Coke jaw freeze frame

[Fridays Child]

[pointblank]

1. Yup

Thats coke jaw alright. I've seen it too many times.

Wither that, or he's developed one hell of a nervous tick.

[holboz]

70. Coke jaw, certainly

This account was written by a recovering addict:

http://www.channel4.com/health/microsites/0-9/4health/drugs/ust_mike.html


When you do large quantities of coke your muscles begin to seize up and your vision becomes blurred. You also get hot and often begin to "gurn". This is when you continually move your jaw around tensing and untensing the jaw muscle. This occurs with worse severity with lower quality coke and whilst on ecstasy.

[HereSince1628]

2. That or he has a really really bad molar.

[Up2Late]

3. O.K., I've seen the video, it's very obvious...

...but what are you "look at his Coke Jaw/tick" implying? That it's the results of his previous usage, or the result of new/recent usage?

I think I misses the original topic.

[Fridays Child]

22. I believe that he's snorted a bunch, in his time...

...but I think this new tic is from some currently used prescription drug--maybe an anti-convulsant or something similar.

[YouthInAsia]

34. antipsychotics can cause facial tics too.

[Autonomy]

57. Tardive dyskinesia

But most modern antipsychotics don't have this side effect as much as the older generation of drugs. And there have been medications to reduce that side effect for decades. The symptoms included involuntary tongue, limb and neck movements.

My money is on Adderall. He probably started on Ambien, which is dangerous for someone with a substance abuse past, then doctors put him on a stimulant to counter some of the side effects of the Ambien, and to deal with his ADHD. Or perhaps it started the other way around. No matter. These drugs can be taken somewhat safely by most people, but not by alcoholics. He's probably drinking again, since his addiction has been reawakened. It will not be long until we see a complete collapse. It won't be pretty.

[SpiralHawk]

58. What's a typical scenario for a "complete collapse," Auto?

You sound like you have observed similar cases...

[Autonomy]

60. Yep, personally and professionally

The "typical" scenario is antisocial behavior, alienation of friends and family, financial difficulties, loss of job, degradation and indigence, jails and institutions, death. However, we've probably never had someone in such a deep personal crisis in the White House, so I'm not sure how it will go down.

I think we're seeing it played out. Bush is halfway down the scale already. He'll have to be removed from office within a year. I'm deliberately making bold assertions because the signs are just too strong to make overly qualified claims. I'm 99% sure Bush is in an active addiction.

[Up2Late]

65. "loss of job!" Wow, just the thought almost made me lose control...

...of my bodily functions!

Now that the (s)election's over, I kind of do wish he would take something for his ADD, might result in a less terrible pResident.

[trekbiker]

71. good post... I've noticed a definate deterioration

of his speaking/cognitive functions over the last couple years. I just dont see how he can survive 3 more years. Normally I would have some sympathy for a person in this sort of trouble. But not in this case.

The tragic part will be the lasting damage he has unleashed on our country and its future.

The only good thing is the perverse fun I am going to have watching this asshole disintegrate while his screeching followers spin themselves crazy as it happens.

[Auntie Bush]

80. What are "some of side effects of the Ambien"? Do you know?

Also, do you know the side effects of withdrawal from the drug?

[Autonomy]

86. Side effects are:

*allergic reaction including difficulty breathing
*hallucinations
*abnormal behavior
*severe confusion

Other less serious side effects include headache, nausea, depression, muscle pain, vivid dreams, temporary amnesia, and others.

Withdrawal can cause insomnia. http://sleepdisorders.about.com/od/medication/a/ambieneffects.htm

But the side effects I meant were specifically the addictive properties of the drug. For someone with a history of substance abuse, Ambien could be enough to trigger a relapse for a "dry drunk".

"Often the abuse or addiction of Ambien occurs in conjunction with the abuse of another substance or drug, such as alcohol or cocaine. In these cases of polydrug abuse, the treatment approach must address the multiple addictions." http://www.addict-help.com/ambien-addiction.htm

"Just wanted to tell you my story with Ambien so it might help anyone else who might have the same problem. I formed an addiction to it after long term use; however, I also am alcoholic and have been addicted to other prescription drugs. For those of us who have been addicted to other things, this may not be a safe drug to use. For me, I would become amnesic and walk around the house doing unsafe things (turning on the fireplace, stove, etc..) and not know what I was doing. This would take place for hours after I took Ambien."
http://www.rxlist.com/rxboard/ambien.pl?read=442

[Bleed]

83. I know one thing,

His daughters sure are!

