: (Associated Press) R&B singer Gerald Levert's death last fall was an accident caused by a fatal combination of prescription narcotics and over-the-counter drugs, a coroner said.
The drugs in his bloodstream included the narcotic pain relievers Vicodin, Percocet and Darvocet, along with anxiety medication Xanax and two over-the-counter antihistamines, Geauga County Coroner Kevin Chartrand said. The official cause of death was acute intoxication, and the death was ruled accidental.
Chartrand said his office received a report Thursday from the Cuyahoga County coroner's office, which conducted the autopsy.
Levert, 40, son of O'Jays singer Eddie Levert, died Nov. 10 in his suburban Cleveland home. He was a member of the R&B trio LeVert, whose hits included "(Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop) Goes My Mind" and "Casanova." He sold millions of albums and had numerous hits over his career.
His soulful voice powered his appeal and in 1991 he made his solo debut with the album "Private Line." That included a hit duet with his dad, "Baby Hold on to Me."
Andy Gibson, a family spokesman, said Levert was taking the pain medication because of chronic pain from a lingering shoulder problem and surgery in 2005 to repair a severed Achilles tendon. The autopsy revealed that Levert had pneumonia.
Levert also took Xanax for anxiety attacks, Gibson said.
People take Percs and Vikes to get HIGH. Im sure no doctor prescribed all those pills for him. He was takin them to feel *** good. Maybe he was takin the xanax cause he had "anxiety" but that combined w perc and few drinks...please...he was flyin mighty high. Look at Anna Nicole....poppin too many *** pills.
SHORTYY99... THAT IS NOT TRUE. DOCTOR DO PRESCRIBE SEVERAL PAIN MEDICATIONS TO PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS AND PAIN LIKE I SAID EARLIER I TAKE VICODIN, PERCOCET AND ALSO OXYITOXIN, BUT THEY DO IT UNDER THEIR CARE. YOU JUST HAVE TO BE CAREFUL AND KNOW THAT OVER THE COUNTER MED. IS NOT SAFE WHEN USING CERTAIN PAIN MEDS.
yeah IF YOU HAVE CHRONIC PAIN. if you dont...your takin them to get high. if you dont have PAIN and your mixin xanax and perks and vikes...i think you might be tryin to get high. thats my point. oxycontin def aint nothin to play with. i know a few people that were legitimately prescribed that and when the prescprition ran out they started doin P-dope and then on to crack. people dont view pain killers as a drug...but that *** gets you high..and you get used to the high after a while.
Ok it's amazing how dumb some of these readers are... It too so long because toxicology reports take anywhere from 4-8 weeks to come back... Also you are never to young to have a heart attack and you do not have to be fat to have one either (How freaking ridiculous to think that)Finally maybe the doctor didn't prescribe them all at once maybe he had some from a previous doctors visit... Geez.. these readers are ridiculous!!!!!!
If this is true.. Why was he on all those different type of meds at one time. Was he in that much pain from his surgery? Or was he really trying to get high? Either way I'm sure his family would have wanted this kept between them if this is true. And he no where being obesed so whomever said he was *** the hell up
Some of you are really ignorant, first of all the reason they arent saying how Anna Nicole died yet is b/c it is too soon to tell, Gerald died months ago!! And there are several reasons he may have been taking all those different meds, we dont know. I have family members that have huge medicine bags and Im sure all the medicines dont go together but at the same time you take them at different times I'm sure.
I believe this story. He was way too young to die like that plus he ballooned in his weight which makes it a great risk...but MTO is wrong cause I thought he was smokin' crack or sumthin. I'm glad I don't need, use or not dependent on prescription drugs...some combinations are proven fatal just like this one.
I agree wit white00diamonds on how Media Takeout tried to be triflin on the headline. The first thing I thought was "CRACK" and we all know "crack is wack" take it from Bobby and Whitney. I did hear rumors that Gerald liked himself a little coke here and there and I dont mean cola. *** you would think with all the info about this sh*t that people would learn to leave it alone.
