The number of Xanax pills Michael Jackson was taking has made it into the news, and the search for information on “Xanax side effects” has begun.

Although “death” is not included among the Xanax side effects, Xanax does have a pretty lengthy list of side effects attached to it. However, more shockingly, CNN reports that the Los Angeles police chief and detectives are investigating whether Michael Jackson’s death was a homicide, an accidental Xanax overdose or an overdose of another kind. Police have ruled out death by cheap payday loans.

CNN reports:

Singer Michael Jackson took more than 10 Xanax pills a night, asking his employees to get the prescription medicine under their names and also personally traveling to doctors’ offices in other states to obtain them, said a confidential document from 2004 that CNN obtained Thursday.

The document from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department contains confidential interviews conducted with two of Jackson’s former security guards as officials prepared for Jackson’s child molestation trial in 2005.

Xanax pills cost and uses

Just to give you an idea of how much money Jackson was spending on Xanax pills, I found a web site that gave prices for buying it under that brand name. The highest dosage listed was 1 mg, and a bottle of 90 (the biggest bottle) cost a whopping $193.54. So, assuming a bottle lasted MJ nine days, that’s almost $650 a month.

Xanax is used to treating anxiety disorder and panic attacks. CNN reports that Jackson was taking Xanax to battle sleep disorder and insomnia.

Xanax side effects

Here is a list of possible Xanax side effects:

• euphoria
• drowsiness, dizziness, lightheadedness, fatigue, unsteadiness and impaired coordination, vertigo
• skin rash
• constipation
• disinhibition
• suicidal ideation (rare)
• urinary retention (infrequent)
• hallucinations
• ataxia, slurred speech
• short-term memory loss and impairment of memory functions
• anterograde amnesia and concentration problems
• decreased or increased libido
• dry mouth (infrequent)
• increase in appetite
• jaundice (very rare)

More details from CNN

Authorities are awaiting toxicology reports from the coroner’s office to determine the exact cause of death.

“And based on those, we will have an idea of what it is we are dealing (with): are we dealing with a homicide or are we dealing with an accidental overdose?” Bratton said.

The speculation that prescription drugs, particularly sedatives, could have played a role in Jackson’s death keeps coming up with each new nugget of information — and there have been many.

The Jackson family knows that the probe into his death can turn into a criminal case, a source close to the family told CNN on Thursday.

“The family is aware of a potential criminal prosecution,” said the source, who did not want to be identified.

In addiction cases, people develop a tolerance to drugs and have to take more and more pills, according to CNN chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta said.

“No matter how you cut it, this is an extremely high dosage of Xanax,” Gupta said. “It is a huge red flag, even with the tolerance that I was talking about. This dosage is exceedingly high for any human being.”