Michael Jackson: Diprivan Sedative Found In Jackson's Home

LOS ANGELES — The powerful sedative Diprivan was found in Michael Jackson's home, a law enforcement official said Friday as the city planned for a massive crowd at the singer's memorial service.

Diprivan is an anesthetic widely used in operating rooms to induce unconsciousness. Also known as Propofol, it's given intravenously and is very unusual to have in a private home.

The law enforcement official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak about the matter.

A Los Angeles Police spokesman, Lt. John Romero, declined to discuss the case. "It's an ongoing investigation," he said.

The cause of Jackson's death has not been determined. Autopsy results are not expected for several weeks.

At the downtown Staples Center, where Jackson's memorial will be held Tuesday morning, Assistant Police Chief Earl Paysinger said anywhere from 250,000 to 700,000 people could try to reach the arena, even though only 17,500 tickets will be available.

City Councilwoman Jan Perry urged people to stay home and watch the memorial on TV. There will not be a funeral procession through the city.

Tickets to Jackson's memorial service will be free. They can be obtained by registering at Staplescenter.com. There will be 11,000 tickets for seats inside Staples Center and 6,500 for seats in the adjacent Nokia Theatre, where fans can watch a simulcast. On Saturday night, 8,750 names will be randomly selected to receive two tickets each.

Story continues below

advertisement

No details about the memorial service itself were released.

Jackson was known to have suffered from severe insomnia. In the weeks before his death, Cherilyn Lee, a registered nurse who was working with the singer, said Jackson pleaded for Diprivan amid the stress of preparing for a massive series of comeback concerts.

Lee said she repeatedly rejected his demands because the drug was unsafe.

Told Friday that Diprivan had been found at Jackson's house, she said, "I did everything I could to warn him against it."

Jackson had trouble sleeping as far back as 1989, said one of his former publicists, Rob Goldstone, who spent a month on the road with Jackson during the "Bad" tour.

"He had very bad nightmares, he found it very difficult to sleep," Goldstone said.

Diprivan, which has a milky appearance, is sometimes nicknamed "milk of amnesia." Last fall, doctors from the Mayo Clinic warned at a conference that in rare cases, Diprivan can trigger an irreversible chain of events leading to heart dysfunction and death.

They said three patients receiving Diprivan to treat severe seizures had suffered cardiac arrest, and two died. The doctors said the clinic stopped using Diprivan to treat such patients because of the danger.

The drug's manufacturer, AstraZeneca PLC, warns that patients using Diprivan should be continuously monitored, and in a tiny number of cases patients using it have suffered cardiac arrest, although it was not clear the drug was to blame.

Authorities are investigating allegations that the 50-year-old Jackson had been consuming painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants. Any criminal charges would depend on whether Jackson had been overly prescribed medications, given drugs inappropriate for his needs, or if doctors knowingly prescribed Jackson medications under an assumed name.

Edward Chernoff, an attorney for Jackson's doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray, said Friday through a spokeswoman that he had agreed with investigators not to comment until information is released through official channels. Murray was in Jackson's rented mansion when the singer went into cardiac arrest in his bedroom on June 25.

Murray has spoken to police and authorities say he is not a suspect. In an earlier interview, Chernoff said Murray never gave or prescribed Jackson the painkillers Demerol or OxyContin, and denied reports suggesting that the doctor gave the pop star drugs that contributed to his death.

Chernoff would not discuss what drugs the doctor administered to Jackson, but said they would have been prescribed in response to a specific complaint.

___

AP Entertainment Writer Lynn Elber and AP Music Writer Nekesa Moody contributed to this report.

Comments

[TXfemmom]

This is my conjecture on why Michael Jackson would want Diprivan. It is often used to sedate people for colonoscopies and is enormously popular as an anesthetic induction agent. However, it is extremely short acting, so then another anesthetic is added to maintain anesthesia during a long procedure. However, very potent narcotics are usually added to the propofol, as it does not blunt pain in the body even though it has produced unconciousness. My informed thoughts on it, and I was a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist for over 20 years, is that they gave him diprivan for some short procedure in a clinic setting, along with these powerful narcotics and he awakened with euphoria and a high, which to an addict would feel fantastic.

Then, they told him the bare things one tells a patient about an anesthetic drug, like it has few side effects, is very safe (but that is during continuous monitoring by an anesthesia professional) and generally patients awake from it without feeling sick or having a hang over. He then took it to mean something totally diferent from what it really meant, and when he got sleep deprived, it popped into his head. It must be given intravenously so someone had to give it to him, and then failed to adequately monitor him. Michael probably got what he wanted and died because of it.

[hey0there]

There could be another reason he was so fascinated by this 'milk of amnesia'.

[liberal54]

Amen. I work in a medical setting where we administer anesthetics (IVF clinic - we also add narcotics to the anesthetic induction agent) and frequently have patients asking about what medication we gave them that made them feel so good.

