TopazGirl said:

benni said:

I woke up with a thought this morning that it is possible the Fentanyl was a recent event, something he just started using recently (within the last year). If we look at how he suddenly seemed to age, appeared more gaunt in recent times, it could be a result of starting the use of fentanyl. If he had been using percocets for years to manage his pain, he seemed comfortable with it, so much so that he was able to continue touring, making albums, and working as hard as he always had. If the fentanyl was a recent development, maybe because the percocets were no longer working for him, he would not have been as used to them. It could be that he saw the way they were effecting him and wanted to stop them (thus the flu like symptoms) not realizing that he had already developed a dependence upon them.

If he wasn't used to them, he wouldn't be used to how much he could take and could have inadvertently taken more than he should have if he was in extreme pain, thinking it was safe (thus the first episode on the plane ride home) and that episode scared him enough that he wanted to seek out help to get off them. The fact that a few days passed from that first incident to the second one, could be the time frame in which they were doing research, trying to find the best way to stop the medication, the company/medical facility that would work best with Prince and his needs. They would have wanted to find a way that would be the most gentle on him, to prevent the withdrawal symptoms (or at least to lessen those symptoms).

I agree with you, benni. I feel that the Fentanyl was something more recent and I am in just as much agreement with your entire post. Thank you.

My problem with this is that he was a very intelligent man, after the first od wouldn't he have stepped back from this. Unless it dulled his thinking why would he take the risk. Maybe it was what he wanted. I'm just trying to make sense of how less than a week after that he's gone, he would have known the consequences.

[Edited 6/4/16 12:18pm]

babynoz said:

tmo1965 said:

How ever this scenario played out, it started about 1.5 years ago. I saw Prince perform at the Essence Festival in July 2014 and he was his usual self. Since that time I began to notice what I thought were signs of aging, but now I know that it was much more.

I didn't notice as quickly. I noticed it moreso beginning last year and I thought to myself that he was finally beginning to show his age. It's only since January when I noticed him being thinner than usual that I thought he might be ill.

Your Avatar is apt today, those two are together again in heaven.

mimi1956 said:

TopazGirl said:

I agree with you, benni. I feel that the Fentanyl was something more recent and I am in just as much agreement with your entire post. Thank you.

My problem with this is that he was a very intelligent man, after the first od wouldn't he have stepped back from this. Unless it dulled his thinking why would he take the risk. Maybe it was what he wanted. I'm just trying to make sense of how less than a week after that he's gone, he would have known the consequences.

[Edited 6/4/16 12:18pm]

I have a problem with this too, mimi1956. I absolutely cannot understand going from the first od to not being more cautious in the following days. But I think there may be a reason for it that I'll explain below. I think it also may be possible the first od had nothing to do with Fentanyl and maybe just Percocet...I don't know.

I do feel that he was trying to cut painkiller dependency out though and perhaps he went cold turkey at intervals and it got to be too much and so he took something to curb the withdrawal symptoms. I think he felt absolutely terrible physically and it started to show in his appearance as well. What Prince maybe did not understand though, is that by cutting the painkillers, he was also lowering his tolerancy level. So, when he did finally take something to aleviate withdrawal symptoms, it was too much for his body with the lowered tolerancy level increasing the chance for an overdose (it's like what benni said in her post). Maybe this is an explanation and it was accidental on his part. It's like, he thought he could take just as much and it would be ok. Like you said, his thinking could have been a little impaired too. I think the dependency outweighed rational thinking.

He knew help was coming the next day with the doctor from California, and maybe he thought he could just hold on until then. Maybe he thought he could just take something and get him through until the next day and then really start working on a bigger plan of action for his dependency. I don't think what happened to him in the end is how he wanted it, I think that he really did not think he would die. Just my thoughts.

[Edited 6/4/16 12:58pm]

mimi1956 said:

My problem with this is that he was a very intelligent man, after the first od wouldn't he have stepped back from this. Unless it dulled his thinking why would he take the risk. Maybe it was what he wanted. I'm just trying to make sense of how less than a week after that he's gone, he would have known the consequences.

[Edited 6/4/16 12:18pm]

.

