MJ ‘Pleaded For Powerful Sedative’ Before Fatal Heart Attack
Jackson rehearsing last week for his comeback shows in London
Michael Jackson suffered from crippling insomnia and pleaded for a powerful sedative in the days leading up to his death, according to a nutritionist who was working for the pop star.
Cherilyn Lee said that she repeatedly rejected his demands for the drug, Diprivan, which is given intravenously. The singer told her that he had been given it in the past by an unnamed doctor.
Several months ago, Jackson had begun badgering Ms Lee about Diprivan, also known as Propofol, she told the Associated Press. It is an anaesthetic drug widely used in operating rooms to induce unconsciousness, generally given through an IV needle in the hand.
The powerful drug has a very narrow therapeutic window, meaning it does not take doses much larger than the medically recommended amount to stop a person’s breathing, leading to cardiac arrest.
The LA coroner’s office performed an autopsy on the 50-year-old singer’s body on FridayRead more at www.timesonline.co.uk
but deferred a decision on the cause of death, ordering toxicology tests. A second, private autopsy has been requested by the family, over concern about his final hours. Persistent reports claim that Jackson was addicted to painkillers and other prescription medicines.
The Jackson family has questioned the role of the singer’s physician, Conrad Murray, who was with him when he collapsed. It took as long as 30 minutes for paramedics to be called after Dr Murray found Jackson with a faint pulse and performed CPR.
Lawyers for Dr Murray, who had been treating Jackson for three years and who had recently moved into the rented mansion, have issued a categorical denial that the doctor had administered an injection of Demerol, a narcotic painkiller, to Jackson before his death.
Ms Lee, 56, a registered nurse whose specialty includes nutritional counseling, said she received a frantic phone call from Jackson’s staff on June 21 that the star needed her. She was in Florida at the time and told the staff member to take him to hospital.
“At that point, I knew that somebody had given him something that hit the central nervous system,” she said, adding, “He was in trouble Sunday and he was crying out.”
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