[FlyTheBlueSky]

Seriously, who cares? Provided that nobody else gets hurt, people should be allowed to do whatever they want to themselves.

[Anthro]

What about the children? Parents have to act beyond their own needs. It it selfish in the extreme to advocate that people should do as they please without regard for their families or society.

[redplanet]

Anthro: read what FlyTheBlueSky said and you will see you a statement of responsible freedom. Not selfishness.

[Congressman Ed]

How did you translate "do whatever they want to themselves" into "do as they please without regard for their families or society". That's a big, big leap. Irresponsible leap.

[redplanet]

Agreed. People will argue with you, but you put in the appropriate disclaimer.

[Congressman Ed]

Completely appropriate comment. The criminalization of drug use and possession causes many addicts not to seek the help they need, for fear of being arrested and shoved in jail.

[chevyval]

I care. He's a human being. So, I care.

[yemaya]

I would totally believe they were supplying him w/these powerful drugs and that they were probably stolen from hospitals. He also probably paid these people very handsomely to get them, just like Elvis did and unfortunately just like many other talented but troubled rich celebrities. Amy Winehouse comes to mind as well.

[alleycat32]

Michael Jackson and Anne Nicole Smith will have a lot to talk about on the other side.

[Anthro]

Everyone forgets Heath Ledger.

[DeAnnaClaudette]

They don't forget him as much as they have more sympathy for him than they do Michael and Anna Nicole. Your guess as to why...

[2Bfair]

ecactly. Doctors a feeding a desperate man addictive DRUGS, and no one i AWARE or responsbile?

oh oh may

[yemaya]

the police should investigate what Janet Jackson nonchalantly removed from his house 48 hours after his death. She breezed in and out of there w/a few boxes of stuff. This story is gonna get stranger and stranger.

[Gmoney1]

That nurse who went on Larry King's show is suspicious - why did she not report this after that supposed request she claims was made - none of these so called media sources are making any sense -

[Rubyfoo]

Report what. Inquiring about Diprivan is not a crime.

[Gmoney1]

it's may not be a crime but it could led to one - especially when it involves controlled substances that are only allowed to be dispensed at hospitals and by specific people - inquires led to many criminal charges and convictions - so much for your reasoning -

[mothertheresa]

She is not suspicious. Anderson Cooper and the Michael Jackson rep on that show said they questioned her story because it sounded far-fetched that MJ would call her after not speaking to her for such a long time, but that's what someone desperate for drugs does. She believed that after she read him the info in the PDR that he agreed the drug was too dangerous and thanked her for explaining the side effects etc. to her. She was guilty of believing he was telling her truth, that's all.

[lovethesinner]

Why would the nurse say that she refused to give Michael Jackson Diprivan because it is "unsafe" when, more importantly, it would have been IMPOSSIBLE for her to obtain the pre-op ANESTHETIC because it is NOT A PRESCRIPTION DRUG THAT CAN BE OBTAINED BY DOCTORS.

(Diprivan CANNOT be obtained by a doctor through any pharmacy, it is only available to ANESTHESIOLOGISTS in preparation for surgery, from a HOSPITAL DISPENSARY)

If Jackson had a bottle of DIPRIVAN, he could only have obtained it from an ILLEGAL SOURCE. (perhaps has a connection to an anesthesiologist who gave it to him, but... that would be illegal)

WHY WOULD SHE CLAIM to have tried to convince Jackson to not use Diprivan because it was unsafe without also mentioning that SHE COULDN'T GET IT, even if it was safe?

(btw): are we all aware that the number one cause of death in surgery is COMPLICATIONS that arise from ANESTHESIA? Look it up. That's a fact, folks. And it's the reason SURGERY is so expensive. (liability insurance)

[Rubyfoo]

Have you watched Nurse Jackie?

[Ubikwity]

I worked in an ICU nurse for 10 years and if you wanted to, you could get diprivan or any other narcotic. Certain procedures are done in the ICU and I assume ER that require anesthesia. All you have to do is order it up from the pharmacy.

[Ubikwity]

However, things may be different now. I've not worked in a hospital for over ten years, hopefully they have tighter controls. Sadly two nurses I knew were addicts. One overdosed and died.

[Gmoney1]

and the pharmacy did not record that you were given it - you were not required to sign for it and explain who it was ordered for - don't believe not a word you're saying -

[2Bfair]

by early reports, its sounds like Jackson was a MAJOR drug addict, enabled by the phyisians, managers and FAMILY who surrounded him. Is it any more acceptible or LEGAL because phyiscians sold their professional responsibility and family member did not question or intervene?