The only thing I can figure out is that at that point, he had the brain chemistry of an "addict" to some extent and just wasn't thinking clearly. I totally get it and I just view it as Prince falling into a trap as a result of being unlucky to develop that leg and hip pain and needed meds to deal with it. Things just spiraled out of control. But drugs affect your brain and then you don't make good decisions, even if you are intelligent.

TopazGirl said:

mimi1956 said:

My problem with this is that he was a very intelligent man, after the first od wouldn't he have stepped back from this. Unless it dulled his thinking why would he take the risk. Maybe it was what he wanted. I'm just trying to make sense of how less than a week after that he's gone, he would have known the consequences.

[Edited 6/4/16 12:18pm]

I have a problem with this too, mimi1956. I absolutely cannot understand going to from the first od and not being more cautious in the following days. But I think there may be a reason for it that I'll explain below. I think it also may be possible the first od had nothing to do with Fentanyl and maybe just Percocet...I don't know.

I do feel that he was trying to cut painkiller dependency out though and perhaps he went cold turkey at intervals and it got to be too much and so he took something to curb the withdrawal symptoms. I think he felt absolutely terrible physically and it started to show in his appearance as well. What Prince maybe did not understand though, is that by cutting the painkillers, he was also lowering his tolerancy level. So, when he did finally take something to aleviate withdrawal symptoms, it was too much for his body with the lowered tolerancy level increasing the chance for an overdose (it's like what benni said in her post). Maybe this is an explanation and it was accidental on his part. It's like, he thought he could take just as much and it would be ok. Like you said, his thinking could have been a little impaired too. I think the dependency outweighed rational thinking.

He knew help was coming the next day with the doctor from California, and maybe he thought he could just hold on until then. Maybe he thought he could just take something and get him through until the next day and then really start working on a bigger plan of action for his dependency. I don't think what happened to him in the end is how he wanted it, I think that he really did not think he would die. Just my thoughts.

And add that he had the "save shot" in Moline, which would have cleared his system of all medication, so that when / if he used it again at the same dosage he had been using it, his body would not have tolerated that level. It could be that during that week he only used small doses of percocets to get himself through but it wasn't helping, so that last night he was in a lot of pain and decided to use the fentanyl again, at the same dosage, not knowing he didn't have the same tolerance level for it.

mimi1956 said:

babynoz said:

I didn't notice as quickly. I noticed it moreso beginning last year and I thought to myself that he was finally beginning to show his age. It's only since January when I noticed him being thinner than usual that I thought he might be ill.

Your Avatar is apt today, those two are together again in heaven.

Two big pieces of my heart.

benni said:

TopazGirl said:

I have a problem with this too, mimi1956. I absolutely cannot understand going to from the first od and not being more cautious in the following days. But I think there may be a reason for it that I'll explain below. I think it also may be possible the first od had nothing to do with Fentanyl and maybe just Percocet...I don't know.

I do feel that he was trying to cut painkiller dependency out though and perhaps he went cold turkey at intervals and it got to be too much and so he took something to curb the withdrawal symptoms. I think he felt absolutely terrible physically and it started to show in his appearance as well. What Prince maybe did not understand though, is that by cutting the painkillers, he was also lowering his tolerancy level. So, when he did finally take something to aleviate withdrawal symptoms, it was too much for his body with the lowered tolerancy level increasing the chance for an overdose (it's like what benni said in her post). Maybe this is an explanation and it was accidental on his part. It's like, he thought he could take just as much and it would be ok. Like you said, his thinking could have been a little impaired too. I think the dependency outweighed rational thinking.

He knew help was coming the next day with the doctor from California, and maybe he thought he could just hold on until then. Maybe he thought he could just take something and get him through until the next day and then really start working on a bigger plan of action for his dependency. I don't think what happened to him in the end is how he wanted it, I think that he really did not think he would die. Just my thoughts.

And add that he had the "save shot" in Moline, which would have cleared his system of all medication, so that when / if he used it again at the same dosage he had been using it, his body would not have tolerated that level. It could be that during that week he only used small doses of percocets to get himself through but it wasn't helping, so that last night he was in a lot of pain and decided to use the fentanyl again, at the same dosage, not knowing he didn't have the same tolerance level for it.