I HAVE TO LAUGH @ SAPPIYA FOR A HOT MIN. HE WASNT ON DRUGS BC HIS FAMILY WOUDLNT LET THAT HAPPEN TO HIM AND NOT HIS DOCTOR? ARE YOU SERIOUS? DRUG ADDICTS DONT BECOME AND ADDICT BE SOMONE *ALLOWS* YOU TO. MY FATHER WAS ADDICTED TO HERION AND MY MOTHER AND MYSELF CERTAINLY DIDNT ALLOW IT OR TOLORATE IT. IF GERALD WAS TAKIN THEM PILLS FOR ANY OTHER REASON THAN CHRONIC PAIN..THATS HIS BIZ. ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE HIM. BUT SOME PEOPLE NEED TO OPEN THEIR EYES AND BE REAL ABOUT PRESCRIPTION PILLS AND THAT WHEN MIXED...AND ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU DRINK W IT...ITS MOST DEFINATELY A HIGH COMPARABLE TO A STREET DRUG. AND WHOEVER SAID IT IS RIGHT...LOL. I GOT A BOY THAT HAS HAZE, PERK 10'S, VIKES...YOU NAME IT YOU CAN GET IT. SO ITS OUT THERE ON THE STREET....YOU DONT NEED NO BACK PAIN BABY.
I truly do not think that Gerald KILLED HIMSELF! Nor did he realize the strength that prescription drugs have...Basically he had a shoulder ingury, so he had the percaset and vicodin..Mind you those sare NOT for long term use....He had panic attacks, so he has the zanex, then he has the over the counter sinus meds so all that separate...it will work, but together...A DEATH SENTENCE. He probably was playing dr. and did not consult his physician that he was taking them all at one time. He also had phneumonia when he past away, so that explains the antihistamine to clear his nasal passage. Poor thing... And to anyone on the board...DO NOT MIX PRESCRIPTIONS......talk to your dr. before refilling or taking additional meds. This was an accidential death. Peace! RIP Gerald.. GET HIS NEW CD NEXT WEEK!!!!! THAT MAN HAD KIDS! Oh and the Anna Nicole thing was the same thing....too many prescriptions! Dam*!
Gerald Levert was unquestionably,one of the most talented and gifted artists of the last few years.Let us forever remember the gifts he left us which came from his heart and soul.Any way you look at it his passing was a great loss to all his family and loved ones.I refuse to speculate in ignorance on things I do not know.It was a tragedy and he will be missed.R.I.P Gerald.
Shortyy999, I feel sorry for you that you are a victim to believing this bullsh*t. Vicodin is a prescribed medication. And so are Xanax and Percocet . If he did in fact die of an overdose, then his doctor is to be blamed for prescribing multiple pain relivers to his patient. Even if Gereald was to abuse the drugs, doctors should be aware of what their patients are taking. Is it so hard to believe people can die from a heart attack? Not everyone in the music industry is on drugs.
I swore I'd never post another comment on this site, but yet here I am again because this is important. FOR ALL THOSE who think no doc would prescribe all those meds, think again. Especially if you are a famous person -- you get what you ask for, you'd be surprised. DOCS will TELL you not to take them all, but they cannot stop you, now can they? And there is really no way to prevent getting different meds from different docs. Also Xanax is a drug that mellows you out so the combination could be quite nice. One thing is sure, he was in NO PAIN. But I bet if he'd have known he'd die, he wouldn't have taken all that ***. It's never worth it.
If a doctor wants to risk losing his license or worse get sued, then sure, he can prescribe all he/she wants. It doesn't work like that. Plastic surgeons can operate so many times, but when they are putting a patient in danger, they have to turn them away. Doctors cannot risk putting a patient in danger and prescribing too many pain medications is definitely one way of doing that. Find the doctor who gave him the pills and fire his azz!
See I KNEW ANS wasnt the only celeb popping all thise *** pills. Imean what happened to the good old days when people was stressed they smoked some weed and kept it moving. Why is it so hard to belive that he died from an overdose? Im sure when your a celeb you can get your hands on anything! anything! Its sad but I can beleive it! Maybe this is happening so that the govt will put a handle on Doctors prescribing them
Personally, I would have rather not even heard the outcome of the ME's examination. I would rather remember Gerald as he was, strong, sexy, powerful, charismatic and a helluva performer. I don't understand how medical professionals can continually prescribe meds to a person whose developing a dependency on them. No one knows what Gerald was going through, medically or personally, but it's a shame that these drugs contributed to his demise.
