Jeff Conaway, famous for his role in the movie Grease, the TV show, Taxi, recently died after remaining in a coma for days. Perhaps due in part to his longstanding addiction to painkillers and his stint on Dr. Drew’s Celebrity Rehab on VH1, the biggest discussion is whether or not his death was due to a drug overdose. Most news reports stated from the outset that a drug overdose put Conaway in the hospital, but Dr. Drew himself visited Conaway in the hospital and offered a different story, saying that the issue was not directly related to drug addiction.

Judging from his family’s behavior, it appears that some in Conaway’s family may have a different theory. Before his passing, Conaway’s ex-wife and sister filed a restraining order against his ex-girlfriend, Vikki Lizzi. She had been visiting him in the hospital since he was admitted but the restraining order put a quick stop to that – even though Lizzi had power of attorney over Conaway’s estate and wanted to continue to visit him. After his death, the two women worked to get an autopsy for Conaway to figure out exactly how and why he died. Was it the power of attorney that had the women in Conaway’s life worried about Lizzi’s motives? Or was it her erratic behavior and her own drug addiction – both chronicled on Celebrity Rehab when she visited Conaway during his drug rehab stay and spoke with Dr. Drew? Perhaps it was the ongoing court battle that Conaway had started against Lizzi, alleging that his ex had injected him with painkillers and planted cocaine in the home they once shared.

For her part, some reports say that Lizzi believes that Conaway was given the drugs that ultimately caused his alleged overdose by a man he was staying with after the relationship between Conaway and Lizzi fell apart.

Still other reports say that Conaway’s coma and eventual death were suicidal in nature, that Conaway had purposely taken more drugs than he could handle in an effort to end his life. He was still on the mend after a near-fatal fall last year and, clearly, his home life was anything but calm and supportive.

No matter the cause of Conaway’s death, his life serves as a caution for those who are struggling with prescription drug addiction due to chronic pain. Treatment that is effective and ongoing is necessary, not only to preserve life but to improve quality of life. It’s not easy, but it is possible. If you would like to learn more about our painkiller addiction treatment program here at The Canyon, contact us today for more information.

Tags: celebrity drug addiction, celebrity drug overdose, drug overdose, jeff conaway, jeff conaway dead, jeff conaway overdose

   

About Valeria W.

       

Valeria W. likes to consider herself "an encyclopedia" of addiction and rehab knowledge. Valeria lives to hear from people who have been positively influenced by her work - and sought out drug or alcohol rehab help as a result of the information she has provided.

Also written by: Valeria W.