'Chronicles of Narnia' producer dead of apparent OxyContin overdose was in chronic pain, say famil

'Chronicles of Narnia' producer dead of apparent OxyContin overdose was in chronic pain, say family

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The "Chronicles of Narnia" producer found dead in his SoHo apartment Thursday battled chronic back and neck pain that sometimes interfered with his work, friends and family told the Daily News.

"He had a lot of chronic pain. It was always an issue we were dealing with on set," said friend and Greyshack Films President Mike Ryan, a producing partner on victim Perry Moore's recent indie flick "Lake City."



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I am very saddened by this news, I really enjoyed the movie.

Chronic pain is not something to be joked about or toyed with, and people that face this life complicating issue can attest that it is a tes on their very souls to just live one day at a time.

The article states that he had back surgery planned for this spring. After having gone through this myself, he was facing a very tough road.

He was young, only 39, and I am sad to think of what we have lost from his future works.

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I've enjoyed the Narnia series, too, and am also saddened at this news. This is a tragic loss to the world. And so young! Just a year older than I am. My heart goes out to his familiy and friends. At least, he is no longer in pain, and he is in Aslan's country now.

while is still have a dislocated disc in my back i have never ever sorted to the usage of oxycotin ,
just dont see the point in laying on the couch drooling semi uncounsious,
while it might work to ease the pain , i strongly suggest people to adapt to what they can coupe with as "bodily work" intill they get they damage unfixed ,

heck now days it seams they prescribe oxycot for almost anything ranging from sleeping problems to back ache to depression , go figure ,

reply to post by zerbot565


I guess it depends how severe the pain is. Pain medication, when taken properly, shouldn't leave you in a drooling mess on the couch. It should be just enough to relieve the pain to make life bearable. Even Oxycontin.

Sadly, if he died from an overdose, either he was abusing it, or should have gone to the hospital for intractible pain, and gone ahead and had that surgery.

If he was in that much pain, I feel for him and his family.

reply to post by Libertygal


I suffer chronic pain and use tramadol (600mg daily), codeine (up to 300mg daily) and nortryptiline (50mg daily). Occasionally Ibuprofen if I'm experiencing inflammation in addition to the neuropathic (nerve) pain.

Living in chronic pain is beyond the imaginative faculties of most people. They may look at you, walking around and occasionally lifting your kids up, and think 'there's nothing wrong with him'. They don't see you the rest of the time, when you're stuck in bed, or lying on the sofa / floor, or crying yourself to sleep through the sheer frustration of eternal agony. Simple tasks like putting the garbage out, walking the dog, unloading a dishwasher - it becomes more than you can bear at times.

Good days and bad days, but I've forgotten what it feels like to be free of pain. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. The good days are those when you can manage to go shopping with your spouse, or spend ten minutes kicking a ball around in the garden with your kids. When you feel there may be a way through the impossible situation you face.

The bad days are dark, miserable, depressing beyond words, and the pain feels like someone's stabbing you in the spinal cord, pulling at your joints, ripping at your muscles - without letting up.. You feel useless, helpless and a waste of space. Pain radiates down the legs and into the upper back/ shoulders, numbness extends to your fingers and toes, even the legs, hands and arms... You can't lie still and you can't move around. It's all you can manage not to take too many tablets to simply take the edge off.

I feel sorry for this talented and incredibly accomplished guy, who found success despite his circumstances, and eventually overdid his painkillers... I can fully understand why he would do it.

reply to post by FlyInTheOintment


Your post is so right.

I had pain for 10 months and had one surgery last August that was not successful, I had another 3 weeks ago where they replaces a disc with a synthetic one and fused the vertebrae. The pain is gone now and it feels good to get my life back.

ps. I was on Oxycontin after the surgery for a week and didn't lay around and drool on myself.

Wow that is really a shame. I've had so many friends come and go and completely ruin their lives due to this stuff. I was hooked on oxycontin for quite a few years, then of course making the transition to heroin because street prices for oxycontin are literally about 60 - 80 bucks for an 80mg pill around here. This stuff is no joke, its so so so easy to get addicted to, words cant describe it. If anyone has this problem I urge you to seek help. You don't have to do it alone, and you will feel a million and one times better after you get past that initial withdrawal. Once youre on the other side youll feel as if you can do anything. Suboxone can be great if used properly, stay away from methadone.