I agree and I think that it why it was ruled as accidental. I believe he miscalculated.

babynoz said:

mimi1956 said:

Your Avatar is apt today, those two are together again in heaven.

Two big pieces of my heart.

I can't stop crying and being sick to my stomach. My heart hurts so much.

mimi1956 said:

babynoz said:

Two big pieces of my heart.

I can't stop crying and being sick to my stomach. My heart hurts so much.

I hear ya....it's going to take me a long time too.

jesme1999 said
I will give you an example of that opiate buzz... In the divorce settlement I took a little major fixer upper my hubs had on the condition that he help with some of the major work needed...in his quest for,opiates he ignored the house insurance and let our real home burn down... Anyway, the back porch was rotted away and needed rebuilt.. In order to do said work he will chew up 4-6 preferably 6 Percocette 10 mgs and go,out there and work his ass off like a mad man for 4-6 hours.When that wears off he has to leave to go get more if he doesn't have more on him...so yes,,, I can easily see it happening . Just my own life experience . [Edited 6/4/16 12:12pm]

Heartbreaking - and I believe every word of it. + Peace

jesme1999 said:

wouldntulove2loveme said:

Your first bullet doesn't make sense. I can't imagine Prince suffering from stage fright. But supposing he did, how do you take opiates and then walk out on stage? Prince's preformances were full of life and energy ... not indicative of someone riding out and opiate high. Secondly, if Prince really did have crippling stage fright there are actualy legitimate medications for it. Beta blockers, specifically Propranolol are used to treat preformance anxiety. They work extremly well for people who have to do a lot of public speaking etc... They work by blocking the effect of adrenaline in the body.

I will give you an example of that opiate buzz... In the divorce settlement I took a little major fixer upper my hubs had on the condition that he help with some of the major work needed...in his quest for,opiates he ignored the house insurance and let our real home burn down... Anyway, the back porch was rotted away and needed rebuilt.. In order to do said work he will chew up 4-6 preferably 6 Percocette 10 mgs and go,out there and work his ass off like a mad man for 4-6 hours.When that wears off he has to leave to go get more if he doesn't have more on him...so yes,,, I can easily see it happening . Just my own life experience . [Edited 6/4/16 12:12pm]

Understood. That's my ignorance as far as drugs are concerned. I always assumed that opiates had a tendency to make the user "sloppy" and I never perceived Prince that way. Moreso, I guess what I was getting at was I don't understand why if Prince truly had an issue with stage fright he would resort to such drastic measures when there are legitmate medical treatments with far less severe complications. Either this guy is lying or Prince was lying and use it as an excuse to cover up a true opiate addiction (which I don't think any of us want to believe).

Almost hate to ask but what's the effect of these opiates? Don't they make you groggy/sloppy?

I was prescribed Percocet once when I broke my leg. I tried taking one and that wa enough. It felt like I was being flung off the face of the earth. I laid on the floor til it wore off and flushed the pills. I don't think I had a normal reaction.

tmo1965 said:

How ever this scenario played out, it started about 1.5 years ago. I saw Prince perform at the Essence Festival in July 2014 and he was his usual self. Since that time I began to notice what I thought were signs of aging, but now I know that it was much more.

- That´s the biggest P mystery to me. I mean, if he had pain (and drugs) for at least 10 years, why everything started to ruin so fast in the last year and a half? Prince, who used to be glorious and ageless until 2014, started to look older, thinner and had to go to hospital because of an OD.

GustavoRibas said:

tmo1965 said:

How ever this scenario played out, it started about 1.5 years ago. I saw Prince perform at the Essence Festival in July 2014 and he was his usual self. Since that time I began to notice what I thought were signs of aging, but now I know that it was much more.

- That´s the biggest P mystery to me. I mean, if he had pain (and drugs) for at least 10 years, why everything started to ruin so fast in the last year and a half? Prince, who used to be glorious and ageless until 2014, started to look older, thinner and had to go to hospital because of an OD.

