Abuse of Diprivan a Growing Problem

Preliminary Jackson Autopsy Shows Powerful Drug May Have Killed Singer

(CBS)  A toxicology report determining cause of Michael Jackson's death is expected next week. A preliminary autopsy points to a powerful drug Jackson never should have had access to may have been what killed him. And abuse of this drug is a growing problem.

---

Doctors call it the "milk of amnesia." Its real name is Propofol or Diprivan, a powerful anesthetic used in surgical settings to sedate patients. It can induce unconsciousness in 30 seconds, reports CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy.

"It's given through an IV and it's designed to produce deep sedation or coma," said Dr. Omar Manejwala, an American Psychiatric Association Fellow.

Sophisticated equipment to monitor breathing and heart rate is required so the drug is never given outside a medical facility. Yet, just days after Jackson's sudden death, investigators found Propofol inside his rented mansion. On Wednesday, police raided the office of Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, looking for evidence that Jackson was given Propofol.

The singer's former nurse says he asked for the drug to battle his insomnia.

"I understand it," said Thane Flora, who abused Diprivan. "I understand that desperation."

Flora is now in recovery. But she abused Diprivan in the 1990s while working as a nurse anesthetist. She used it to fight insomnia brought on by an addiction to painkillers.

"It's real simple," Flora said. "You use it to go to sleep. Wake up a few minutes later and use it again."

That's because the drug wears off in about five minutes, leading addicts to constantly inject themselves.

"The patients we've seen who used Diprivan will often self inject 50, 70 times per day," Manejwala said.

And despite the short-term effect, most addicts report experiencing a sense of euphoria when they wake up.

"What makes sense to an active addict makes no sense to someone that's not an active addict," Flora said.

And almost all Diprivan addicts are medical professionals. They have easy access to the drug because it's not controlled and tracked like narcotics. Dr. Paul Wischmeyer found that 28 percent of the medical professionals who tried Diprivan even once died.

"It is very easy to make a mistake and they do it until they are not breathing and then they are dead," Wischmeyer said.

In 2008, the FDA reported 43 Diprivan-related deaths. In the previous decade, there were an average of just 22 deaths per year.

Even before Michael Jackson's death, the DEA was considering making Diprivan a controlled substance. Meaning every milligram of the drug would be tracked and a record made of every person using it.

And now, with the added attention, tighter controls are likely - an unexpected addition to Michael Jackson's legacy.

[carolhill814]

This whole story is so sad and that is a fact.

His father starting killing him from the age of five (5) years old by beating him and I am sure we won't hear all of things he did to this child.
Telling him don't call me daddy because I am not your daddy call me Joe and all he wanted to do to call him daddy that would make any child turn to drugs to drown the pain telling him he is ugly and do something with his nose just think about that and you figure it out from there this boy was starving for attention and never got unless he was making money all he was was a "Cash Cow" and that is the true fact.
What is so horrible now his children are no longer protected from this animal and his mother is just not strong enough and that is a fact.

MAY GOD BLESS THOSE INNOCENT CHILDREN NOW AND FOR ALL TIME AS I AM SURE HE WILL!!!

[John_Merritt]

The last time I checked, Diprivan (milk of amnesia) cannot be smoked. Unless pharmacology has changed since I worked in the medical field, the only way to ingest this would be 'slamming' it. That is street vernacular for mainlining. (they could sub Q but that might burn like crazy)

Unless they can now dry it and take it in pill form, we may have a few 'junkies' working in the hospitals. Substance abuse has been a long time problem in the health care industry, I know first hand.

One comment that was made by the Assn. of Anesthiologists was that they did not want this to be considered a controlled substance because it would require them to treat it as any other Class C narcotic. That means each cc. needs to be accounted for. OK, and your point would be?

I just hope people can start doing the right thing, no matter what the position or status of a person. Are you listening Doc's?

[carolhill814]

Anything like this drug should be a controlled substance because the only place you should get it is in a hospital so to me it is a controlled substance.

[Dgunner]

Of all the juke joint musicians in all the world and we had to hire a junkie. D-mn this traffic jam .

[flolake]

Something is very wrong in that Diprovan has never been a controlled substance nor is it considered a 'narcotic'. Naturally, after all of the recent press, it soon will be classified and treated as a 'controlled substance/drug'...

[Thalia-9]

what????? it's not supposed to be used outside a friggin operating room! It IS a controlled narcotic and you can NOT just get a prescription for it...hence, the raiding og the dr's office and the potential manslaughter charges...

[Thalia-9]

ugh...sorry - I hit send before I should have...meant to finish with it is not controlled and tracked within the medical field (and professionals who use/steal it)...that's how the med prof who abuse it get it get it...but any person off the street could not just go get it...you'd have to have a md, like MJ's get it for you...like th idiot and unethical dr that he is

[EyeCeeUs]

Better for MJ to have died an Icon who will be difficult to match, than to survived but left paralized for a cruel world to simply FORGET!

[andylance1]

If sick, perverted, over-the-hill pop stars want to commit suicide it should be their right. Just think how happy Rush Limbaugh would be if he could use his pain pills without government intervention. He might even stop being such a mean old grouch.

Society would be much better off if they legalized all drugs. We might not need as many overpaid doctors, policemen or unionized prison guards. Maybe we could even balance the budget.

[EyeCeeUs]

I have heard about Joe Jacksons'claims of manslaughter towards a black doctor who appears to also have been a friend of MJ as well. I can't help wonder what the rage would have been had his Doctor been White.
1. All Doctors are human and have been known to make mistakes
2. Once MJ realizes the true beauty and peace of Heaven, where he is an equal with all but receives love that WILL NOT PEAK. He will have more Joy and Happiness than he could ever have known here.
3. He will not trade an opportunity to be with JESUS than all he could have known or made Here.

[pete_in_az]

You read a lot of fairy tails on sunday growing up didn't you?

Who said anything about race?

Based on what you said, I'm guessing your one of the conservative christian types who go to those huge singing churches? Wake up and realize your a puppet for evangelical hatred.

[armyoftwelve]

What makes you so sure MJ is hanging with Jesus and not hanging in the other place??

[JBRetired1]

I cannot understand and have yet to hear why the medical support staff for Michael Jackson did not have an Automated External Defribulator available (shock for sudden cardic arrest) -- they are inexpensive and easy to use as many have pre recorded prompts for proper use and safety --Knowing the potential for heart function stoppage while using this kind of drug intervention -- I feel this oversight regarding is care was critical and adds to the negligence on their part.

[pete_in_az]

I'm not sure what AED's do for respiratory failure. The dood stopped breathing, and his heart stopped beating because of lactic acidosis caused by the breathing part. I guess anyways, I'm just a ******* when it comes it biology.

[John_Merritt]

Good call Arizona, you did not fall asleep in class. You remember enough about Biology to make a good point. MJ had respiratory failure which contributed to the rest of him shutting down. Have a good weekend AZ.