Celine Dion says she “could’ve died” from high Valium usage due to Stiff Person Syndrome

26 June, 2024

Celine Dion (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

Celine Dion has opened up about her use of Valium, saying she “could’ve died” from the high dosages she was taking.

The singer, who has just released her new documentary I Am: Celine Dion on June 25, was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome in 2022, causing her to reschedule and cancel planned tours. The disorder primarily affects the brain and spinal cord and causes muscle stiffness, posture problems and sensory issues, as well as painful spasms.

In her new documentary, Dion has shared that to manage the pain, she took high doses of Valium which she “could’ve died” from (via Business Insider). The Canadian singer went on to say that at one point, she took up to 80 or 90mg of Valium every day to get through her tour. Adults are normally prescribed up to 10mg, to be taken three or four times a day.

“That’s just one medicine,” she added. “I don’t want [to be] dramatic, but I could’ve died.” Though it’s apparently rare to overdose and die on benzodiazepines, there’s a higher rate of fatality if the medicines are mixed with other drugs or substances.

Dion continued, saying: “I was taking those medicines because I needed to walk, I needed to be able to swallow. I needed medicine to function. One more pill, two more pills, five more pills. Too many pills. The show must go on.”

She also shared in a separate interview with Hoda Kotb that she “did not know honestly that it could kill me”, adding: “Ninety milligrams of Valium can kill you, you can stop breathing. And at one point, the thing is that my body got used to it at 20 and 30 and 40 until it went up.

“And I needed that, it was relaxing my whole body for what, for two weeks, for a month, OK the show must go on. Here we go, I’m fine. But you get used to it, it doesn’t work anymore. More, more, more.”

Dion has previously demonstrated what happens when she tries to sing, which resulted in her crying. In the documentary, Dion can be seen telling camera people: “When I try to breathe, my lungs are fine; it’s what is in front of my lungs that’s so rigid, because of Stiff Person Syndrome.” She then demonstrated what happened when she tried to sing, where her voice began to crack.

She then said whilst crying: “That’s what happens and it’s very difficult for me to show this to you. I think I was very good… I think I had some stuff that was amazing.”

The singer has previously said, in a post on Instagram, that her stiff person syndrome diagnosis was “one of the hardest experiences” of her life in a post on Instagram, adding that she was trying to “live as normal of a life as possible”.

“Trying to overcome this autoimmune disorder has been one of the hardest experiences of my life, but I remain determined to one day get back onto the stage.”

Dion’s last public appearance was at the 2024 Grammys, where she presented the Album of the Year award to Taylor Swift.

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