[firefox]

4. Could they actually keep cocaine use a secret?

Sure the Neocons pride themselves on the new secrecy, but could they really pull of cocaine use by *. Wouldn't it be risking one of the greatest explosions the office of President has ever seen?

But then cocaine is schedule 2 and it could be that he is getting pharmaceutical cocaine. I find it all to incredible to consider it a real possibility, but then again, these guys might do it just for the laugh on us all.

[Lerkfish]

15. why do you think the majority of shrub pardons are drug dealers?

sometimes the simplest answer is best.

[Angry Girl]

79. They kept Roosevelt and Kennedy's ailments a secret

And Supreme Rehnquist was a pill popper.

And so much more, I'm sure....

[Deep13]

5. So, nose candy makes someone have a slack jaw?

[sui generis]

13. actually anything you snort in quantity

from drugs to allergens can make you have a slack jaw. As your sinuses swell, you tend to mouth breathe.

No, I'm tellin' ya, but nobody believes it - he's poorly titrated on adderall. All the symptoms are there.

He is NOT doing cocaine. He's doing time released prescription methamphetamines.

[Lerkfish]

18. what does adderall treat, exactly? I mean, what is he being medicated for?

[Sanity Claws]

19. So if he is on prescription meds, what do you think the

underlying medical condition is? Isn't adderall an ADD drug? Why would he be given methamphetamines?
Sorry to sound dumb but just want to get further info on your response.

[sui generis]

24. exactly - for trouble concentrating, "adult ADD"

and because he's shown a predilection for stimulants in the past.

[Sanity Claws]

25. Well, the drug is not working

He seems unable to concentrate. He loses his thought in mid-sentence, makes long pauses, and when he continues, he's off on something else, though related. That's why some of his remarks are so bizarre.
I looked up adderall and it can cause mood swings, agitation --- we're seeing that, aren't we? I only caught the end of the press conference when someone raised the issue of polls, he was downright obnoxious, though he thought he was funny.
Adderall can also cause motor tics -- perhaps that phrase includes the jaw twitching that people are remarking on. Here's a link on adderall's side effects:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a601234.html#side-effects

[marions ghost]

33. yes but

if he werent on such a medication, he might be lot worse...

I think he's on a controlled substance, amphetamines a good guess.

[sui generis]

36. I've known enough people on ritalin and low doses of

crank through the 80's to recognize this whole suite of behaviors.

I'm talking business folks who could mostly truthfully claim they "didn't DO drugs" but would put a microscopic teensy bit in their coffee early morning and roar out the door every day - and after years of it they ended up looking and acting and sounding remarkably like shrubya does today.

That's what clued me -

[Angry Girl]

81. I thought he was waiting for his earpiece to talk to him

I think it's pretty plain at this point that he is relying on a wireless to prompt him. I'm so pissed that the media is still letting him slide on this....

Although I'm not denying he's on something or at least losing some of his faculties.

[6th Borough]

72. Adderall is not (a) methamphetamine. It's a mix of 4 amphetamine salts.

I just figured I would clear that up while I was browsing through this thread.

Desoxyn is only the name-branded (generic is probably available) pharmaceutical methamphetamine (in other words, available via prescription) I know of.

[vogonity]

37. I agree

Prescription meds. I think he's been on them a long time. Probably since he "stopped drinking." Think about how much easier it is to hide. I also think that he is hitting the sleep meds (Ambien?)

One thing that got my attention going all the way back to the 2000 campaign is how he needs to be in bed by (some early hour, I can't remember 9:00?)

By the way, what is "poorly titrated?"

[Sanity Claws]

46. dose control

I understand that many drugs, docs start you off on a low dose, then slowly move it up until they find an effective dose. I believe that's what the term means.

[CoffeeCat]

62. Yes, that does make sense about Ambien...

You're only supposed to take it if you will be getting 9 hours of sleep. Otherwise, it makes you all goofy the next day.

