PARALLEL Perspectives

A drowsy end

Celebrities are addicted to drugs that knock their daylights out in seconds. Hollywood celebrities are increasingly dependent on fast-acting drugs that knock them out in seconds. It is no surprise that the list of celebrities who died due to drug over use gets longer- Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Anna Nicole Smith, Heath Ledger, and Marilyn Monroe. Musical royalty, Elvis and Jackson shocked the world as they breathed their last.

Michael Jackson. AFP

Lisa Marie Presley daughter of Elvis, who married Jackson in 1994, has expressed dismay at her inability to arrest the addiction Jackson may have had then. She stated "Years ago Michael and I were having a deep conversation about life in general. I can't recall the exact subject matter but he may have been questioning me about the circumstances of my Father's death," she writes.

"At some point he paused, he stared at me very intensely and he stated with an almost calm certainty, 'I am afraid that I am going to end up like him, the way he did.' I promptly tried to deter him from the idea, at which point he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded almost matter of fact as if to let me know, he knew what he knew and that was kind of that."

Lisa Marie's sadness was obvious. She said "14 years later, I am sitting here watching on the news an ambulance leaves the driveway of his home, the big gates, the crowds outside the gates, the coverage, the crowds outside the hospital, the cause of death and what may have led up to it and the memory of this conversation hit me, as did the unstoppable tears."

"A predicted ending by him, by loved ones and by me, but what I didn't predict was how much it was going to hurt when it finally happened. The person I failed to help is being transferred right now to the LA County Coroner's office for his autopsy."

Propofol in Jackson's home

The drug propofol was found at Jackson's rented Los Angeles home in Bell Air after his death. The very potent drug, also known as Diprivan, is administered intravenously as a general anesthetic used to sedate patients for surgery and is only available to medical personnel.

Doctor John F. Dombrowski, veteran anesthesiologist says that this drug is only meant for use in anesthesia and (administering it as a sleep aid) it's like giving someone chemotherapy so they don't have to shave their head." He has not treated Jackson and has no information about the case, but has used Propofol often in his practice.

He continued "Its one purpose is as an anesthetic, to induce that sleepy feeling and when I run it as an IV drip I can keep you asleep and when I turn it off you are quickly awake. It works in 30 seconds or so and it is out of your system quickly when I turn it off."

The drug is so powerful that it is important to have someone in attendance that has the ability to rescue incase your breathing ceases or some other critical failure occurs, which is why the drug is only used in operating rooms and in doctor's offices where providers are on hand to support patients and intervene if something goes wrong. It is never used outside a medical setting during a procedure, and it is never used as a sleeping aid.

Registered nurse Cherilyn Lee reportedly told the media that Jackson repeatedly begged her for the drug to help him with insomnia related to anxiety over his upcoming 50-date residency at the O2 Arena in London. Lee said she declined his requests for the drug, which could have played a part in the singer's death.

According to Lee, a member of Jackson's staff called her in panic on June 21 pleading with her to help him after what appeared to be an adverse drug reaction. "At that point, I knew that someone had given him something that hit the central nervous system," she said of the singer's complaints that half of his body felt hot and half cold.

Media also reported that a spokesperson for the drug's provider, APP Pharmaceuticals, confirmed that it is only available to medical professionals. The widely used drug is used primarily for outpatient surgical procedures because it is very fast acting, typically knocking the patient out within 30 seconds.

Jackson had hot-cold sensations

As described by Lee to the AP, Jackson complained of hot/cold sensations and Propofol is sometimes known to create a painful burning sensation, which is often alleviated by the use of the drug Lidocaine, which was also found near Jackson's body.

It is shockingly inappropriate for such drugs to be found in a house. It remains a mystery who and how those drugs were prescribed. A charge of manslaughter could be brought against any doctor who is guilty of that practice.

Jackson's final autopsy report would reveal what other drugs had been taken by him. Many believe that a number of strong pain medications may have been commonly used by the celebrity. He was reportedly struggling with an addiction to prescription medication, likely built up a tolerance to those drugs over the years.

He may have ruined his sleep cycle due to such a situation. Such tolerance build up can also mess with your sleep cycle and so had to get sedated every time you want to sleep. You are now like a zombie and are no longer getting out like you want to be, so you need an anesthetic and a cardiologist or nurse who might know of these drugs might make the leap that they could be used to help someone sleep. But again, that is way, way out there.

Michael Jackson who blew pop music wide open, and made it bigger than just music, and who mesmerized the world with his footwork as a dancer, leaves behind a legacy hard to beat. His early departure leaves a void that is even harder to fill.