Me too. I saw him for the three shows the very end of 2013 at Mohegun Sun in CT and then in Jan. at the Paisley Park shows. A huge difference in appearance that I also attributed to age but I also had bad dreams about him passing after the January shows. Still freaked out by them and what ultimately happened.

GustavoRibas said:

tmo1965 said:

How ever this scenario played out, it started about 1.5 years ago. I saw Prince perform at the Essence Festival in July 2014 and he was his usual self. Since that time I began to notice what I thought were signs of aging, but now I know that it was much more.

- That´s the biggest P mystery to me. I mean, if he had pain (and drugs) for at least 10 years, why everything started to ruin so fast in the last year and a half? Prince, who used to be glorious and ageless until 2014, started to look older, thinner and had to go to hospital because of an OD.

Because he was 55 when this started happening. 55 i very different than 45, or even 35. I'm 40, and I can tell you that I can't do what I used to do at 30. I'm trained as a veterinary assistant, but oh my god, the last two years I worked as an assistant? Noooope. I felt it more, even though I'm still quite capable of doing the work because I'm skilled. I also can't eat like I used to -- I can't eat nuts anymore at all, because they make me ill, except peanuts. I can't eat eggs anymore. Meat, period, is starting to be too much for me, and I am godawful tired most of the time these days. SO in my definitely non-medical opinion, he just plain got old, and the things he used to be able to do or handle became too much. His whole system was simply different, because he /was/ basically a young-ish senior citizen. You've got natural aging going on there along with chronicc, exhausting pain, and whatever else was wrong with him (I'm betting he probably was sicker than he would let on, personally, be it the flu or whatever else).

Blakbear said:

Because he was 55 when this started happening. 55 i very different than 45, or even 35. I'm 40, and I can tell you that I can't do what I used to do at 30. I'm trained as a veterinary assistant, but oh my god, the last two years I worked as an assistant? Noooope. I felt it more, even though I'm still quite capable of doing the work because I'm skilled. I also can't eat like I used to -- I can't eat nuts anymore at all, because they make me ill, except peanuts. I can't eat eggs anymore. Meat, period, is starting to be too much for me, and I am godawful tired most of the time these days. SO in my definitely non-medical opinion, he just plain got old, and the things he used to be able to do or handle became too much. His whole system was simply different, because he /was/ basically a young-ish senior citizen. You've got natural aging going on there along with chronicc, exhausting pain, and whatever else was wrong with him (I'm betting he probably was sicker than he would let on, personally, be it the flu or whatever else).

- Yes, it´s true, but he didnt turn 55 overnight. He had a healthy diet and such. My point is that everything seems to have happened SO fast in the last 2 years that it was strange.

BobGeorge909 said:

XxAxX said:

that sounds horrible

To say it felt horrible is putting it lightly. The closest thing I can relate it to is tales I've got are from people who have been 'roofied'. Please don't take menwrong, I am NOT attempting to equate the two. I heard WORLDS apart. When I hear those stories though, it really puts me in a bad place. My situation happened in a controlled environment. Its something I was aware was going to happen. Its something I consented to(no matter how unwillingly) and planned for. This is frightening enough. My experience merely HINTS what these women went through, the surprise, the rear, the loss of control, loss of ability to defend or protect yourself. Loss of any decision making... Emotionally, it puts me in a frame of mind where I feel the people who commit these heineous act should be tortured and killed(I'm anti death penalty so ultimately, after some rational thought I would elect for it). Horrific....simply horrific.

i'm truly sorry you suffer like that. i hope you are well now

EddieC said:

And there it all is in a nutshell.

FUNKNROLL said:

My cousin, Sara, says they don't make her feel groggy, sloppy, OR high. She says that her pain from her bone-on-bone arthritic spinal stenosis just "fades away". She says that she feels "normal", like before she got spinal stenosis. It makes her feel so "normal" that sometimes she forgets to take her next dose on time - then all of a sudden the pain will come crashing back - she will start panicking, yelling and/or crying until something is done. Showers will make her temporarily feel better sometimes. We try really hard to help her remember when she needs to take her medicine. You would never know she takes this for pain, but she has been on narcotics for pain for years. We think the reason she does so well is because she has a Pain Management Doctor who watches her very closely. She sees him once a month, every month, and he counts every pill.

ficktyt said:

Because Prince had a terminal illness.....That death certificate only states cause of death. It says nothing about why he was taking a pain killer to treat the terminally ill. The family would rather have Prince seen as an addict rather than a man who was sick. It's sad.

