Death raises questions: Did Prince die of an overdose?

CHICAGO (AP) — Prince's final days and unexpected death at age 57 raise questions among experts familiar with prescription painkiller overdoses.

A law enforcement official told The Associated Press last week that investigators are looking into whether Prince died from an overdose and whether a doctor was prescribing him drugs in the weeks before he was found dead at his home in suburban Minneapolis.

The law enforcement official has been briefed on the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

[...] on Wednesday, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that representatives of Prince had reached out to a California doctor to help the musician kick an addiction to painkillers.

Whether Prince was addicted to painkillers is uncertain, but some are wondering whether the stigma surrounding addiction may have prevented Prince — who built a reputation as a sober superstar — from seeking help in time if he was becoming dependent.

With good management and no history of addiction, opioids can help people find relief from pain with only a small risk of causing addiction, according to a 2010 systematic review of the available studies.

Beginning treatment is typically done through a typical outpatient medical visit and does not require admission to a residential treatment facility.

Hospital emergency rooms and ambulance crews use an injectable generic version to revive people whose breathing has slowed or stopped during a drug overdose.

The syringe-free products have prompted new efforts to get naloxone kits to fire departments, police, parents, pharmacists and school nurses.

Naloxone works by reversing the effects of opiates in the brain and at higher doses can immediately trigger withdrawal symptoms like nausea.

Aks also said more hospitals are educating overdose patients about naloxone and sending them home with kits, so friends and family can b