Maybe the reason he goes to bed so early, is because he's taking Ambien and he needs to get that large block of sleep in.

His hoarked up speech and nimroddery could be partially explained by taking the Ambien and not falling asleep long enough.

Who knows. The man is a case. He's a parody of himself, at this point.

[ohio_liberal]

56. I always thought cocaine use causes one to grind/clench teeth?

:shrug:

[Up2Late]

66. I don't think they have "time released prescription methamphetamines"

more likely it's time released prescription amphetamines, like I take, but I don't have "Slack Jaw." At least I don't think I do.

Might be doing too much, I think I did have that when I was on too much for my Adult ADD. Time got really slow too.

[The_Mule]

74. Adderall is *not* crank!

Adderall is a mix of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine salts. Methamphetamine is the street drug crank, ice, crystal meth, etc.

Meth will get into your system much faster than Adderall, unless you do something stupid like crush up a bunch of Adderall and snort it or solubolize a bunch to inject. The "high" and most of the physical addiction is directly related to how fast the drug gets into systemic circulation. Therefore, there are significant differences between methaphetamine and Adderall.

[Demoiselle]

6. I've noticed it, but can you 'splain it to me again?

I know it's been much discussed on DU...but what, exactly, IS a "Coke Jaw."
Is there really such an obvious tic related to cocaine use?

[slaveplanet]

27. involuntary movement

of the lower jaw. It does not happen to all users. From my experience it does not afflict newer or minimal use addicts (although that is not out of the question).
But it more often afflicts advanced abusers (5 years+) ...I've also seen it with ecstasy and meth users but usually less pronounced unless those are overdosed.

I've seen people falling the down drunk transform into sober half-way reasonable people, within the space of 5 minutes after doing a line, the main giveaway being the coke jaw.

[Demoiselle]

35. Thank you, slaveplanet. So it's neurological? Wow.

Bunnypants does seem to have some wear on him. Misspent youth and adulthood will cost ya eventually.

[satya]

48. So maybe that's how Pickles sobers him up when he has a photo op. n/t

[fooj]

7. Does anyone remember the shipment of cocaine that was intercepted

by another country (I can't remember which one) on its way to Iraq recently? WTF is a shipment of cocaine being sent to Iraq for?

Peace.

[seemslikeadream]

9. Yes I do

Venezuela

http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/article.asp?idr=6&id=9460


:hi:

[fooj]

31. Thanks.

I get by with a little help from my friends...:hi:

[Up2Late]

23. I'm not going to say "...to support our Troops...," but it probably...

...is to "...support our Contractors," We can't have sleepy contractors.

I don't know that for sure, but I have heard several reports of Anabolic Steroids being the "drug of choice" in Iraq.

[DoYouEverWonder]

44. Same shit

Different day.

I know Jeb was a user back in the early days when he first moved to Miami. Apparently he was quite the party animal. I guess he was just trying to keep up with his brother or and was probably a main source of the good stuff for his big brother.

[Angry Girl]

82. Ha! The military is one of the largest movers and users of drugs!

They have the transportation and the clearance to avoid regular customs. and there's not much other recreation for a grunt besides discovering all possible methods of getting high.

[yellowcanine]

8. Are his eyes getting closer together or is it just me? Beady-eyed little

rodent, he is.

[Arkansas Granny]

16. They've always been close together. They only look closer

because he's frowning so much nowadays. Being president is not only "hard work", it isn't nearly as much fun as it used to be.

[meegbear]

10. A-ha, charade you are

You, slack jawed lame brain
A-ha, charade you are

[Nostradammit]

63. Always a good time for Animals!

:toast:

[meegbear]

69. I heard the sond when I read the line ...

just seemed to fit.

[MuseRider]

11. It seemed much worse today

than I had noticed before. Sometimes 2 or 3 between words and once or twice I thought I saw it interrupt a word. Whatever it is, and it could be meds they give him for any number of reasons, it seems worse. His face looks even more like he has had a stroke. The jaw movement always goes to the low side of his mouth. I don't know. I try not to watch him much but I was interested in observing this and seeing how he handled questions. Too bad the questions did not seem to challenge him. Yes, this poor dumb boy has a real problem.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

12. ROFLMAO nt

[TallahasseeGrannie]

14. I do the same darned thing

TMJ. People are going to make fun of us if we keep this up!

