Similar deaths of Mathew Perry and Michael Jackson

See base of page for credit. This is Mathew Perry in case you were unsure 😃

Mathew Perry was the famous star on the Friends American sitcom. He was an admitted drug and alcohol addict who fought his demons for a long time sought help. His cause of death was ketamine (high as the amount given during general anaesthesia, according to the medical examiner) and drowning. Other contributing factors were coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine, which is used to treat opioid use disorder.

Michael Jackson died at his Los Angeles mansion at age 50 of acute propofol intoxication. His physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 for providing the drug.

A doctor has been arrested over Mathew Perry's death. Speculation: his doctor prescribed ketamine on Perry's request (mirroring Jackson who asked his doctor for more 'milk') but at a dose that was the same as if he was being put under a general anaesthetic.

"The levels of ketamine in his body were as high as the amount given during general anaesthesia, according to the medical examiner." - BBC

He died in his bath as a consequence. There are distinct similarities between the deaths of Mathew Perry and Michael Jackson and the thread that runs through them is their personal physician who prescribed powerful anaesthetic drugs I believe on their direct request. The problem is that the doctors overdid it (I am speculating about Perry' doctor).

"Matthew Perry 'froze up' after predatory doctor injected him with huge ketamine dose just two weeks before his death, prosecutors say" - Newspapers today 16th Aug. 2024.

And:

"Dr Salvador Plascencia had a license to prescribe and administer the powerful tranquilizer but needed help from another medic to keep pace with the vast amounts the Friends star was consuming in the weeks before he died in October last year."

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Below are some details about the similarities and differences of these similar drugs from ChatGPT. I can't vouch for the accuracy of this section but it looks good.

Propofol and ketamine are both used as anaesthetics, but they have distinct characteristics and mechanisms of action.

Similarities:

• Anesthetic Agents: Both propofol and ketamine are used to induce and maintain anaesthesia.
• Sedative Properties: Both drugs can cause sedation and are used in various medical procedures to achieve this effect.

Differences:

1. Mechanism of Action:

• Propofol: Acts primarily by enhancing the activity of the neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) at the GABA_A receptor, leading to increased inhibitory neurotransmission and sedation.
• Ketamine: Works by blocking the NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor, which is involved in excitatory neurotransmission. This results in dissociative anesthesia, where the patient may feel detached from their surroundings or experience altered perceptions.

1. Anesthetic Depth and Effects:

• Propofol: Provides a smooth induction and maintenance of anesthesia with rapid onset and recovery. It does not usually produce significant analgesia (pain relief) on its own.
• Ketamine: Induces a state of dissociative anesthesia, which includes pain relief, sedation, and amnesia, often with vivid dreams or hallucinations during emergence. It can cause a trance-like state where the patient may remain conscious but unaware of their surroundings.

1. Cardiovascular and Respiratory Effects:

• Propofol: Can cause significant cardiovascular depression, leading to lower blood pressure and respiratory depression, especially in higher doses.
• Ketamine: Typically preserves cardiovascular stability and can even increase heart rate and blood pressure, making it useful in patients who are at risk of hypotension. It also has a lower risk of respiratory depression compared to propofol.

1. Use Cases:

• Propofol: Commonly used for induction of anesthesia in surgeries, sedation for procedures like endoscopy, and maintenance of anesthesia in combination with other agents.
• Ketamine: Often used in emergency situations, for short procedures, and in patients with certain types of chronic pain or in those at risk for hypotension. It's also used in sub-anesthetic doses for its analgesic and antidepressant effects.

In summary, while both propofol and ketamine are used in anaesthetic practice, they have different mechanisms, effects, and clinical applications. Propofol is favoured for its smooth and predictable sedative effects, while ketamine is valued for its dissociative properties and cardiovascular stability.

Image credit: By Office of National Drug Control Policy - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Matthew_Perry_Office_of_National_Drug_Control_Policy_The_White_House.theora.ogv, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=139762070

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.