Pop singer Prince died suddenly on April 21, thrusting the world into shock and launching scores of tributes to the man and his music. It hasn’t taken long for speculation to start about what exactly led to Prince’s death at age 57. Some people close to the star have come forward to say they believe that his demise was related to drug abuse, and Prince’s manager is one of those who has said that drugs are to blame for his death. There have also been reports that his death was due to a severe case of the flu.

A week before Prince’s death, his private aircraft had to make an unscheduled stop in Illinois because he was “unresponsive.” The singer was taken to a local hospital for treatment. It is believed that the singer had taken Percocet, a prescription pain medication, made up of oxycodone (an opioid) and acetaminophen. He was treated for what has been reported to be a drug overdose.

Prince’s death may have been due to complications from the flu virus, which can be deadly.Between three and four thousand people in the US die each year due to the flu. In most instances, these deaths effect the young or the elderly, but even healthy people can succumb to the virus.

It’s also possible that medications he was taking made his flu symptoms worse. Codeine is a narcotic pain reliever as well as a cough suppressant. It is effective at stopping coughing, but for some people with the flu, it can lead to more serious complications.

Authorities are still conducting their investigation into Prince’s death and are looking at several possibilities, including one that his death could have been a result of a reaction to the pain medication he was taking. When someone is taking a medication regularly and then becomes acutely ill, they may not consider that something they take to provide symptom relief may react with their regular prescription. The combination of the two medications can have serious consequences.