Known as the "King of Pop," Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 to June 25, 2009) was a best-selling American singer, songwriter and dancer. As a child, Jackson became the lead singer of his family's popular Motown group, the Jackson 5. He went on to a solo career of astonishing worldwide success, delivering No. 1 hits from the albums Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad. In his later years, Jackson was dogged by allegations of child molestation. He died of a drug overdose just before launching a comeback tour in 2009.
Michael Jackson had trouble sleeping.This thus led to anxiety as he seemed to rely on drugs to be able to bring him to sleep. His first wife admitted to the stress from the 1st child abuse case having a mental effect on Michael Jackson which led to faltering health and drug addictions. She suggested that he should go for rehabilitation to recover.
Michael Jackson was a “quite extensive” drug addict during the last 15 years of his life, an addiction expert testified yesterday for AEG Live as part of an ongoing wrongful death lawsuit the late singer’s family filed against the concert promoter. Dr. Petros Levounis said that Jackson’s substance abuse was so covert that executives had no way of knowing that the performer was putting himself at risk while preparing for his comeback tour in 2009,
The Coroner stated that Jackson died from the combination of drugs in his body, with the most significant drugs being the anesthetic propofol and the anxiolytic lorazepam. Less significant drugs found in Jackson's body were midazolam, diazepam, lidocaine, and ephedrine.
Propofol was referred to by Michael Jackson as his "milk" because of the milk-like appearance.
The drug is administered by a intravenous drip.
Propofol is also used as a painkiller or anti-anxiety drug in post-operative care.
Murray's defence lawyer Ed Chernoff said the singer swallowed several pills of Lorazepam on the morning of his death, enough to put six people to sleep.
It is widely used as a sedative and muscle relaxant.
Also known as Ativan and Temesta, the drug is used short-term for insomnia, anxiety, seizures and for sedating aggressive patients.