Stevie Nicks Says 'Stupid' Doctor 'Ruined My Life for Eight Years'

By PopEater Staff Posted May 10th 2011 10:15AM

Fleetwood Mac icon Stevie Nicks regrets taking medication to help her drug addiction because it "ruined" a large chunk of her life.

The singer, 62, who battled substance abuse in the 1980s, entered the Betty Ford Clinic in 1986 to overcome an addiction to cocaine. That same year a psychiatrist prescribed her Klonopin which is usually for seizures and panic disorders. The results were almost fatal.

"That ruined my life for eight years," she told FOX411's Pop Tarts. "That was just a stupid doctor making a groupie mistake and just wanting me to come in there, tell him about all my music friends and young Hollywood, and that nearly ruined my life and nearly killed me."

Nicks laments the loss of eight years of her life.

"God knows, maybe I would have met someone, maybe I would have had a baby," she said. "That was my prime eight years. That was a big mistake. Everything else was exactly how it should have been."

Nicks, who has a new album out called 'In Your Dreams' had a surprising dinner guest while she was recording her first studio album since 2001: Reese Witherspoon. The two met when Nicks sat next to Witherspoon's mother on a flight to Nashville -- "she's darling" -- and invited her and her husband to watch her record.

The actress, who won an Oscar for portraying a singer, June Carter Cash, even came up with a name for one of the tracks on Nicks' new album: 'Cheaper Than Free.'

Tags: Klonopin, Stevie Nicks

Comments

(128)

Wednesday 11 May

By Dave

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I was really skinny until I had to start taking prednisone, that will make you bulk up in an unflattering way.

Tuesday 10 May

By carmen

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No, what she is saying is that a doctor prescribed her a serious medication that effected her life for 8 years. Meds are serious business and docs are prescribing meds that are not appropriate and make a person a zombie and live unlike themselves for extended periods of time. Many of the pharma meds seem wrose than or just as bad as the addictions or illnesses they are being prescribed to help. Many psych meds make people gain weight, space out and not live to their fullest potential. I personally have more faith in herbs, yoga and other more natural and spiritual approaches.

I am glad Stevie is better now. All the best to her. But I can relate to years being stolen when babies could have been born and marriages should have happened but someone side tracks you whether it be a bad relationship or a doctor prescribing life altering drugs.

By lisa

i agree with what "may have happened/ been" in those 8 years; but doctors do prescrible things as we all know to help with affects of withdrawls; etc; which kudos to her for WANTING to quit cociane and better herself- its too bad it seems we need "another drug" to help us get off another. she seems like a very sweet woman and still can belt out the tunes; lets have some respect people. ps. {try dealing with a back injury that will bring you to your knees with pain- people just dont know unless you"ve walked in their shoes} :(

By Jackie

BUT if she hadn't started using cocaine in the first place she wouldn't have been prescribed Klonopin. She should accept the fact that if not for her actions none of this would have happened in the first place. Also, why did it take eight years for her to realize that the Klonopin was ruining her life???

By diane

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actually it's "affected".

By Annie

Yeah. She should have just stayed on the coke. It would have kept her thin. Let's not be concerned about her ODing. Stupid woman. The drugs fried her brain.

By Choperia

I don't think Stevie is OK! She is bitter and looking for someone to blame.............a bad, bad pill, (pun intended). She was 37 when she checked in at BFC. She was nearing the end to have kids and she should have thought about it for twenty years previously.

By David

Sorry but I agree with Jackie. Blaming other is a sign of wseakness. Someone said that the drugs caused her to gain thirty pounds. If it's happening and you don't like it you go to the doctor and say just that. You don't just keep taking the meds, keep gaining weight and boohooing about it later.
I've been on meds for many years for addiction and mental problems. We tried different things and when one diddn't work, I talked to my doctor about it and we changed things until we found a regimin that does work. I've been on it for years, have little to no side effects and can now deal with life like I couldn't before. The natural things, herbs, yoga, etc. are good but for a real problem..addiction, mental disorders and the like, they don't help. hey can be good in conjunction with the other treatments but on their own they won't solve the problem.

Tuesday 08 January

By Eeyore68

....plus, I can tell you that depression, bipolar, anxiety disorder and addiction can REALLY prevent you from living life AT ALL. And very often psychotropic medication make living possible.

By RON

yet another celebrity seeking pity and attention. What an example most of these tools set for our youth and impressionable uneducated adults who are facinated with these people's lives instead of living their own.Ms.Nicks had her fame and opportunities but chose to squander them. Now off into the sunset with her and have her take Lindsay Lohan with her.

By riverdew149

Love Stevie - She and Fleetwood Mac are one of my three favorite bands of all time - up there with Beatles and CSN&Y. I'm glad she's performing again. Wish her well.

By Karen

I do agree that Stevie should own her own drug issues. But it is true that prescription drugs are way overused in this country. And I am seeing a disturbing trend that when celebrities go to a doctor to try to get help, all they get is another fan boy or girl pandering and exploiting rather than trying to help. It killed Michael Jackson.

By mike

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prime of her life my a--! her prime was 25-35. after that it is all down hill baby!!!!!

By Susan

I didn't have my first child until I was 35. I had my second child 5 years later (to the day) when I was 40. Let me say that in my experience, things begin to go downhill with menopause after 50. I had so much energy in my 30's and 40's...sure wish I had it now.

Saturday 28 May

By miriam

Mike, 25-35 is not the prime time in a woman's life or anyones.

By Garys AOL

Always Loving You Stevie

By jammie-jam

I'm with you Gary ...... I grew up watching Stevie Nicks .... brought decades of wonderful enjoyment to America and more ....... Why can't she just make a statement without being attacked by people like JACKIE?? ....... Now having read all that, I am going to pitch the remainder of my Klonopin in the trash where it belongs!! Love you Stevie ........

By steener122

I don't understand how she claims the drug stole her life. Did she wind up addicted to the Klonopin also? She doesn't say much other than its some elses fault that she didn't meet a guy and have a baby. Unless she was abusing the meds, I don't see how just being on the medication would stop her from doing these things, except actually having the child which she'd have to stop the meds during the pregnancy.

By Benwa

Let's see. You're 62. You entered rehab in 1986. If my aritmetic is correct, that would make you 37 at the time. Sort of past your birthing prime given the risks of older-age births. Also, hmmmmm, maybe if you weren't doing drugs, you could have had a child when you were younger. Oh, what's that? Please...... say it again. Oh, you had your career. Guess what, all of us have "careers" but we still find the time to be a little less self-indulgent than you in the entertainment field. By the way, I really did like you back in the day.

By Janet

OMG I forgot to have children...must have been the Klonopin.

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