~jayvegas you do not have to retract your comments for live42day or anybody else on this site FU*K live42day, It's a comment site say whatever you want to say. Gerald was Obese he was at least 30 pounds or more over weight which puts him in the Mildly Obese - Obese category. And if he was taking these drugs who said it was his doctor that told him to take all them together that was a mistake on his part. MY HEART GOES OUT R.I.P GERALD LEVERT!!!!
Stop all of you fool. Respect his name and his heart and let him rest in peace. It's not your decision or idle conversation that sees him now, that God's job and believe me he can do it. We all miss him so whether it was an intentional get high or an accident, its not for us to judge. Let him rest in peace.
What doc would give a patient percocet and vicodin? These are class 3 drugs. I don't believe the reader who states they get percocet and vicodin at the same time. I take vicodin for back injury and before I was taking percocet and my doc told me they would prefer vicodin over percocet. Both drugs do the same thing but percocet is stronger. RIP LEVERT
Celebs can get any drugs they want. Remember Elvis had like 17 prescriptions from that foolish doctor who ended up killing? Just because they're prescription, most people don't think of themselves as addicts, but they are. Poor Gerald and the radio stations were blaming it on his obesity saying the black community has to get itself healthier. That's true but not the cause this time. Plus he was taking anxiety meds. What was going on in Gerald's private life for this?
Ok guys, I usually just come and read, but on this, I had to make a comment. I know for a fact that doctors will prescribe several pain meds at one time. I have lupus and fibro, and if Im in pain then the doctor will just fax in me another prescription, my daily meds are, Darvacet, Ultram, Flexiral, Lortab,and meprozine, and those are the ones for pain. I am also prescribed, imuran, prednisone,topomax, and ambien, too take on a daily basis. Of course I dont follow directions and take them all, because I dont believe that these doctors care one way or the other, I believe they work with the pharmacys to make more money. And by the way, my husband was prescribed oxycotin and percocet at the same time amongst some other things, when he had 3rd degree burns to his hand.
No one can say what a doctor will prescribe a patient because each case is different. At once, I was prescribed Vicodin, Percocet, AND T3 (tylenol w/ codeine) to treat back pain after I had a rod put in my spine and was going through painful physical therapy. So just because a doctor won't give YOU different meds, doesn't mean he will do the same for the patient in the next room. And the title to this story IS jacked up. Just another low blow from [SPAM].com.
Some of you who were taking those meds need to go check the Drug Facts and Comparisons 2007 Edition....better go find you nearist pharmacist and talk to him/her so they can educate you. Vicodin, Percocet, and Darvocet all have Tylenol in them. Why in the world would the doctor prescribe 3 of these instead of 2. Percocet is the most strongest due to its schedule. So even if he was taking them at different times throughout the day its still not a therapuetic treatment to have all these plus with the xanax. There is a term called medullary paralysis. Not sure who his doctor was but its clear this doctor is clueless about pain management/patient education and much more. Its not Gerald Leverts fault. As a patient were taught to "follow doctors orders" but as a provider myself I know this story will get deeper. If i were in his family I would have a look at his medical record and patient profile to get these doctor(s) name to make them pay.
HE WAS OVIOUSLY MISEDUCATION ON THE DANGER OF THOSE DRUG COMBINATION. ITS GOOD TO GET THESE FACTS..AND WITH ANNA NICOLE DYEING OF SIMULAR CAUSE,THIS SERVES AS A CAUTION TO OTHER CELEBS AND REGULAR PEOPLE LIKE US , TO KNOW THE DANGERS OF MIXING DRUGS.. HIS DR DIDNT NECESSARILY GIVE THEM TO HIM., MAY BE ONE OR TWO WAS PRECSCRIBED BUT , THE REST YOU CAN GET ON STREET CORNERS.. BUT IF YOU DONT KNOW WHAT GOES WITH WHAT YOUR FINISHED... THAT GOES TO ALL YOU DRUGGIES NO DISRESPECT TO GERALD.. HE WAS MY FAVORITE SINGER... LOVED HIM.. BUT SOME ONE HAS TO SET AN EXAMPLE
live42day-you were right on with your comments! I think u were a little harsh tho' from the way most of the comments sound...most of the people writing them are a little young or just plain don't know any better. Dramaqueenc- I recommend that you not get drugs from people on the streets. You never know what they may have done to them. Please try to get a prescription. Jane- u are absolutly right, I could not have said it any better. If go to your doctor/hospital/clinic for any kind of treatment ALWAYS let them know if you have allergies to anything whether it dates back to childhood and/or taking any other medications. Also, follow the directions on your meds to the fullest. These directions are there to prevent things like this from happening. Dispose of all meds that are expired and NEVER, EVER give meds that were prescribed to you to someone else. This is life or death and serious!!!! Please heed to this warning. I don't want to see/hear about anybody else on the news due to this! AS far as Anna Nicole...there is definately som foul play involved.
