Ah the smoking gun. Well the cause of death still hasn’t been determined, although plenty of people over the years, both the famous and not famous, have died from an overdose of pain killers. If you are in serious chronic pain, as Prince apparently was, nothing available today mitigates it and gives you relief quite like opium based pain medication. Few things available today will put the pain center of the brain to sleep like opiates do. The trouble is that they also can put the autonomic nervous system to sleep which makes it easy to kill yourself with an overdose. Also the highly addictive nature of opiate pain medication make their long term use problematic. Opiate pain medication slows down the digestive system, then when the drug wears off the digestive system goes back to normal speed casing the user to experience severe painful cramps and diarrhea. Since the body is always trying to achieve “homeostasis” (a steady state) it produces its own endorphins to push back against the effect of the drug. This causes the user to build up a tolerance over time meaning that he will need higher doses of the drug to get the same effect. This also contributes to the danger of overdosing. The powerful euphoric high of opiates is also highly addictive psychologically.
______________________________________________________________________________________
By Ollie Gillman and Kelly Mclaughlin For Dailymail.com
Mail Online | 2016-04-22T16:12:55+0100
· Prince overdosed on the opiate Percocet six days before he died and had to be given a 'save shot' sources said
· Drug is a highly-addictive painkiller that contains acetaminophen and oxycodone and is used to treat acute pain
· Friends said he had long-term hip issues but was rumored to refuse surgery because he was a Jehovah's Witness
· Pop superstar's autopsy began today, although the results of the investigation could take weeks, officials said Prince's private plane made an emergency landing in Moline, Illinois, so he could be rushed to hospital last weekThe 57-year-old music icon was then seen on Wednesday at a Walgreens pharmacy looking 'frail and nervous'He died aged 57 at his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota on Thursday after being found unresponsive in an elevator
· Legendary singer and songwriter sold more than 100million records in his sparkling 40-year music career Prince was known for his sexually charged lyrics and was romantically linked to a number of male and female stars
Prince overdosed on Percocet he was taking for a chronic hip problem he had been suffering for years after refusing to have an operation because of his strict Jehovah's Witness faith, sources have claimed.The pop superstar died yesterday aged 57 and is said to have overdosed on the highly addictive painkiller six days earlier, TMZ reported.
Prince had used a cane to help him walk for years after causing irreparable damage to his hips with his lively stage performances.
He had long needed a double hip replacement, but was rumored to have turned down surgery because it would require a blood transfusion - which conflicted with his religious beliefs.
The Purple Rain star took so many Percocet pills that he had to be given a 'save shot' after his private plane made an emergency landing so he could be rushed to hospital last Friday, sources close to the star claimed.
Meanwhile, a source told People that Prince had been battling an 'ongoing illness'.
'The people close to him were very concerned for his health and indicated he'd been undergoing treatments which made his immune system weak,' the source said.
Entertainment Tonight's Kevin Frazier told CBS that Prince did have surgery on his hips but was still struggling with pain, as well as having issues with his ankles.
'The hip and ankle issues were a problem for him for so long, and for a man who loved to move and dance so much, it really bothered him,' Frazier said.
News of the alleged overdose came as an autopsy into Prince's death opened, although its results could take weeks.
Last night pictures emerged of Prince walking out of a Walgreens pharmacy just 15 hours before he was pronounced dead. It is not known whether he was picking up Percocet or any other prescription.
Prince's private plane made an emergency landing in Moline, Illinois, on Friday after he performed in Atlanta so he could be rushed to hospital.
Though his representatives said he was battling the flu, multiple sources told TMZ that doctors gave him a 'save shot', which is usually given in dire circumstances to drug overdose victims.
The sources said doctors advised Prince to stay at the hospital for 24 hours, but when he wasn't given a private room, he and his representatives decided to leave. When he left the hospital, Prince 'was not doing well', the sources added.
He was released three hours later and made an appearance at a party in Minnesota the next day, telling fans to 'wait a few days before you waste any prayers'.
Prince was then found unresponsive in the elevator at his suburban Paisley Park estate in Minnesota at 9.43am EST on Thursday and was pronounced dead less than 30 minutes later.
No comments:
Post a Comment