Who knows what other medicines this guy was mixing with it too. My guess was xanax, maybe some coke. Man hollywood is a mess. Politicians are all hopped up on this # too. Its a real shame. If they would legalize this stuff it would be so much easier for people to get help and would lower the crime rate severely because people wouldnt have to steal and kill to get money/drugs to get their fix. The war on drugs is a complete failure in every way...accept that the government makes billions putting it onto the streets and then going and arresting everyone who messes with it. assholes.

heck now days it seams they prescribe oxycot for almost anything ranging from sleeping problems to back ache to depression

Well.........that's funny as I have been living with chronic pain for the last 10 years (sciatia) and the best I have been able to get is 7.5/500 Hydro. The pain NEVER goes away. The meds just allow me to function and heaven forbid I decide to move to a new location!! It took me 6 months, after moving here & from somewhere my doctor was aware of my problems and prescribed hydro, to find someone willing to prescribe them to me again! I, also, had words with a couple of doctors unwilling to prescribe them to me until I, finally, found the one I have now!

They jump on the 'you are an addict' bandwagon way too quickly, IMHO. Damn, I WISH I could feel high on pain meds!! lol That is a joke for someone living with chronic pain. BTW, just had doctor lower the tylenol in my meds to 325 instead of 500. I must take anywhere from 3 to 6 of these a day - just to function!! And, remain in pain.......just nuts!!

reply to post by Champagne


Where do you live? In the UK many GPs / doctors are very understanding of pain-related issues; most GPs won't frown on someone who ends up addicted to prescription painkillers. Modern life doesn't let up, and unlike the ridiculous adverts for branded aspirin/ paracetamol products on our telly-boxes, popping a couple of weak, overpriced tablets normally won't cut it in terms of helping us get by from day-to-day...

I started out using co-codamol 30/500's (30mg codeine, 500mg paracetamol) but the side effects were shocking on the dosages I needed to control the pain. Dizziness, nausea, irritability and itchiness to name but a few. After two years on those I moved onto Tramadol Hydrochloride, which I found were much more beneficial to me, with fewer negative side effects (except when using higher-than-normal doses). Pure codeine is useable in addition to the tramadol, which can be very useful during particularly painful days/weeks. It's important to be able to self-manage dosages, and not to take them for the sake of habit (which is easily done). A good relationship with your prescribing GP is essential, and often having a relative or friend attend an appointment with you to explain the sort of daily difficulties you face can be a very positive way of making sure they take you seriously.

I actually moved to a different GP because of arguments with the GPs regarding their attitude to me, my condition, my need for medication reviews and my need for further investigative treatments. They had become happy to just keep prescribing tablets, and didn't want to spend any NHS resources in properly diagnosing me. After I moved to the new surgery, my new GP explained that my first MRI scan five years ago had shown a prolapsed lumbar disc, with nerve root compression. Yet, when I had explicitly asked my previous GP for the results of the scan, I was lied to - he told me 'nothing was found'..?! Then, they continued to 'fob me off' for years, until I got tired of the ongoing negativity from them.

If you feel you aren't getting the right treatment make enquiries with a new doctor. It's always worth keeping a 'pain diary', and as I mentioned, get the support of family and friends when you have your first appointment so they know you aren't just looking for analgesic medicines 'for the sake of it/ because of addiction'... Don't settle for a bad attitude from your doctor.. Ask for a second opinion, or simply change the practice. Always be honest about the reasons for moving with your new GP, and before registering let them know you are seeking a more understanding and helpful relationship from them.

Investigate treatments such as cortisone injections (very painful but can help some people). Additionally, alternative therapies like acupuncture or chiropractic have been reported beneficial to some people.

reply to post by mwood


It's good to know that you've managed to get some lasting relief from the surgery. Apparently I'm not a suitable candidate for surgery because of my relatively young age, plus certain other risk factors - they worry I might suffer serious damage to my spinal cord under the knife...

reply to post by Champagne


Not offering you medical advice perse, but have you had the sciatica looked into?

Either way, ask your Doctor for a referral to a pain clinic. When you go to a pain clinic, one Doctor will follow your care, and make sure that you acheive pain relief.

Like was said above, I wouldn't wish chronic pain on anyone, so I wish you the best in your long term care. I hope that you can find a resolution for the problem.

reply to post by FlyInTheOintment


I, too, have tramadol indispensible. It recently got changed to a schedule 2 drug in the US, meaning the same as hydrocodone or codeine with tylenol.

Because of this, the maximum doses have been changed, and taking it in the amounts you do, or that I used to, is considered an overdose.

Now, I take it with Advil, and hydrocodone when I need it. On really bad occasions, I have Fentanyl patches, which last 3 days.

Pain management was a blessing for me, as I have had 3 back surgeries so far. One cervical fusion, one thoracis two level fusion, and a lumbar surgery. I still need another cervical fusion for another disc, and a large lumbar fusion that will end up being between 3-5 levels. My thoracic fusion, so far, has failed, almost 2 years in, and it may have to be redone.

I had to face the fact that I will be in pain the rest of my life, and it changed the person that I used to be. It was almost like mourning the loss of ones self, and facing that you will never be the person that you used to be.

reply to post by FlyInTheOintment


Where is your prolapsed disc located?