@Petrarose "But we do not know the circumstances and withdrawal symptoms of Michael's stay in rehab. You are writing ^^that withdrawal from sleep aid led to his stay in rehab in 93. You state things as though you really have the facts from the facility. You talk about your withdrawal from that sleeping aid, which is OK, but that cannot be applied to Michael because we do not know the extent to which he was affected by drugs with certainty. We have rumors and speculations. No doctors who treated Michael at the facility ever came out and said what Michael system had in it, the nature of the treatment, and the extent of the dependency, to my knowledge. You say he needed major detoxing, but how can that be if he stayed in the facility for such a short time, and again you do not know he needed major detoxing for certainty."
About the 1993 rehab, what Michael's rehab doc talked about was 'analgesic abuse.' Michael himself spoke about 'painkillers' and referred to the Pepsi burn. However, Michael was known as someone who often had problems with insomnia pretty much throughout his life. We have heard from many people who received phone calls at 3 am from him. LMP confirmed to Oprah in her interview after his death that he had trouble sleeping and that he was like "a little gnome" running around the bedroom. So given that Michael cancelled the Dangerous Tour when he was under great stress, I am thinking he was having trouble sleeping. In fact, it seems pretty obvious that he would when he was facing allegations of child abuse. He also made it clear that when he was on tour he had trouble sleeping after the extreme energy of the performance and the exhilaration of it; he called it being at "the zenith." (a peak experience)
Here are some quotes I found to support 1) that Michael had chronic insomnia 2) that in 93 he was very stressed about the allegations 3) that he treated the insomnia with medications that were anti-anxiety.
As a teen, Cascio was on tour with Jackson with Mexico City in 1993 when Jackson was swept off to rehab by his good friend, screen legend Elizabeth Taylor.
"Elizabeth takes us aside and says to us, 'We're going to get him out of the country after the show. He's going to go to London,'" Cascio remembered.
Jackson would later release a videotaped statement to his fans, announcing he had undergone "treatment for a dependency on pain medications."
Years later, Cascio began working for Jackson. He said he would keep Jackson's stashes of the anti-anxiety drug Xanax, the narcotic painkiller Percocet or the sedative Valium out of Jackson's reach at night.
"I wanted to always make sure I had them with me and not have anything in his room where he didn't wake up and say, 'I can't sleep tonight,' and not realize what he's taking. I was trying to think 10 steps ahead," Cascio said.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/Conrad_Mur...secret-world-doctors-hospital-grade-sedatives
WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009
Michael Jackson’s Struggle with Insomnia
The Associated Press reports today that Michael Jackson struggled with severe and chronic insomnia. A nurse told the AP that he wanted to obtain the drug propofol - also known as Diprivan - to help him sleep.
Diprivan is a powerful sedative that is injected into a vein. It is given to patients before an operation or medical test.
Jackson’s insomnia may have had a variety of causes.
The AP reports that the 50-year-old singer was rehearsing hard for his upcoming “This Is It” tour. This may have caused adjustment insomnia. This type of insomnia results from a source of stress.
His concern about being unable to sleep may have developed into psychophysiological insomnia. People with this sleep disorder worry too much about insomnia and about being tired the next day. As a result, they learn to become tense and anxious as bedtime approaches.
The AP article notes that Jackson would sleep with a computer on the bed. This is a sign that he may have developed bad habits that prevented him from sleeping well. This is called inadequate sleep hygiene.
The AP also reports that Jackson often was in pain. Painful medical problems often cause insomnia due to medical condition.
Jackson may have been taking a variety of prescription medications. Many medications can suppress or disrupt sleep. Insomnia due to drug or substance may result.
His insomnia also may have been related to a mental health problem. The AASM reports that insomnia due to mental disorder is the most common disorder in people who seek help from a sleep center for ongoing insomnia. Often it is related to depression or anxiety.
Do you struggle with insomnia? You can get help at an AASM-accredited sleep center near you.
http://sleepeducation.blogspot.com/2009/07/michael-jacksons-struggle-with-insomnia.html
Ratner confirmed that Jackson suffered from a massive sleep disorder, but refused to comment on any of the other allegations.
http://articles.nydailynews.com/200...iption-drugs-michael-jackson-anesthesiologist
[neil ratner]
This Is It' Choreographer Overlooked Michael Jackson's Insomnia
By Amber James Posted Oct 23rd 2009 01:55PM
To the world, Michael Jackson was a musical genius. But behind closed doors, Jackson suffered from bouts of insomnia as he focused on conjuring enough energy to practice for his tour. Although Jackson's 3 a.m. phone calls to 'This Is It' choreographer Travis Payne may have been a warning sign, Payne told PopEater that he and director Kenny Ortega suffer from insomnia too, so they overlooked Jackson's symptoms. The seriousness of Jackson's health was made clear when the music icon died unexpectedly at age 50 from an acute intoxication of the anesthetic propofol, which allegedly helped him sleep.
"A lot of times, Michael would call at 3 or 4 in the morning, and we would just continue working. That was when we'd be able to get a lot of things done because the phones weren't ringing, and we didn't have a schedule... We wanted everything to be perfect. We would have our days off... but while we were working, we were immersed in the process and burning the midnight oil. It was normal," Payne said.
