford to buy them anymore and methadone is CHEAP. Anyway, I lost a whole month. By that I mean I don't remember anything for a month. Everyone thought I was abusing my methadone, but actually I wasn't. I was toxic. Finally when my husband got my dr to see me, he immediately stopped the methadone and then I had to go through withdrawl and everything, but I lived....and I would never encourage anyone to take Methadone for any reason. I lived to tell the story.....Barb

Posted at 1:24AM on Feb 20th 2007 by Barb Kolterman

274. I am shocked every day with all the new information on Anna coming out. Quite freaking...I feel it is time to lie her to rest and stopped all the publicity. It is hurting the family and I am sure that Ms. Smith (if buried) would be turning in her grave.

Karen
Vancouver, British Columiba CANADA

Posted at 1:32PM on Feb 22nd 2007 by Karen

275. I love how all of you people think you are qualified to comment on medical matters. I am a pediatric resident in Boston. In my residency, I have taken care of many "Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome" babies. These are babies whose moms are maintained on medications such as methadone during their pregnancies in order to keep them from using heroin. I've seen moms on up to 160 mg per day of methadone. The babies do not suffer long-term health consequences or deformities. However, they typically suffer from a prolonged period of withdrawal known as NAS, which includes excessive crying, poor sleep, diarrhea, and poor feeding. We follow them very carefully in the nursery, often for up to two weeks, and treat them for withdrawal with medications such as phenobarb, ativan, and diluted tincture of opiate (DTO). i
The potential malpractice in this situation stems more likely from the prescription under an alias rather than the actual prescription of methadone.

Posted at 2:19PM on Feb 22nd 2007 by Angie

276. Is there any medical information regarding the birth of the baby?
Do we know if there are any birth defects from using prescription drugs?
A newborn has to see a Dr. once a month, is there any information on
how the baby is physically or mentally?

Posted at 5:58PM on Feb 22nd 2007 by jam

277. Everyone is jumping the gun here. You think because methadone is used as a substitute treatment for heroine addiction that it is not a medicine with other legitimate uses. Well you are wrong. My sister who has a very serious heart valve condition had a very painful leg infection that rendered her an invalid for months. Her doctors gave her methadone instead of the morhine drip more commonly used. She was as a result not subject to long term use of any narcotic side effects. She has since recovered 100%..

Posted at 5:57PM on Feb 22nd 2007 by mary ellen cross

278. I found an informative article in the link:
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/factsht/methadone/

Posted at 7:58PM on Feb 22nd 2007 by Venkat

279. My wife takes methadone for pain and I've tried to get her to stop.
The drug makes here a complete pile of shit, and totally out of it to the point I cant ever leave her alone.

This drug was baned in the us in 1970 till the bush administation under lobying from tyco the now owner of methadone formula in the us, got it back on the approved list.
Since then over 3000 people each year have died from this drug.
Take methadone and your gonna die -- it's just a matter of when.

That doctor is a complete quack and so is any other doctor that perscribes this drug.

It ruins quality of life for anyone involved, and due to its addictive properties it's impossible to get some one to stop,

If you want more info search for the topic "Killer Cure".
The charleston west virginia gazette did a multi part article on methadone when they realised it was the #1 cause of death in there state.
Doctors perscribe this for only one reason. To create a paitent for life --- how ever short that may be.

This drug needs to be baned, cause people are dying from it, anna is just another statistic of this drugs useage.

Posted at 6:00PM on Feb 23rd 2007 by Neal Rhodes

280. i think that he does care about the children that are born in this world or he wouldn't have gave Anna Smith while she was pragent, i also belevie that some one killed her and her son due to all the things that are said in the artices about the metadone. I also think that stren shouldn't get any thing because he was not married to her and i beleive that dyalann is briklyn daugter. so i hope that everything is found out about her, she really needs a close byopses.