My cousin says she does not feel "buzzed".

But this stuff probably affects different people in different ways. And it probably also matters what the pain is. There are many, many variables with these medications.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_PRINCE_DEATH_THEORIES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

The Associated Press has written an article about the unanswered questions from the medical examiner's report.

mailaccount63 said:

FUNKNROLL said:

Almost hate to ask but what's the effect of these opiates? Don't they make you groggy/sloppy?

My cousin, Sara, says they don't make her feel groggy, sloppy, OR high. She says that her pain from her bone-on-bone arthritic spinal stenosis just "fades away". She says that she feels "normal", like before she got spinal stenosis. It makes her feel so "normal" that sometimes she forgets to take her next dose on time - then all of a sudden the pain will come crashing back - she will start panicking, yelling and/or crying until something is done. Showers will make her temporarily feel better sometimes. We try really hard to help her remember when she needs to take her medicine. You would never know she takes this for pain, but she has been on narcotics for pain for years. We think the reason she does so well is because she has a Pain Management Doctor who watches her very closely. She sees him once a month, every month, and he counts every pill.

I was prescribed percocet after having major surgery. I didn't feel high at all from them UNTIL my pain lessoned but I kept up the same 2 pill dose instead of dropping down to 1. If you are on the right dose for your level of pain, I suspect you won't feel a buzz. But if you take a slightly higher dose than you need, you will likely feel a nice little high. So then you'll have no pain plus you feel "good". And that's when it can get addicting. And it can easily happen. But for me, once I started getting the "high" is when I knew I no longer required that strong of a pain killer. And since my pain was surgery related and not chronic, there was no chance of renewing the prescrip any way.

EddieC said:

Excellent post!!

GustavoRibas said:

Exactly. Something changed for Prince and most notably the last few months of his life.

wherethedrums said:

You'd have to be blind not to see it.

lwr001 said:

I have 2 Autoimmune diseases, one of which is stage 3 Endometriosis. I Just recently turned 38 & from age 12, at the onset of my first menstrual cycle, I have suffered from often debilitating pelvic pain which radiates into my lower back & down my thighs. Endometriosis is an incurable disease & I went undiagnosed for 25 years. In my teens, with every period, I would suffer, often missing school for 1-2 days a month. The pain often left me bedridden & my heating pad was a crucial neccesity. For years, everyone (family, friends, doctors, nurse practitioners) dismissed my pain..."Oh, it's 'just cramps.' All girls have them. You just have a 'low tolerance' to pain." I was given Ibuprofen and/or Midol. That stuff did not touch the pain I was having. From age 18 to about 26, I enjoyed a reprieve from the agony, as I took birth control pills & during those years, the pill worked well for taking reducing my pain from a 9-10 out of 10 to a moderate 3-4 out of ten (with added Ibuprofen).

Unfortunately, from my late 20s onward, due to complications from my other Autoimmune disease (Hashimoto's Thyroid Disease) & hormonal changes, I became unable to tolerate the pill (and I've tried several different brands/types; I just cannot take the pill. Starting about 9 years ago, I began having that same horrible cramping, burning pelvic pain that I recalled from my teens. Only now, instead of just 3-5 days a month, I have this pain 85% of the time. I've tried a number of treatments, including surgery. I still rely on my trusty heading pad. But the fact is, I require narcotic opioid/opiate pain medication most days.

Over the years, I've tried & taken tramadol (useless for me), Codeine (helpful on days when my pain is more moderate), Hydrocodone aka Vicodin, Norco, Lortab, etc (can be effective but the Acetaminophen in these pills is unnecessary & seriously dangerous to me, considering I take 2 tablets every 4 hours), Percocet (Oxycodone with Acetaminophen; about 1.5 times stronger than hydrocodone & effective for my pain, but again, the APAP is toxic & I must be mindful, as my Mom nearly died last August from years of Autoimmune Liver Disease. I witnessed what liver failure did to her body & life. It was HORRIBLE. Thank God & the anonymous family who donated to my Mom the liver of their dead 14 year old son. It saved Mom's life! But autoimmune disease is hereditary, at least in my case. My Grandma, Mom, 2 cousins, 1 Aunt & my brother all have at least one autoimmune disease).

