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Percocet Or Suicide Killed Prince? Autopsy Done: 4 Trips To Walgreens Before Death Means Painkiller Overdose Might Be Cause Of Death

By Paula Mooney
Published on: 09:35 PST, Apr 22, 2016

The questions swirling behind the death of Prince have brought plenty of queries about Percocet, and any role that Percocet might have played in Prince’s death. During a press conference held in Chaska, Minnesota, on Friday, April 22, authorities would not confirm whether Percocet played a role in the death of Prince. They also wouldn’t confirm or deny if suicide played a role in Prince’s death, but they have no reason to believe Prince committed suicide with Percocet or any other substance. According to TMZ, Prince took Percocet to the point of overdosing mere days before Prince died.

The exact cause of Prince’s death won’t be known likely for weeks, said Sheriff Jim Olson. Olson, however, reported that Prince was last seen around 8 p.m. CT on Wednesday, April 20, when an acquaintance of Prince dropped him off at home. Prince’s body was found on the first floor of Paisley Park on the elevator, a location that reportedly has long stairways. Prince was home alone — being deemed a very private person — when Prince’s staff members tried to get a hold of him, and when they didn’t they followed up and found Prince at home.

Prince was wearing clothes when his body was found — a shirt and pants of some sort, said Olson — but he wasn’t sure if they were the type of clothes that Prince would sleep in. As such, it isn’t yet known how long Prince was dead inside the elevator. Prince’s death is still under investigation, but there were no obvious signs of trauma or foul play.

As reported by TMZ, Prince took so much Percocet prior to his death that emergency medical technicians had to give Prince a “save shot” recently when his plane was rerouted to Moline, Illinois, to counteract the effects of Percocet. The entourage of Prince reported that Prince took Percocet painkillers after his Atlanta concert.

Percocet is known as an addictive substance.

“Percocet is a painkiller which contains a combination of acetaminophen and oxycodone, an opioid. It is highly addictive.”

Prince took Percocet for hip issues, with Prince having had surgery in 2010 for his hips. Percocet may have been acquired from Prince’s local Walgreens, reports TMZ. Prince reportedly visited Walgreens four times in the week prior to his death. The publication published a photo of Prince in Walgreens’ parking lot — with reports of Prince appearing agitated and anxious coming from witnesses.

Percocet is a controlled substance, known to contain acetaminophen or oxycodone.

“High risk for addiction and dependence. Can cause respiratory distress and death when taken in high doses or when combined with other substances, especially alcohol.”

Percocet is a narcotic that treats pain.

Percocet has been celebrated by those who’ve taken it to deal with pain after surgeries or similar procedures. Percocet has also been part of federal efforts to prevent prescription drug abuse and deaths. Hydrocodone and acetaminophen tablets — more readily known by the name Vicodin — are the most common prescription painkillers. Vicodin and Percocet were two of the drugs that the FDA said on Tuesday, March 22, that they would zero in on to prevent their abuse.

Prince suffered from epilepsy and seizures, as reported by the New York Daily News. When Prince was a younger man, however, Prince’s seizures had been resolved in the decades in the interval. The fact that Prince was treated for a Percocet overdose days before he died has caused Percocet news on Twitter to start buzzing. In the above photo, a Prince fan cries outside of a Prince memorial in New York, on Friday, April 22. Prince was 57 when he died.

[Photo by AP Photo/Andres Kudacki]

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