Prince Had Prescription Opioid Meds On Him When He Died

Prince, who was found dead in an elevator at his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota a week ago today, apparently had prescription opioid medication on his person at the time of his death.

Prince’s Opioid Meds

Authorities investigating Prince’s untimely death discovered the opioids, which were prescription pain killers, reported CNN. They have since called in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to assist with the case. Toxicology results are pending.

A week prior to his death, Prince became unresponsive on a flight from Atlanta – where he had performed a concert – back to Minnesota. His private plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Illinois, where he was rushed to a hospital. Though it was initially reported that Prince was merely battling severe flu symptoms, it was later reported that the “Purple Rain” singer had suffered an overdose and was given a “save” shot at the hospital.

Prince apparently had been taking the opioid Percocet for years, and may have been addicted to the pain killer, sources told TMZ. His alleged abuse of the drug supposedly began when he was prescribed it in 2009 while battling some hip trouble. Prince’s dependence on Percocet reportedly only increased over the years.

The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office in Ramsey, Minn., performed an autopsy on Prince last Friday. A cause of death won’t be released until all evidence, including the results of the toxicology tests, is collected.