[jingles32]

I'm an operating room/recovery room nurse and when I read that this was even a possibility my jaw dropped. This is not a "sedative" as most define the word, this is an intravenously administered, anesthetic agent used to facilitate and/or maintain general anesthesia, facilitate intubation, etc. Also used in the ICU to sedate intubated patients on ventilators; as a sedative during invasive procedures such as colonoscopy, etc. It's what given to you just after you enter the OR, when the anesthesiologist says, "you're going to sleep now, "count backwards from10," etc. Continual monitoring of the vital signs, monitoring of the cardiac rhythm, BP etc. is absolutely imperative. And even the thought that someone would consider having this administered to them at home, and worse yet that a medical professional would agree to it, is mind boggling. Whomever obtained this medication for him, the person who administered it, is guilty of this man's death. Sickening.

[Rubyfoo]

You're absolutely right. This is mind-boggling.

[Silverlakerr]

Great info! Question to you -- let's say you become a recreational user of this though I know this is not the norm, but let's say MJ did use this drug, then what happens if you have to go into surgery? Will the medication lose it's effectiveness and you'll become immune?

[murly]

"The law enforcement official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak about the matter."

Then why was he or she speaking about this matter? Somebody needs to get a tight rein on these people who are leaking information, or claim to be leaking information.

[SamKnause]

Can someone explain why they are having his memorial service is such a small place? Don't they have a stadium or arena, that they use for sporting events, that can hold a lot more people? Wouldn't it last all day so people could file past the coffin, if it is going to be there? It seems that they have not thought this out and many people the world over who would have attended, will not be able to because of the restriction. Also I have never heard of a city complaining because it will have a large crowd and they don't want to pay for crowd control. Does anyone know if it will be televised?

[mzzanthrope]

The state of California is bankrupt at this point.

[SamKnause]

Wouldn't a large event bring revenue in?

[2Bfair]

the Jackson family is MAJOR disfunctional, so sorry but true... his life is testiment to it... and suddenly they are going to be logical, functional and wise... please.

[TXfemmom]

Catherine may be a wonderful woman, but someone in that family screwed those kids up badly, and several of them have said that it was Joe who abused them. I certainly hope that they see that the man stays away from those children. Announcing his latest business venture when speaking about hte death of his son would indicate that Joe is still someone who should never be around children.

[TXfemmom]

The company that owned his tour owns those facilities.

[Anthro]

Yes, it will be televised. Get a grip; you did not know him personally. Give to one of his charities--if they have been made public, I only know that he has supposedly given away a lot of money as well as wasting a huge amount of it on compulsive shopping. A sad, sad human being.

[Egghead]

For one thing, the Staples Center is HUGE. For another, LA truly is broke. People were already complaining about crowd control for the parade after the Laker's victory and the costs involved. That was a major matter of civic pride and it only got taken care of when the Lakers and some other people chipped in.

Buses, cabs, restaurants, etc., can't come CLOSE to making enough money to pay for this, and that's partly because that's the way LA is. People don't use public transport and often don't eat in the neighborhood. They will drive in, and if there isn't anything to eat at the Staples Center, they'll drive home after quickly going through In N Out Burger.

[Moshe]

Michael was too fragile for a brutal world.

Damn sad it's such a brutal world, especially since it doesn't have to be.

Michael was trying to tell us something. If you haven't seen his Earth Day video, you really should:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqeADZgjtpY

[TanzaniteDiamonds]

Thank you for sharing! That's an awesome video. (You have an adorable avatar!)

[mzzanthrope]

I have a feeling that a great deal more of the truth will trickle out after the memorial, about a lot of things that his staff and others who truly knew him, held close to the vest, in the past.

The use of this drug has been going on long before Dr. Murray.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/07/03/jackson.wrap/
....."The anesthesiologist who accompanied Jackson during the 82-date world tour in 1996 and 1997 was Dr. Neil Ratner, the sources said.They said Ratner would keep medical equipment in his hotel room, which he used to monitor Jackson's vital signs when the singer was asleep or "under," as one source put it.The doctor apparently said Jackson had trouble sleeping and that Ratner helped "take him down" and "bring him back up," according to the source."

As of yet, we don't even know if Murray was responsible for injecting it. Michael knew a lot of Doctors. Or, He could have injected himself, if that was even the cause of his death, which no one knows at this point. He could have died from the cumulative damage of drug use on his heart coupled with working out heavily in rehearsals.

[beekeeper]

I find it deplorable that any doctor would help a human being 'sleepp with anesthesia. The human body is an amazing thing and EVENTUALLY it will sleep on it's own. Those kinds of medications perpetuate insomnia. What a bunch of self seeking money grubbing clowns who have no business practicing medicine.

[mzzanthrope]

Agreed. But there has got to be a great deal of sickness to even press for something like that from a doctor.

[2Bfair]

the doctors were paid WELL to give him whatever he wanted. Where or where was his loving family? Who protected Michael Jackson...­. no one?

[smit9187]

Allow this man to rest in peace, he's gone irregardless of how.