Celine Dion is sharing more about her journey with stiff person syndrome, revealing that her pain was so intense at times that she used to take such a high dose of Valium that it "could have been fatal."
In a cover story with People, the "My Heart Will Go On" powerhouse opened up about how she used to deal with her undiagnosed condition for nearly 20 years after first experiencing symptoms in the mid 2000s. Stiff person syndrome is a rare autoimmune neurological disorder that can cause severe and painful muscle spasms and stiffness, according to Johns Hopkins Medical, and Dion recalled feeling a spasm years ago that was made "worse" with her vocal exercises.
After trying remedies like steam showers and over-the-counter medications and meeting with specialists like ophthalmologists and ear, nose and throat doctors to no avail and increasing pain, Dion said she was advised to try prescription medications like the muscle relaxer Valium to see if that would make a difference.
"We started with two milligrams to see if it would help, and then 2.5, and then 3, and 15 and 50," she said, adding that the effects began to fade quickly. She then revealed that she once took a dose of 90 milligrams to get through a performance, only learning later that it could have killed her.
"It could have been fatal. 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 said. "I did not understand that I could have gone to bed and stopped breathing. And you learn — you learn through your mistakes."
Since getting her diagnosis in August 2022, and sharing it publicly months later, Dion has found a new combination of treatment to combat her condition, including medication, immune therapy, vocal therapy and intense physical rebab five days a week, People reports.
"The good thing that's on my side is that I love doing all these things," she said.
Dion will share more about her health journey with SPS in the upcoming Prime Video documentary I Am: Celine Dion, which will be available to stream June 25.