Posted at 3:49PM on Feb 26th 2007 by JULIE MAJOR

281. IF THIS CHILD WAS IN THE U.S... IT WOULD ALREADY BE IN CHILD PROTECTIVE CUSTODY !! SHE NEEDS TO BE CHECKED ON !! THERE IS NO WAY THAT BABY HAS NO PROBLEMS NEUROLOGICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, BONDING ETC.... IT WOULD BE A MIRACLE IF DANNIELYNNE HAS NO EFFECTS FROM ALL DRUGS SHE WAS EXPOSED TO !! PRESCRIBED OR OTHERWISE. WE ALL NEED TO STAND UP & DEMAND SOMETHING BE DONE TO PROTECT HER ! OR WE ARE JUST AS GUILTY AS THE USERS IF WE DO NOTHING TO CHANGE THE CHILDS CIRCUMSTANCES, HOWARD STERN HAS NO RIGHT TO THAT BABY. AND BARGAINING TO STEP AWAY, TO ME SOUNDS LIKE BLACKMAIL & EXTORTION. UNTIL THE $$ PRICE IS NAMED, HE WONT STEP BACK ?? WHAT THE ? NO WAY PEOPLE ... WE NEED TO HELP THIS BABY GIRL ! FORGET ANS BURIAL PLANS & DRESS & PHOTOS ETC...SHE DIDN'T LOVE DANIEL ENOUGH TO CLEAN UP FOR HIM. HE BEGGED HER TO. NOW HE DIED BECAUSE OF IT.. TALK ABOUT DYING WITH A BROKEN HEART. I BET THAT BOY TRIED TO GET HIS MOM AWAY FROM HKS & THE $$ FIGURE WASN'T ENOUGH.....AND NOW, ANNAS GONE TOO !! HOWARD HAD AN AWFUL LOT TO HOLD OVER HER HEAD !! SURE MAKES ME SUSPICIOUS WITH THE WAY HE'S CONDUCTING HIMSELF & HIS SUPPOSSED " DEAL MAKING W/BIRKHEAD " . WHO IS HE TO BARTER DANNIELYNNES ASSETS ? ALL BELONGS TO HER. HOMES, BOATS,ETC...HE HAS NO RIGHT TO STRIKE ANY DEALS W/STUFF HE CLAIMS WAS STOLEN OUT OF HIUSE. NOW IT MYSTERIOUSLY RE-APPEARED ? YEA RIGHT !! I'M GLAD FORD SHELLEY TURNED OVER MOST TO POLICE. SO THEY CAN READ HER DIARIES & COMPUTER HARD DRIVES FOR EMAILS ETC..I HOPE HKS KNOWS, THAT NOTHING CAN BE ERASED FROM A PC !! IF YOU WANT INFO BAD ENOUGH, COPS WILL GET IT OFF HARD DRIVE IF IT WAS EVER THERE TO BEGIN WITH ! I AM GLAD THE WALLS ARE FINNALLY CAVING IN AROUND HKS. I JUST DONT WANT DANNIELYNNE NEAR THAT PSYCHO WHEN IT ALL COMES TUMBLING DOWNJN GA MELLENCAMP SONG GO'S !" LETS DEMAND AS GODS CHILDREN, THAT ANOTHER OF GODS CHILDREN BE PROTECTED !! WE CANNOT WASTE ANOTHER DAY ON NEWS OF ANS OR HKS !!! WHO CARES !! THEY MADE THE SAME BAD CHOICES YEAR AFTER YEAR LOCKED AWAY TOGETHER LIKE A COUPLE OF METH AMPHETAMINE DRIGS DO !! THIS BABY DESERVES WALKS IN THE PARK ETC...NOT TO BE LOCKED AWAY IN A TOWER THAT SOMEONE ELSE IS PAYING FOR !!! WHILE STEN MOOCHES !!! WHY DIDNT YOU FEEL YOU NREEDED TO GET A JOB BEFORE ANNA DIED HKS ? AND YOU WONDER WHY SHE CHOSE OTHERS OVER YOU ?? YOU CONTRIBUTED NOTHING TO HER LIFE, FINANCIALLY, EMOTIONALLY ( YOU TOOK FROM HER ), YOU STOLE HER TRUST & ABUSED THAT LITTLE TRUST SHE WAS ALE TO GIVE ! YOU TOOK ADVANTAGE OF HER ALL THESE YEARS !!! IT'S ABOUT TIME YOU PULL YOUR HEAD OUT & WAKE UP & SEE THAT YOU SHOULD'VE BEEN IN CONTROL OF YOUR OWN DESTINY ALL THRESE YEARS, RATHER THAN CONTROLLING EVERYONE ELSES !! THE LORD ABOVE WILL SEE YOU GET JUSTICE !! NOT MANS JUSTICE...BUT HIS !! THAT, YOU CANNOT RUN & HIDE FROM OR BUY YOUR WAY OUT OF HOWARD !! I PRAY ANNA WILL FINALLY HAVE THE PEACE SHE DESPERATELY SOUGHT ON THIS EARTH & COULD NOT FIND. IT WAS WITHIN HER ALL ALONG. SHE JUST NEVER LOOKED WITHIN...SHE LOOKED ELSEWHERE !! LET THIS BE A LESSON TO US ALL, THAT WHAT WE LACK IN LIFE, WHAT WE STRIVE FOR & HURT OVER....NOBODY ELSE CAN FULFUILL THOSE NEEDS. NOBODY CAN FILL OUR EMPTY HEARTS, OUR JOYLESS DAYS, OUR INSECURITIES, OUR LOST DREAMS.. IT IS TO OURSELVES THAT WE MUST TURN OUR EYES & OUR HEARTS & MINDS TO. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE TO MEET OUR OWN FATE ! DONT EVER ALLOW ANOTHER TO CHOOSE FOR YOU OR TO LIVE FOR YOU. NO MATTER HOW STRESSED, HOW ALONE, HOW LOST YOU FEEL. YOU ARE NEVER ALONE.THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE WHO CARES .GOD LOVES US ALL. AND INSTEAD OF ALL THIS NEGATIVITY. LET'S TURN IT AROUND INTO SOMETHING GOOD. JUST AS THE LORD WOULD DO. LET'S STAND UP FOR JUSTICE FOR DANNIELYNNE !! SHE DESERVES BETTER THAN HOWARD K. STERN OR VERGIE COULD EVER EVEN THINK OF GIVING HER ! LET'S SEE TO IT THAT DANNIELYNNE HAS A CHANCE AT A GREAT LIFE, THAT ANNA NICOLE NEVER ALLOWED HERSELF TO HAVE ! WE'D DO IT FOR OUR OWN RIGHT ???