(but it IS fun)

[Fridays Child]

28. I believe you, TG, but I don't think that's what he has going on.

If he has TMJ syndrome, it should have been reported, by now. His jaw was jerking during the debates, last fall, but nothing was mentioned about it, in the report on his July 30, 2005 physical exam.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

39. Well, you are right about that

TMJ is no biggie and would have been addressed.

[wildflowergardener]

59. tmj

Hi. I've been hearing Randi Rhodes talk about the jaw thing - and had a similar thought. I don't know if I have TMJ, though the last couple of months I've had similar simptoms - my ears have been driving me crazy, so I know I move my jaw alot to try and get them to clear up (constantly plugged.) I know I clench my jaw a fair amount too.

Anyway, he could have a different problem - but I've never seen anyone who had taken cocaine, so I wouldn't know if that was what it was. Anyhow hope people don't think I'm on cocaine! I just can't get my ears to stop popping.

Meg

[orleans]

64. meg---get thee to a doctor and get your ears checked out

you don't want it to lead to an inner ear problem--if it's been going on a couple months i would think that is too long (beyond what a typical cold might do)

besides, someone might think you're related to that s.o.b. who pretends to run the world.

[wildflowergardener]

78. Doctor

I have been to an ear nose and throat doctor - he says my ears are fine - he says probably it is allergies. Actually I've managed to clear up my ears using a book about trigger points, so I think it's mostly muscle related. It is amazing the things that can be caused by muscles in your jaw and neck - headaches, sinus problems, earaches. I wouldn't have believed it until pressing the points made either pain appear, or some, like my ear problem go away.

I don't want people to think I'm related to Bush though - but if they see my car (plastered with anti-bush bumper stickers) they won't.

Meg

[orleans]

85. (smile) n/t

[sakabatou]

17. What is he? a cow?

[mtnester]

20. Sorry kiddies, I was twentysomething in the early to mid 80's

he is cranking on something...either a stimulant like "speed", "coke", "other", or coming down from an LSD high.

I speaketh from experience.

[burythehatchet]

21. troglodyte

[thereismore]

26. good job. Somebody cut and paste a video of just the jerks that would

be great.

[Gabi Hayes]

43. from Harry Shearer

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/video/bush%20roberts%20speech.mov

[Up2Late]

67. That one looks like he's adjusting a tobacco chaw

Either that or he's changing into Charlie Manson.

[liveoaktx]

47. Here's a few I've done

For real fun, when you watch it in Windows Media Player, choose the option to watch it in slo-mo

Jerks and Smirks

Some other heavily edited stuff

Bush's Terror Speech on the 28th

Bush's Terror Speech on the 22nd -second half not edited

Bush Energy Speech Sep 27

[Ilsa]

29. Maybe he is on a nonstimulant ADHD med?

Strattera? I don't know anything about it causing this kind of neurological problem.

Maybe be is on an anti-psychotic drug and he has tardive dyskinesia from a regular overdosing.

[Gabi Hayes]

45. this has been discussed here a whole LOT

check this

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=bush+tardive+dyskinesia+&btnG=Google+Search

[6th Borough]

73. TD is usually triggered by antipsychotic meds or newer, "novel" meds...

broadly categorized as having neurological effects. Buspar, Zyprexa, etc.

[Ilsa]

30. Maybe we should email this thread to the WH or his doc. nt

[Fridays Child]

32. A great question for the next "Ask the White House" Internet chat.

Hi, I'm Carol from Poughkeepsie, and I'd like to know...WTF is up with Mr. Bush's jerking jaw and sagging mouth. Is he on drugs?

Think it'll get past the screeners? :smoke:

[Scurrilous]

38. In the film 'Drugstore Cowboy'...

...there's a scene where Matt Dillon is cranked-up on speed. He has the exact same look on his face as Bush does in this picture.

Matt Dillon was acting, but for Bush it's real.

[Gabi Hayes]

40. I've mentioned this before, but ,FWIW, Harry Shearer was on this

back in July!

