Botox & pain meds: Inside MJ's medical file

By Graham Winch, October 27, 2011

NEED TO KNOW

• Witness: MJ received "large" needless doses of painkillers
• Records: Star had Botox in armpit, groin to control sweating
• Doctor: Jackson was dependant on Demerol

On the stand at the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, addiction medicine specialist Dr. Robert Waldman said the records from a dermatologist who treated Michael Jackson show the King of Pop was receiving "large" doses of the powerful painkiller Demerol despite probably not needing them.

Defense attorney Ed Chernoff displayed Dr. Arnold Klein's records for treating "Omar Arnold," one of Jackson's many aliases, with wrinkle-reducers Botox and Restylane.

The same records indicate Klein also treated Jackson to reduce "excessive perspiration" by injecting Botox into his groin and armpits. Jackson also received injections below his right eye, in his cheekbone and in his chin and nose. Each time, the pop icon received doses of Demerol, the records indicate.

However, Waldman testified that based on his research, the treatments were not painful enough to require any painkillers.

Murray's defense appears to be trying to establish that Klein enabled and fueled Jackson's dependency, shifting the blame away from Murray as being solely responsible for the pop star's death.

Klein's records began in March of 2009, just a few of months before Jackson's death. At first, Jackson would receive 200 mg of Demerol. By the beginning of May 2009, Jackson was receiving up to 300 mg from his dermatologist.

Waldman said that according to these records, he believes Jackson was physically dependent and may have even been addicted to Demerol by May 4, 2009.

A month later, he says, Jackson could have been exhibiting withdrawal symptoms that may have caused him to not be able to sleep.

During cross examination, Waldman said he would not diagnose Jackson as addicted to Demerol based solely on Klein's records, but he would diagnose the singer as being dependent on the painkiller.

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