Prince 'overdosed a week ago on Percocet taken for a chronic hip problem': Star suffered for years 'but refused to get an operation because of his Jehovah's Witness faith'

[Guest Nicole]

• 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 was completed today and his body will be given to his family, but results could take weeks
• Prince's private plane made an emergency landing in Moline, Illinois, so he could be rushed to hospital last week 
• The 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.

Prince's autopsy went ahead as planned today and his body will be handed over to his family later today. 

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.

His plane descended 45,000ft in just 17 minutes after an 'unresponsive male' was reported on board the plane, a source told NBC News, and the fire department and paramedics were alerted of the incoming medical incident.

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. 

WHAT IS PERCOCET? HIGHLY-ADDICTIVE OPIATE DRUG THAT PRINCE MAY HAVE OVERDOSED ON BEFORE HIS DEATH

Percocet is a combination of acetaminophen and oxycodone and is used to treat acute pain, often for those with joint problems.

The opiate drug is highly addictive and is usually not prescribed to people who have a history of drug addiction.

Side effects of Percocet include seizures. Prince had epilepsy as a child and suffered seizures, although he later claimed he no longer had the condition after being healed by an angel.

Overdose can cause vomiting, stomach pain, confusion, and yellowing of the skin.

As the overdose progresses, users start to feel faint, their heart rate slows and they can eventually stop breathing and fall into a coma. 

Actor Heath Ledger, who died following a prescription drug overdose in 2008, had oxycodone in his system and had also taken a lethal cocktail of other substances. 

Soul singer Gerald Levert also had Percocet in his blood stream when he died of an overdose in 2006. He also had Vicodin in his system.

Prince's autopsy took place today, but the results will not likely be known for weeks.

'The Chief Medical Examiner for Midwest Medical Examiners Office, on behalf of Carver County Sheriff's Office, has performed the autopsy on Prince Rogers Nelson,' a spokesman for the examiner said. 

'The autopsy began at 9am CDT and was completed by Dr A Quinn Strobl at 1pm local time. The body will be released to family later today.

'As part of a complete exam, relevant information regarding Mr Nelson's medical and family history will be taken into consideration.

'Midwest Medical Examiners Office will not release information until the exam is complete and all results are obtained. Gathering results will take several days and the results of a full toxicology scan could likely take weeks.'

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His cause of death is not known, but in a call to paramedics on the way to Prince's home, a 911 dispatcher said: 'Male down, not breathing.'

In the midst of the phone call, the dispatcher asks, 'Are you with the person who's…' and the unidentified male responds, 'Yes, it's Prince'. 

The caller struggles to find the address of the home and has to ask several people for numbers and streets. 

He struggles to decipher Minneapolis from the suburban Chanhassen, and tells the dispatcher they are in Minneapolis before finally telling the dispatcher that they are at Paisley Park.

The dispatcher finally gets the address sorted out - after realizing that it is Prince that is unresponsive - and sends an ambulance toward the estate in Chanhassen.  

It is unclear which hospital Prince was taken to in Moline following the emergency landing last week. The closest hospital to the airport is Trinity Regional Health System. The city is also home to the Genesis Health Plex.

Trinity Moline and nearby Trinity Rock Island hospitals have both denied treating Prince. 

The 57-year-old music icon was then seen at about 7pm on Wednesday at a Walgreens pharmacy looking 'frail and nervous' with a group of employees or friends. It was his fourth visit to the pharmacy this week.

It is unknown why he went to the store himself or if he picked up a prescription, though per Walgreens protocol, anyone with Prince's phone number and address could have retrieved medication for him.

Prince had always claimed that he was drug-free, making the news of his alleged overdose all the more shocking.

Prince had previously revealed that he was epileptic and had suffered seizures as a child. He was bullied at school over his condition which he said he dealt with by developing his iconic larger-than-life personality.

The singer, a devout Jehovah's Witness, later told his mother he had been cured by an angel. 

While Prince never made clear if he was still struggling to live with epilepsy, his song The Sacrifice of Victor tells the story of a boy who was 'epileptic 'til the age of seven'.

Meanwhile, Aretha Franklin made the bizarre suggestion that Prince may have contracted the Zika virus.

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COUNTDOWN TO PRINCE'S DEATH

Thursday, April 14: Prince performs in Atlanta and appears to be fine.

Friday, April 15: Prince's private plane makes an emergency landing at Moline, Illinois, and he is taken to hospital for 'flu symptoms'. He is released after three hours of treatment.

Saturday, April 16: Prince goes to a party in Minnesota to give 'proof' he is still alive. 'Wait a few days before you waste any prayers,' he tells fans.

Sunday, April 17: Prince is seen riding a bicycle outside his apartment.

Wednesday, April 20: Prince is seen looking 'frail and nervous' at a Walgreen's store near his estate at around 7pm. It is his fourth visit to the pharmacy this week.

Thursday, April 21: Prince is found unresponsive in an elevator inside his compound at 9.43am. He is pronounced dead at 10.07am.

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WHY DO DEVOUT JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES REFUSE TO HAVE BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS EVEN WHEN SERIOUSLY ILL?

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the Bible teaches against the storage or transfusion of blood and will turn down transfusions even in emergencies.

They believe that blood represents life and is sacred to God, and that only the blood shed by Christ can save their lives. 

Refusals to accept blood transfusions or donations have caused uproar in the past, particularly in cases when Jehovah's Witness parents have refused to let their children have life-saving treatment.

Some followers of the faith believe they can have bloodless surgery, which sometimes sees organs drained of blood before they are donated to a Jehovah's Witness. 

There are 6.5million active Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide, including the likes of Serena Williams.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3554087/Prince-dies-aged-57.html