Payne knew Jackson was taking pain killers, but he thought it was due to the pain he still suffered from his hair catching on fire during the 1984 Pepsi commercial. "The only thing we were aware of was the insomnia," he said.
http://www.popeater.com/2009/10/23/this-is-it-michael-jackson/
There’s a kind of twisted irony for me in the story of how Michael Jackson died. As skeptics, we’re used to stories about people choosing alt-med over science-based medicine and the bad consequences for their health that results. In Jackson’s case, that scenario seems to be turned on its head. One of the witnesses in the trial of Conrad Murray, now found guilty of the singer’s manslaughter, told how she suggested to Jackson that he try “sleepy tea” as a cure for his insomnia. Jackson responded that he had tried the tea and it didn’t work. As it turned out, Jackson’s autopsy revealed that he had taken five different sedatives in the time leading up to his death, including both lorazepam and diazepam as well as the now notorious propofol: the anaesthetic which eventually killed him. I’m no medic, but I’m pretty sure that no one has yet died from an overdose of chamomile tea.
http://skeptoid.com/blog/2011/11/08/how-insomnia-killed-michael-jackson/
Jackson struggled with insomnia for much of his adult life.
What Jackson’s death does illustrate is that making bad choices about how to treat your body isn’t just the preserve of those who trust in the power of apples to cure cancer. Jackson wasn’t sold a quack cure by a charlatan – he was being treated by a qualified doctor. At the time of his death he was in better than average health for a person of his age. All that was wrong with him was that he found it difficult to sleep for more than five hours at a time and like many people who suffer from chronic insomnia, he desperately wanted a cure for his condition. But the psychology behind Jackson’s decision to fill himself (or allow himself to be filled) with an assortment of medications which would fell the average bull elephant, isn’t so different from that of the person who has a cupboard full of vitamins to treat the chronic fatigue caused by stress. Like many of the complaints which throng the appointment books of the alt-med community,
insomnia is common, distressing and stubbornly resistant to conventional therapies. Benzodiazepines (which include lorazepam and diazepam) are sometimes used as a short term treatment for insomnia, but taken long term can make the problem worse – as appeared to happen in Jackson’s case. The best treatment for sleep disorders is cognitive therapy along with the teaching of relaxation techniques. No one has ever died from trying these either, but they take patience and the willingness to commit to lifestyle changes. When a sleep diary was suggested to Jackson, he said he didn’t have the time and it strikes me that there’s a straight line here between that and the back pain sufferer who prefers acupuncture to exercise, or those of us who buy diet books instead of eating less. Sometimes the answer to what ails us exists, but is harder work than we would like.
In the handwritten note, Jackson says: "I truly need this rest. I haven't slept litterally (sic) in 4 days and I need to be away from phones and business people. I just take care of my health first. Im' (sic) crazy for you."
He signs the scribbled note, "Love, Turd," an apparent nickname of his.
Letter to lmp, auction pulled
On Friday, November 12, 1993, Michael Jackson cancelled the remaining concerts of his tour, informing his fans through a taped statement about his addiction to prescribed medication:
”My friends and doctors advised me to seek professional guidance immediately in order to eliminate what has become an addiction. It is time for me to acknowledge my need for treatment in order to regain my health. I realize that completing the tour is no longer possible and I must cancel the remaining dates. I know I can overcome the problem and will be stronger from the experience. As I left on this tour, I had been the target of an extortion attempt, and shortly thereafter was accused of horrifying and outrageous conduct. I was humiliated, embarrassed, hurt and suffering great pain in my heart. The pressure resulting from these false allegations coupled with the incredible energy necessary for me to perform caused so much distress that is left me physically and emotionally exhausted. I became increasingly more dependent on the painkillers to get me through the days of the tour. Elizabeth Taylor, my close friend, has been a source of strength and counsel as this crisis came about. I shall never forget her unconditional love and encouragement in helping me through this period”. Vmj april 20, 2011
Jackson’s personal physician, David Forecast, had provided a sworn declaration backing up the statement that the singer was under treatment for drug addiction (filed on November 23, 1993 for case no SC 026225). Another declaration was filed the same day from lawyer Eve Wagner for the same case, who said that while he was deposed in Mexico for the copyright case, he was glassy eyed, could hardly stay awake, had slurred speech, and was unable to focus on the issues. Bert Fields said that the singer “was barely able to function adequately on an intellectual level”, a statement that Michael didn’t like because it made his fans sad. The video of Jackson’s deposition in Mexico for a copyright case (which he won) proved that he was incoherent and under medication. (from vindiatemj, April20, 2011)
As far as what drugs Conrad Murray gave Michael and whether it's true he did NOT give him propofol, as he claimed, on the 2 nights before the final night, I can only say that the drugs found in Michael's body at the autopsy included drugs other than propofol, and these are drugs that Murray also says he gave Michael. So it would seem obvious that CM did give Michael other drugs, either in addition to propofol, or, if you believe him, on 2 nights, as a substitute for propofol.
Dr. Conrad Murray was the doctor in attendance that night. He was trying to alleviate Jackson’s insomnia. He told detectives what occurred that night before the propofol was administered. First he gave 10 mg of Valium at 1:30 am, followed by an injection of 2 mg of Ativan at 2 am. At 3 am, Murray gave Jackson 2 mg of Versed, which is a sedative. Valium and Ativan are antianxiety medications, but are often given for insomnia as they are more gentle than some sleeping medications.
At 7:30 am, Murray gave Jackson more Versed, and finally gave him propofol at 10:40 am. After 10 minutes, Michael Jackson was asleep and so the doctor left his side to go to the restroom for just a moment. When he came back, Jackson was no longer breathing.
http://www.emaxhealth.com/1272/46/33067/insomnia-contributed-michael-jackson’s-death.html
As far as Michael being a 'toddler' who needs looking after by Ortega, I did not say that. If you are referring to me when you talk about 'some of us' who need better factual sources, I am doing my best here even if it is not up to your high standards.
