Cause of death On these drug pills died the singer Prince

The death cause of the pop giant Prince is clear: He died of an overdose of fentanyl: This is an artificial opiate - so it is one of the relatives of opium and heroin.

50 times stronger than heroin
Although heroin is on the rise again in the US and still notorious - but fentanyl has about 50 times stronger, ALfenta 30x stronger than morphine and REMIfenta even 200x stronger.

Prince died of an artificial opiate. Picture: aradaphotography - fotolia

An extreme painkiller
Fentanyl acts fast and massive against the worst pain. So it helps especially cancer patients in advanced stages and other terminally ill.

An accident?
Prince should have taken the overdose himself - accidentally? On April 21, 2016, he died at the age of 57.

Risk of respiratory paralysis
Fentanyl is the most commonly used drug in analgesia in Germany. It is almost always used in surgery and almost always administered in combination with propofol.

Fentanyl helps as a narcotic, it relieves the pain in cancer and can be found, on very low doses, on pain plasters.

For healthy people, fentanyl is dangerous even in small doses, because it paralyzes the breathing. Respiratory paralysis probably also killed Prince.

Help for the sick
Pain sufferers and drug addicts increasingly produce adrenaline - this relieves the opioids. You can therefore tolerate higher doses of fentanyl.

Only under control
Which dose of the drug a person tolerates is different. For some, 100 milligrams are dangerous, others need 1000 milligrams per day for fentanyl to strike. Doctors closely monitor patients who are receiving fentanyl.

Illegal in the US
Without a doctor's prescription, the possession and sale of fentanyl is illegal in the US, and in Germany, the drug is covered by the Narcotics Act.

Many dead
In the US, Fentanyl is the "shooting star" among the opiates. The Center for Disease Control speaks of more than 700 overdoses between 2013 and 2014. There is also a steady increase in fatal overdoses in opioid analgesics in Germany.

opiate
As an opioid, fentanyl quickly becomes physically dependent. Side effects of opioids include low blood pressure, diminished pupils, slow heart rate and constipation.

Addiction or pain?
Was Prince dependent on the opioid? Or was he suffering from pain? The police do not know that yet. It is also unclear where Prince got the fentanyl from.

drug free?
Prince publicly swore alcohol and drugs a long time ago. Insiders rumored that he was dependent on medication. In any case, the musician had a so-called addictive character: such people increase in substances as well as in activities.

Hip pain sufficient?
The popstar suffered from pain in the hips and knees as a result of his concerts. That's why he took the strong painkiller?

Consequences for the doctor?
Two doctors are the focus of the investigators: a search expert and Prince family doctor.

If you prescribe fentanyl on prescription, you may have problems. The opioid may prescribe physicians in the US only in extreme conditions such as cancer - but not in less severe pain. (Dr.Utz Anhalt)