<FONT COLOR="pink"><FONT FACE="Impact"><FONT SIZE="4">AHHHEEEmmm... I hate to see people judge what the really have no idea about. Take from someone who was on drugs who knows. Most doctors could give a *** what they give you! All the patient has to do is say that they are in pain and what was given isnt working and 9 times out of ten something stronger will be prescribed. I started off on vicodin, the es vicodin, the norco 7.5 to norco 10 trust me *** really does happen. and youve been taking it for so long u become dependent on it until its out of your system. Narcotic pain relievers effect your noural nervous sysytem which takes up to 6 months to fully heal. The drugs itself can be out of your system in a matter of two weeks. Gerald was probably dependent on them NOT ADDICTED! its a difference, to where he needed them to function. 9 times out of ten the reason why he was intaking xanax was because the doctors were probably trying to wein him off of the narcotics which can cause irratability which can lead to anxiety. Please read upon things before you guys make off the wall *** comments, and please try and stay positive to someone who has lost their life due to something beyond their control. ¢¾</FONT></FONT></FONT>
I hafta agree wit Shorty999 on this one and I LOVE the Ojays, LaVert & Gerald as a solo artist. These *** are used more for recreation than medicinal purposes these days.. he didnt have to take them all at once or on the same day for them to still show in his system on the day of the toxicology report..but oxycotin if you dont have cancer or something fatal is a train wreck waiting to happen!
Let's get it right people. Gerald was not a drug addict. He was taking prescribed pain meds. from his doctor for a severed Achilles tendon surgery he had previously. Yes, he was in a lot of pain from this surgery, and he still performed for all his shows in tremendous pain. After returning from South Africa, he had a cold and went to see his doctor, which the doctor didn't check for pneumonia and Gerald probably took Benadryl to clear up the congestion in his chest. All these medicines mixed together caused his death. As far as the anxiety medicine, Xanax, that medicine is also prescribed for people who are stressed out and can't sleep at ***. Can you imagine the stress he was under with a new album coming out, trying to finish a new Father and Son album, producing an album for his daughter and his brother along with doing a promotional tour for his newly released album. That can create a lot of stress. GET THE FACTS BEFORE COMMENTING. YOU ARE HURTING HIS GRIEVING FAMILY WITH ALL THIS WRONG INFORMATION THAT YOU SEND OUT.
OK Shauna; grow up, Cupcake. These days doctors are in the business for the money; NOT cause they care about patients - so it's not IMPOSSIBLE for a doctor to "ok" those drugs. Hell who knows, Gerald could have had those 3 painkillers because 1 or 2 didn't work, so he had the leftovers on hand. The pain may have gotten so bad that the vicodin didn't work so he added the other two in hopes that they would help alleviate the pain. How the hell was he supposed to know that having all of them in his system would be lethal? Aside from that, doctors are JUST as fallible as the next person, so you need to get a grip on reality, Cupcake.
Ok Ok I sat here and read most your comments and it really make me sad to see most of you are not really concern about is family. I say let him RIP. He was a gift from God now he was called home we don't have that gift anymore it will never be a nother Gerald Levert. I'm just glad I had the chance to meet him and his family he is a beautiful man. I can care less what he did behind close doors it's none of aree bussiness. Plus who are we to judge. Love my brother you will be missed.....
Tht is a shame yall need to leave tht man alone because first of all yall probably popping peels urself and second of all yall don't know tht man life some of yall are redicules look at the mirror at urself b4 u look at anybody eles and then at tht yall probably no even praying for his family well the people on here tlking trash and some of yall are in the rite place but everybody eles mind urs and do u and let him do him and this is comen from a 12 year old thts a shame a 12 yr old got more common since thn sum if yall grown UPS leave tht man alone and like I said b4 mind urs
