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FACTBOX-Sedatives, anxiety drugs killed Anna Nicole Smith

Mon Mar 26, 2007 6:14pm EDT

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WASHINGTON, March 26 (Reuters) - A mixture of prescription sedatives, tranquilizers, pain and allergy drugs killed Anna Nicole Smith, officials said on Monday.

U.S.  |  Entertainment  |  Regulatory News

Several of the drugs should never be taken together. Here are some facts about the drugs found in the bloodstream of the former model.

-- Ativan, sold generically as lorazepam, is a prescription drug prescribed for general anxiety disorder and sleeping problems.

-- Topamax, prescribed for preventing migraine headaches, is known generically as topiramate and can cause side-effects including irregular heartbeat.

-- Valium, known generically as diazepam, is an anti-anxiety drug that can be habit-forming.

-- Klonopin, which is known generically as clonazepam but is the only one of the drugs not available generically, is made by Roche AG (ROG.VX) and is prescribed for panic disorder. It is in the same class of benzodiazepine drugs as Valium and should not have been taken along with the other drugs.

-- Meprobamate is an older, anti-anxiety drug once marketed under the brand name Miltown. It was emblematic of the "happy pills" of the 1950s.

-- Robaxim, known generically as methocarbamol, is a muscle relaxant prescribed mainly to relieve pain and discomfort caused by strains, sprains and other muscle injuries.

-- Chloral hydrate is a powerful sedative given to induce sleep over the short term.

-- Tylenol, known generically as acetaminophen or paracetamol, is an over-the-counter analgesic or painkiller.

-- Benadryl is an over-the-counter antihistamine used to relive acute cold and allergy symptoms.



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