Was Britney Spears Drugged: Risperdal, Seroquel, Adderall?
VERACARE
Promoting Openness, Full Disclosure, and Accountability
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FYI
While celebrity watch is not our beat, a report by MTV warrants further
investigation.
MTV reports that the parents of Britney Spears have filed a petition to the
Los Angeles Superior Court alleging that her manager was drugging the singer
to control her with drugs prescribed by a psychiatrist.
According to her mother's petition, she discovered that her daughter was
taking the antipsychotic medications Risperdal and Seroquel--which were
prescribed by a psychiatrist whom Britney did not like. According to her
mother, she later learned that Britney was taking the stimulant Adderall
when she was checked into UCLA Medical Center.
If she did indeed ingest this cocktail of neurotoxic drugs, her erratic,
self-destructive behavior may be explained by damaging effects these drugs
have on brain function----especially in combination. Both antipsychotics
and stimulants are known to trigger mania and psychosis. Antipsychotics
diminish cognitive function--including the ability to make rational
judgments and control impulsive behavior.
How many victims will fall prey to the irresponsible prescribing of these
dangerous drugs?
Contact: Vera Hassner Sharav
vera...@ahrp.org
212-595-8974
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1580991/20080201/id_0.jhtml
Britney Spears Was Drugged, Controlled By Sam Lutfi, Parents Allege
'Mr. Lutfi has drugged Britney ... he claims to control everything,'
singer's father wrote in petition for restraining order.
By Jennifer Vineyard
Britney Spears' parents allege that the singer's acting manager, Sam Lutfi,
was drugging her to control her, according to the petition for the
restraining order against him, released by Los Angeles Superior Court on
Tuesday (February 5).
Lutfi, who already has had three other parties file requests for restraining
orders against him, is ordered in this latest one issued on Friday to stay
250 yards away from Britney, her homes, her cars, her children's homes and
child-care facilities, her sibling's homes, her parents' homes, and UCLA
Medical Center, where she's currently hospitalized. The order was extended
on Monday to include no contact with Spears by phone, e-mail or text
message.
Since meeting the singer "in or about" October, Lutfi has "essentially moved
into Britney's home and has purported to take control of her life, home, and
finances," according to Jamie Spears, the singer's father, who has temporary
conservator powers over the singer's person and estate. "Mr. Lutfi has
drugged Britney," Jamie wrote. "He has cut Britney's home phone line and
removed her cell-phone chargers. He yells at her. He claims to control
everything - Britney's business manager, her attorneys and the security
guards at the gate."
He asked for the restraining order "to avoid the risk of physical harm to
Britney by Mr. Lutfi and to allow her to undergo necessary medical treatment
without interference by Mr. Lutfi," according to the petition.
A declaration from Lynne Spears, the singer's mother, explained in more
detail some incidents in late January that gave both parents cause for
concern. Lynne wrote that she, her friend Jackie and Jamie went to visit
Britney's home on January 28 because they heard on the news that their
daughter had been in a big argument with Lutfi and that she was crying. When
they arrived, they found Lutfi, who told them that Britney only wanted to
see her mother and that she was frightened to see her father. The paparazzi
were allowed inside - but not Jamie Spears.
"Two or three paparazzi came into the house and entered the kitchen," Lynne
wrote. "They greeted Sam. The paparazzi reported to Sam where Britney
currently was. ... The paparazzi reported to Sam and addressed him with
great respect. They treated him like a general."
Lynne said that Sam tried to order her and Jackie around as well, and when
they objected, he allegedly told them, "If you don't listen to me, I'm going
to make your name sh-- in the papers."
Lynne said she heard details of her daughter's fight with Lutfi, in which
she claims Lutfi told Britney "that she was an unfit mother, a piece of
trash and a whore, that she cared more about Adnan [Ghalib, paparazzo and
friend of Britney's] than she cares about her kids, and she does not deserve
her kids." Lynne said that when Lutfi screamed at her, Britney said, "Sam
treats me like that."