I began to seek out a specialist in the treatment, surgical intervention, pain management & research of Endometriosis. I wanted a real advocate for this disease. I wanted to finally, after so many years of ignorant doctors treating me like a "drug seeker," with their condescending attitudes, insisting that this pain is "all in my head," trying to push me to submit to treatments that would be detrimental to my physical & mental health...again, there is no cure & that includes the ignorant, old school suggestion that having a hysterectomy would cure me.

After years, so much pain, so much adversity & psychological torment & feelings of hopelessness, I found the right doctor for me. I found him just over 1 year ago. I have tried Fentanyl for my pain. To my knowledge, as Fentanyl has a very low oral bioavailability, it is only available as patches (transdermal absorption), "lollipops" (sublingual absorption) & intravenous administration in hospital settings. I think there may also be a nasal spray, as well, but it's relatively new. For me, the patch just wasn't a good fit for my needs. It didn't really manage my pain as I'd prefer & thus, I am now taking what I feel works best for me (Oxycodone instant release tablets, without the Acetaminophen). Because of my pain levels, as well as years of on & off opiate treatment, I have a rather high tolerance, so the dose that is currently & effectively managing my pain & improving my quality of life, might sound outrageous to some people.

To summarize, I am curious as to how P overdosed on Fentanyl, if he was using the patch, lollipop or nasel spray as directed. The patch is the most common, and it's an extended-release mechanism. Patches are typically applied & the drug is slowly released over the span of 3 days, at such time, it is removed & replaced with a new patch. I'm concerned that he was somehow granted IV Fentanyl, for personal use, without the supervision of a doctor. That should never happen. I hope that we will learn more details, as if P was given this medication to use in a manner that is only appropriate for hospital settings, the doctor or doctors who prescribed it should be held accountable.

I apologize for writing so much. I just wanted to offer some insight into opioid/opiate medications, from someone who suffers chronic pain & must take these narcotics to have a normal, improved quality of life. When people don't know about these medications, combined with the media sensationalism & the stigma attached, they make often extreme assumptions about these drugs. I feel compelled to be a voice for those of us who suffer from chronic pain. The majority of us are NOT "addicts." Statistics have backed this up, time after time.

This is disturbing.

http://www.theguardian.co...ainkillers
[Edited 6/5/16 0:11am]

True.

As I understand it, it is quite basic. Prince's condition cannot be slotted into 'drug addiction'. It was dependence on legally prescribed medicines to control chronic pain and not addiction to illict drugs to get high. It is quite easy to say things but knowing people with acute pain, I can say with responsibility that at times there is no way out except painkillers to maintain a certain kind of quality of life. Prince perhaps tried to keep a bold face for all his fans, tried to hide his pain and keep performing, but I do not blame him, I blame the people around him (if any) for failing to take stock of the situation in due course and at the correct time. This was one negative fallout of the fact that he was pretty much alone at this stage of his life, company could have eased this grave problem. Most of the click-hungry websites have not been able to discern the basic difference between dependence on medicines and drug addiction. I am proud of the fact that Prince was an advocate of healthy living and an intoxicant-free life, the medicines that he used towards his end were perhaps not optional and his accidental death becomes even more tragic because he was a clean man, and hence more shocking to the world.

