Singer-songwriter Celine Dion looked back at her health journey through a lens of gratitude after managing undiagnosed stiff-person syndrome symptoms for 17 years.
The music superstar opened up about the symptoms that began manifesting in the mid-2000s, including muscle spasms, difficulty breathing and singing, reports People magazine. She spoke about her "crisis" episodes during which her entire body locked up which caused pain. The first time she felt a spasm nearly 20 years ago, she was in Germany on tour. She told People: "I had breakfast, and I suddenly started to feel a spasm. My vocal exercise made it worse." The singer is set to give fans an in-depth look at her fight against stiff-person syndrome in an emotional new documentary, ‘I Am: Celine Dion’.
As per People, the singer tried remedies ranging from steam showers to over-the-counter medications and made appointments with ear, nose and throat physicians and ophthalmologists, all of which were unfruitful. As her symptoms intensified, the ‘My Heart Will Go On’ singer, beloved for her vocal precision and inimitable stage presence, was advised to take prescription medications, including muscle relaxants like Valium. "We started with two milligrams to see if it would help, and then 2.5, and then three, and 15 and 50,” she said noting the medication began wearing off so quickly that at one point she took 90 milligrams of Valium to power through a performance.
"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.” Currently, the singer is "very, very happy and fortunate" that she's able to share her learnings with others.
