In her recent interview, Céline Dion opened up about consuming up to 90 milligrams of Valium while struggling with health issues which potentially could have been fatal. The singer has been managing Stiff-Person Syndrome (SPS), a rare neurological disorder of unknown origin characterised by increasing muscular rigidity and stiffness. Dion’s increasing symptoms led to increasing doses of the medication (Valium) reaching dangerous levels without even the artist realising the risks of overconsumption.
The Canadian singer told People magazine that the progressive symptoms of her SPS disorder began in the early 2000s with severe muscle spasms, which caused difficulty in breathing. Sometimes there were “crisis” episodes which caused excruciating pain as her whole body locked up. Dion revealed that she felt the symptoms for the first time when she was on a tour in Germany. The “I’m Your Angel” singer mentioned, “I had breakfast, and I suddenly started to feel a spasm. My vocal exercise made it worse.”
Dion also revealed that she took numerous remedies, took steam showers, and made an appointment with nose, throat and ear specialists to ophthalmologists all of which didn’t give any satisfactory results. As prescribed by her doctor, the Let’s Talk About Love singer started consuming Valium as a muscle relaxer in small quantities like two milligrams, 2.5, then 3, 15 and 50, and the star singer eventually took 90 milligrams. “I did not question the level because I don’t know medicine. I thought it was going to be okay. It worked for a few days, for a few weeks, and then it doesn’t work anymore,” she revealed. The musical superstar also added, “I did not understand that I could have gone to bed and stopped breathing. And you learn — you learn through your mistakes.”
Céline Dion to give an in-depth look into her medical struggles through a documentary.
I Am: Céline Dion, is an upcoming documentary set to stream on Amazon Prime Video globally from 25th June onwards. The film is directed by Irene Taylor, who received an Academy nomination in 2009 for a short documentary, The Final Inch. The upcoming film will give a raw look at the artist’s struggle with SPS disorder.
You can watch the trailer below:
Also Read: Naomi Watts Reties The Knot With Billy Crudup In Mexico City.