CasiBrooke said:

lwr001 said:

Bot that I know off. It used,in hospitals only. A veteran friend of mine died in the hospital the same way

I have 2 Autoimmune diseases, one of which is stage 3 Endometriosis. I Just recently turned 38 & from age 12, at the onset of my first menstrual cycle, I have suffered from often debilitating pelvic pain which radiates into my lower back & down my thighs. Endometriosis is an incurable disease & I went undiagnosed for 25 years. In my teens, with every period, I would suffer, often missing school for 1-2 days a month. The pain often left me bedridden & my heating pad was a crucial neccesity. For years, everyone (family, friends, doctors, nurse practitioners) dismissed my pain..."Oh, it's 'just cramps.' All girls have them. You just have a 'low tolerance' to pain." I was given Ibuprofen and/or Midol. That stuff did not touch the pain I was having. From age 18 to about 26, I enjoyed a reprieve from the agony, as I took birth control pills & during those years, the pill worked well for taking reducing my pain from a 9-10 out of 10 to a moderate 3-4 out of ten (with added Ibuprofen). Unfortunately, from my late 20s onward, due to complications from my other Autoimmune disease (Hashimoto's Thyroid Disease) & hormonal changes, I became unable to tolerate the pill (and I've tried several different brands/types; I just cannot take the pill. Starting about 9 years ago, I began having that same horrible cramping, burning pelvic pain that I recalled from my teens. Only now, instead of just 3-5 days a month, I have this pain 85% of the time. I've tried a number of treatments, including surgery. I still rely on my trusty heading pad. But the fact is, I require narcotic opioid/opiate pain medication most days. Over the years, I've tried & taken tramadol (useless for me), Codeine (helpful on days when my pain is more moderate), Hydrocodone aka Vicodin, Norco, Lortab, etc (can be effective but the Acetaminophen in these pills is unnecessary & seriously dangerous to me, considering I take 2 tablets every 4 hours), Percocet (Oxycodone with Acetaminophen; about 1.5 times stronger than hydrocodone & effective for my pain, but again, the APAP is toxic & I must be mindful, as my Mom nearly died last August from years of Autoimmune Liver Disease. I witnessed what liver failure did to her body & life. It was HORRIBLE. Thank God & the anonymous family who donated to my Mom the liver of their dead 14 year old son. It saved Mom's life! But autoimmune disease is hereditary, at least in my case. My Grandma, Mom, 2 cousins, 1 Aunt & my brother all have at least one autoimmune disease). I began to seek out a specialist in the treatment, surgical intervention, pain management & research of Endometriosis. I wanted a real advocate for this disease. I wanted to finally, after so many years of ignorant doctors treating me like a "drug seeker," with their condescending attitudes, insisting that this pain is "all in my head," trying to push me to submit to treatments that would be detrimental to my physical & mental health...again, there is no cure & that includes the ignorant, old school suggestion that having a hysterectomy would cure me. After years, so much pain, so much adversity & psychological torment & feelings of hopelessness, I found the right doctor for me. I found him just over 1 year ago. I have tried Fentanyl for my pain. To my knowledge, as Fentanyl has a very low oral bioavailability, it is only available as patches (transdermal absorption), "lollipops" (sublingual absorption) & intravenous administration in hospital settings. I think there may also be a nasal spray, as well, but it's relatively new. For me, the patch just wasn't a good fit for my needs. It didn't really manage my pain as I'd prefer & thus, I am now taking what I feel works best for me (Oxycodone instant release tablets, without the Acetaminophen). Because of my pain levels, as well as years of on & off opiate treatment, I have a rather high tolerance, so the dose that is currently & effectively managing my pain & improving my quality of life, might sound outrageous to some people. To summarize, I am curious as to how P overdosed on Fentanyl, if he was using the patch, lollipop or nasel spray as directed. The patch is the most common, and it's an extended-release mechanism. Patches are typically applied & the drug is slowly released over the span of 3 days, at such time, it is removed & replaced with a new patch. I'm concerned that he was somehow granted IV Fentanyl, for personal use, without the supervision of a doctor. That should never happen. I hope that we will learn more details, as if P was given this medication to use in a manner that is only appropriate for hospital settings, the doctor or doctors who prescribed it should be held accountable. I apologize for writing so much. I just wanted to offer some insight into opioid/opiate medications, from someone who suffers chronic pain & must take these narcotics to have a normal, improved quality of life. When people don't know about these medications, combined with the media sensationalism & the stigma attached, they make often extreme assumptions about these drugs. I feel compelled to be a voice for those of us who suffer from chronic pain. The majority of us are NOT "addicts." Statistics have backed this up, time after time.

[Edited 6/5/16 2:07am]