Michael Jackson’s Death Ruled A Homicide
A new chapter in the unhappy and tragic life of Michael Jackson – the LA County coroner has ruled that Michael Jackson’s death is a homicide.
Eight weeks after the King of Pop was found unconscious, a search warrant of his doctor’s office revealed Monday what had long been suspected – that Jackson was given “lethal levels” of a dangerous anesthetic.
Jackson’s doctor, Conrad Murray, the target of a manslaughter probe, told Los Angeles cops that he had been treating the singer for insomnia for about six weeks, according to the document.
Murray, whose Houston offices were searched, also admitted he had been giving Jackson 50 milligrams of propofol every night intravenously, the records obtained by the Los Angeles Times state.
The doctor claims he feared Jacko was getting hooked on the drug so he began lowering the dosage and mixing in other powerful sedatives like lorazepam and midazolam.
Things don’t look good for Dr. Conrad Murray. The use of propofol to help someone sleep is highly unusual. One of the known side effects is depressed breathing and that’s why a doctor is present when it’s administered. It is only administered intraveneously as far as I can tell. This finding by the coroner insures that Michael Jackson’s death will be in the news for years to come. I’ll admit I am interested in learning how Jackson became addicted to propofol to sleep. I think we know that Dr. Murray is not the first doctor to give propofol to Jackson.
I think the Jackson story proves that money really can’t buy happiness and when you have a lot of money you can still get people to do things that aren’t in your best interest.
Tags: Michael Jackson
Unfortunately, someone somewhere is thinking about making a killing on a book comparing the lives of Elvis and Michael Jackson.
I administer propofol all the time at work. My patients are on ventilators though. It is a great drug compared to the other agents we used to use especially because of its short half life. It also happens to be very expensive compared to other drugs and should be administered in the presence of an advanced cardiac life support trained MD which is why the insurance controversy over its use in procedures like colonoscopies.
The drug does cause respiratory supression and sometimes low blood pressure (depending on other circumstances). Mixing Ativan (lorazepam), Versed (midazolam) and Diprovan (propofol) is not unheard of in an intubated, mechanically ventilated customer and in minute doses for effective conscious sedation for short duration procedures.
50mg of propofol is a small dose and remember it has an extremely short half life. My guess is the additive effect of all three agents, especially the much more longer acting ativan caused MJ’s repiratory arrest that lead to cardiac arrest and death.
Meatball – so are you saying that this is a borderline-OK therapy for the doctor to have prescribed, or that it is best used for people already intubated?
Thanks for the insight, meatball. From what I’ve read about the drug (I don’t have meatball’s experience though) it wouldn’t be a good way to get someone to sleep because it doesn’t induce a “true” sleep. Yes, I think the medical evidence is going to be very, very important in this trial (if it comes to one). I believe the coroner’s report lists propofol as the culprit, Jackson had a high dose supposedly, but if you read the article you can see that Jackson had been given a lot of drugs. I’m interested in learning why Jackson was using propofol for insomnia for the first place. Propofol is not a treatment for insomnia.
We have to give the man his due: Michael Jackson was – beyond a shadow of a doubt – a great artist whose recorded legacy will endure for decades, maybe even a century or more. But an examination of his life is riddled with questions of all that might have been; all that should have been. It is more than likely that this was a severely mentally ill human being who never sought the treatment he so desperately needed; surrounded by fawning sycophants who enabled his sickness by constantly reassuring him that he could do no wrong. As John Lennon once said in the same context about Elvis Presley, another victim of the excesses of fame: “It’s always the courtiers that kill the king”.
The sad, inescapable truth is that for reasons we will probably never be able to fully understand, his talent and his career were ultimately wasted. Like Charlie Parker, Montgomery Clift, Judy Garland and Lenny Bruce before him, his brilliance as an artist would be overshadowed by severe, psychological torment and an unexplainable desire for self-destruction. Therein lies the real, unspeakable tragedy of Michael Jackson.
http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com
Tom Degan
Goshen, NY
LG,
I’m saying it is probably inappropriate to prescribe propofol for sleep. Without looking it up, I’m pretty sure insomnia is not one of the indications for propofol or versed. Ativan is an anti-anxiety drug, but probably acceptable as a sleep aid (you can’t sleep if you are anxious). Ativan is available in pill form though, IV Ativan is a bit over the top for insomnia.
Because of propofol’s short half life in the blood stream, it is best used as a continuous IV drip rather than an intermittant IV push (although there are circumstances where IV push may be appropriate).
That’s very true UI eeg analysis of patients “asleep” on propofol show very little fluctuation in brain wave activity. Come to think of it, I have never witnessed the REM sleep cycle phenomena in any patient on propofol.
I am guessing Jackson had plenty of experience with propofol from his many surgeries, and got the idea that it would be good as a sleep aid.
What kind of stimulants was Jackson on during the day, that he had to be anesthetized to sleep? Or was the insomnia just from a guilty conscience.
meanwhile…
2 wars
torture
health care
we don’t know who got tarp money
Tom Degan-spot on
meatball-A+ on lay lingo
donviti –thanks for the reality check
And for my own two cents…..you don’t EVER use this drug in a home, nor without rescusitative equipment and team nearby, a patient w/ managed airway–usually intubated–but MINIMALLY protected, gadget filled airway access. Not street nor your local Rite-Aid available. This is highly controlled–and tantamount to going over Niagra Falls in a barrel, because you wanted a boat ride. INCREDIBLE lapse of ethics. The safety and legality are a slam dunk AGAINST the MD. What a gold-digger, turned gravedigger.
Waitaminnit! Went to Tom Degan’s site. His head shot looks suspiciously like–The Boss.
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