"Yes, it was amusing to see how excited broadcast/cable media folk were, after having gotten their White House briefing, to be able to scoop the President's official announcement of the Roberts nomination by almost an hour. There's gotta be a different word for a scoop that's so assiduously spoon-fed by the scoopee.

But I'd rather concentrate on a real scoop -- i.e., what's with the President's jaw?

During the announcement remarks, George W. Bush unveiled a (to me, at least) entirely new facial movement, and it was a trimphant debut, since the movement/tic/signal was repeated more than a dozen times. I have no idea what it means, but a new Presidential facial movement, well into the second term, is exciting enough on its own terms. Enjoy it here."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/video/bush%20roberts%20speech.mov

that's the vid he edited to show many twitches

he also did a bit on LeShow, which is where I first heard about it.

[Gabi Hayes]

41. whole buncha amusing comments here from likeminded souls

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/harry-shearer/the-president-goes-jawggi_b_4456.html

[Gabi Hayes]

42. I like this one

Spin-a-fibida. (from the English 'spin' - to lie and the Italian 'fibida' - to lie)

This disease is primarily exhibited in political animals.
Advanced cases result in delusions of grandeur, word parsing, mispronunciation of small simple words, short and long term memory loss, and psychosis.

The physical manifestations include tics, teeth grinding, a swaggering gait, hair pulling, a shrinking of the genital region accompanied by acts of indiscriminate aggression, and an affected southern drawl.

This malaise can be misdiagnosed as cocaine or methamphetamine abuse due to teeth grinding.

Has also been confused with Festusomania - The uncontollable urge to clear brush or chop wood - a relatively benign syndrome

[xmas74]

49. Looks about right.

I used to run around w/ some cokeheads. Looks familiar.

[Kailassa]

50. How long since he had teeth?

Would any of this explain why he no longer wears any dentures?

[tuvor]

51. Might ambien have anything to do with this?

Powell needs medication to sleep nights
by Al Kamen, Washington Post

Nov. 10, 2003


Secretary of State Colin Powell described his killer schedule in an interview Thursday with Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed, a reporter for a London-based Saudi newspaper .

"So do you use sleeping tablets to organize yourself?" Al-Rashed asked.

"Yes. Well, I wouldn't call them that," Powell said. "They're a wonderful medication — not medication. How would you call it? They're called Ambien, which is very good. You don't use Ambien? Everybody here uses Ambien."

[glitch]

54. It certainly explains their lack of depth and idiot comprehension skills.

Hard to do analysis with no short-term memory function.

[NNadir]

52. Pretty classic now that you mention it.

[glitch]

53. Lie down with big pharma, get up with tics. nt

[savemefromdumbya]

55. We made a point of watching him on CPAN tonight

we counted 18

[CoffeeCat]

61. He looks like Karl--the groundskeeper from "Caddyshack"!!

"Cinderella story...Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now, about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac... It’s in the hole! It’s in the hole! It’s in the hole!”

"FREEZE Gopher!"

[lady lib]

68. Perhaps he's on a tricyclic antidepressant like

Ascendin (amoxipine) which is a reuptake inhibitor of serotonin and neurepinephrine, but ALSO has a dopamine receptor blocking effect, hence the extrapyramidal symptom of jaw thrusting. It's used in patients who have failed to respond to other antidepressants.

Another possibility would be Triavil which is a combination of a neuroleptic (perphenazine) and an antidepressant (amitriptyline). The neuroleptic component could have the extrapyramidal side effect.

[lady lib]

75. Kick. DU Docs: Any thoughts on my post #68?

Just curious if you think this has merit. I can't imagine that the president would have access to coke or ecstasy, and he doesn't have a (known) history of bipolar d/o or schizophrenia, so I don't think he would be on a neuroleptic. (Of course, you never know.) But an antidepressant with neuroleptic side effects...hmmm. I think that just might be the ticket.

[NervousRex]

76. Cocksucker's Cramps...

...that's what we called it in Jr. High. Where's Jeff Boyardee(Gannon) been lately?

[Atlas Mugged]

77. DAMN, that brow is atavistic!!!! n/r

[catzies]

84. I vote for "pharmaceutical cocktail." I'll bet he's on several.

"Better living through chemistry."