Posted at 4:55AM on Mar 2nd 2007 by MARIE

282. Well, even FOX NEWS is trashing ET's interviews with Howard & Anna! And Stern Pressures Larry TODAY to sign a deal!!

Howard K. Stern Plays Hardball With Larry Birkhead
Friday, March 02, 2007

By Roger Friedman

AP

Anna Nicole: Stern Pressures Larry to Sign Deal

Anna Nicole Smith's two baby daddies (I don't know what else to call them) continue to be in a tug-of-war this morning, even as their beloved cash cow is readied for burial.

Overnight, attorney Howard K. Stern — whose hold on the situation is starting to slip — has been strong-arming photographer Larry Birkhead to do a couple of things: keep Birkhead's legal reps out of Anna Nicole Smith's Bahamas funeral, sign a contract deal with "Entertainment Tonight" and acquiesce even further regarding the future of baby Danniellynn.

Stern, as I told you the other day, has already had one secret meeting with Birkhead in which he cut out the photographer's lawyers.

I'm told that Stern has kept up the pressure on Birkhead, actually presenting him with contracts, sources say, in which Birkhead would join Stern for more exclusive interviews on "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider."

"Howard wanted Larry to sign so that it looked like everyone was in agreement, and that it wasn't just Howard benefiting from these deals," my source said. "Larry said the baby's guardian should sign the papers for him and the baby, but he wouldn't. So then Larry wouldn't."

At the same time, Stern is trying to negotiate separately with Birkhead, away from his attorneys, to sign a deal by which Stern would continue to be in baby Danniellyn's life and oversee her finances.

Stern, my sources say, is working as quickly as he can to effect these agreements before he has to turn over the baby to Birkhead, her biological father.

Sources say that Birkhead's representatives are considering taking legal action against Stern's side to prevent further communication between the two sides as soon as today.

The problem, sources also say, is that Birkhead — a novice in these games — continues to be intimidated by Stern.

"Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider," both owned by CBS Paramount Television, have denied paying for interviews. But I'm told their method – it's semantics — is to "license" footage either directly from Stern or through a third party.

Recently, "ET" used Solana Productions of Southern California in such a deal. Neither Solana or anyone from CBS Paramount answered calls yesterday.

Anna Nicole: Dead, and For Sale

Today, Anna Nicole Smith — a ridiculous person who accomplished just about nothing in her life — will be buried in the Bahamas.

There are several wars taking place all over the world, not to mention famines; artists are hard at work, movies are opening, buildings are going up, diseases are being investigated. But hey: Anna Nicole is being buried, and "Entertainment Tonight" will be there for every cheesy second of it.

That's because "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider," two half-hour shows syndicated by CBS's Paramount TV, have paid a high price for this honor.

Real insiders (not the kind you have to pay for info) tell me that Paramount TV cut the deal with Howard K. Stern, Anna Nicole's lawyer and Svengali, right after her son Daniel died of a methadone overdose in her Bahamian hospital room last September.

Paramount TV has denied this, somewhat passively, so far. But my sources say it they paid Stern around $3 million initially, and that this was renegotiated right after Anna Nicole herself died on February 8th of this year.