Britney, Lynne wrote, was in "an agitated state" and kept changing her
clothes as well as her dogs' clothes. Lynne then discovered her daughter was
taking the antipsychotic medications Risperdal and Seroquel, but didn't seem
always to be aware of it or know why. (She also later learned Britney was
taking the stimulant Adderall when she was checked into UCLA Medical
Center).
"Britney spoke to me with a tone and with the understanding of a very young
girl," Lynne wrote. "Britney ... picked up a bottle of pills and read the
label and asked us, 'What does insomnia mean?' Sam told her that the pills
would help her stay awake."
Risperdal, when used in the treatment of bipolar mania, actually can cause
side effects of sleepiness and restlessness, while Seroquel can also cause
drowsiness and sluggishness, according to the Web sites for both
prescription medications. Lynne wrote that Lutfi said he ground up the pills
and put them in Britney's food. Lynne also wrote that Lutfi said his plan
was to get Britney into a sleep-induced coma so that her doctor could give
her drugs "to heal her brain."
Lutfi, after trying to encourage Britney to drink tequila and then wine,
went upstairs with the singer. Lynne wrote that Lutfi later admitted giving
Britney something to make her "more lighthearted, happy and fun." Lynne
described Lutfi trying to encourage them to drink tequila shots, and when
they refused that, wine, but thought she saw him crushing something on the
counter behind the raised bar. (Lynne wrote that she later couldn't sleep
that night, nor could her friend Jackie, despite being up past 4 a.m., and
both felt like they had drunk coffee, even though they hadn't actually
consumed the beverage. She also wrote that Britney didn't sleep either and
was very agitated.)
Lynne said during the evening, she learned Lutfi had disabled her daughter's
cars, disposed of her cell-phone chargers and made the house phones
unworkable, but confused Britney to make her think it was her fault. Lynne
also wrote that Adnan Ghalib had called her out of concern to tell her Lutfi
hid the phones and told Britney she'd lost them, and that he hid her dog as
well. "She looks for him all over the house crying and then Sam brings out
the dog from the hiding place and acts like her savior," Lynne wrote.
Perhaps to counteract Ghalib's influence, Lynne said in her declaration that
Lutfi asked her to tell Britney that Ghalib is gay, and to pretend he was in
the bathroom when he actually had left the house.
During a shopping spree later that evening at Rite Aid, Lynne wrote that
Lutfi claimed to have control over everyone in her daughter's life. "You
better learn that I control everything," she claimed he told her. "I control
Howard Grossman, Britney's business manager. I control her attorneys and the
security guards at the gate. They don't listen to Britney, they listen to
me. That's why Jamie was gone tonight." Britney later asked for her father,
Lynne said in her declaration, saying, "I want my Daddy up here. I want to
talk to my Daddy."
When Britney asked about seeing her children, Lynne said that Sam lied to
her and told her she'd see her children two days later, even though she
currently has no custodial visitation rights. Lynne wrote, "Britney then
said, 'What do I have to do to see them?' Sam responded, 'Take the pills I
tell you to take.' Britney said, 'I don't like the pills and I don't like
the psychiatrist. Can't I see another psychiatrist so I can see my babies?'
Sam responded, 'If I told you to take 10 pills a day, you should do what I
tell you to see your babies.' "
At that point, Lynne's friend Jackie intervened, she wrote, telling the
singer, "Britney, your parents can help you find a psychiatrist. The
psychiatrist needs to get to know you to give you the right medicine." Lutfi
interrupted, Lynne wrote, asking Britney, "Why don't you get back with Kevin
[Federline, her ex-husband]?" With the subject changed, Britney responded,
"I'll do anything to get them back," her mother claimed.
Lynne wrote that Lutfi later claimed if he wasn't around to give the singer
her medicine, Britney would commit suicide. She wrote, "Then he said to me,
'If you try to get rid of me, she'll be dead and I'll p--- on her grave.' "
As of Monday afternoon, Lutfi was resisting efforts to be served with the
restraining order.
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