Of course, we could believe that Stern — who in court told clueless Florida probate judge Larry Seidlin that he was living off his parents — just loves "ET." Anything's possible.

But the reality is that Anna Nicole's death has proven to be a ratings-sweep godsend.

Linda Bell Blue, the show's executive producer, previously helmed Paramount's ugly tabloid show, "Hard Copy." For years she's had to sit through Mary Hart's tedious, publicist-arranged interviews with low-level TV stars, just waiting for this moment: a huge celebrity death, in a sweeps month, and already contracted for!

As recently as last night, "ET" correspondent Mark Steines was reporting "from inside" Anna Nicole's Bahamas mansion — no mention of the fact that it didn't belong to her, and that the landlord is kicking everyone out.

Steines had "the inside scoop" about the B-list country singer who would serenade Anna Nicole into the next life, the color of her burial gown ("pink!") and what would be inside the coffin (with any luck, Anna Nicole).

Steines performs these interviews — as he has since last Nov. 1, when he had his first "exclusive" after Smith's son, Daniel, died — with a reasonably straight face.

He either knows he's skating on very thin ice and doesn't care, or doesn't get it and is happy to accept the money. In either case, he loses.

As far back as last November, the show's viewers were writing into "ET" forums on the Web asking how much the show had paid for the interviews, and begging them to stop.

On the topix.net forum for the show, a woman named Lana from Andrews, Texas, wrote on Nov. 6: "ET needs to rename their show The Anna Nichole (sic) Show. Every night it is about her. I wonder if there are any viewers that care to hear about her."

On Nov. 6, Dianne from Madison, Wis., wrote: "I think they might have finally driven me away from the show with all this Anna Nicole crap. How much is she paying them?"

The viewers were smarter than the show thought. That didn't stop Blue, Steines and friends.

Nancy from Richardson, Texas, posted this before Smith died on Feb. 8: "Get over her ... I am tired of all of the interviews they are doing with her. She sounds like she is either drunk or high. I have no respect for her and am getting tired of seeing her and all the interviews. She can't even talk without sounding like she is a drunken slut!"

Patti Horton from Altoona, Pa., posted this on Feb. 9: "I can't believe someone from E[T] hasn't questioned Anna Nicole about her drug use. Every night that she is being interviewed it is quite obvious that she is somewhere in la la land. I think they should of (sic) been more persistent in following that path than her new house. Some of the interviews it was all she coud (sic) do to talk. Was this a safe environment for this baby???"

Steines, of course, has a blog on the "ET" Web site. It's a hoot.

On Feb. 9, the day after Smith died, he posted: "When the news broke of Anna's death ... I immediately boarded a plane to Florida along with Khristine Eroshevich, Anna's close confidant…"

Steines acts like Eroshevich is just a pal, maybe another Playboy model. In fact, she was the model's psychiatrist, and someone who has yet to be heard from.

Eroshevich's few comments — including that she oversaw an ice bath for a dying Smith — have been limited to ... Steines, who despite his "inside" sources has not been able to secure Eroshevich for a real interview about these people and their drug use.

I doubt that will happen until Stern's usefulness has passed and his agreements with "ET" have expired.

Steines must feel a long way away from the two Emmys he received years ago in local news at KCAL-TV in Los Angeles.

Posted at 2:08PM on Mar 2nd 2007 by Briggs

283. What kind of doctor parties with his patients? I think his t-shirt tells the story about what kind of guy we've got here.

Posted at 7:25PM on Apr 20th 2007 by Rabbit

284. Natalie & Jen: I Wish you two stop using up the precious time in this website to entertaining yourselves....leave this site...GET OUT and quit your pissing contest!!!!

We (the readers) are here to learn from first hand methadone users and their experinces, so we can all have a better understanding of the drug effects....please go and talk to some one who is interested in your disfunctional behaviour.

P. S. Use your time to educate yourselves constructively...like learnig to write and spell correctly.

Posted at 12:49PM on Mar 13th 2007 by Vickee

285. It seems to see that methadone can be necessary in pregnancy for the job it is supposed to do. The only problem is that it was prescribed by the doctor in California and then flown to the Bahamas. Therefore she was taking the medication without this doctor being near to her. The question is whether or not she was under the care of the obstetrician while taking this stuff in the Bahamas and was he monitoring her intake? If you are going to be on methadone you have to be watched carefully. Normally in her 8th month of pregnancy Anna should have been seeing her ob every week and giving a urine sample so hopefully this was enough to monitor her intake.

Posted at 1:57PM on Mar 9th 2007 by anonymous