Tom Petty: It was an "accidental" OD

It’s tough to beat opioids for severe pain.
I don’t know Tom Petty’s particular situation. Sounds like he suffered from emphysema- may mean that he’s been on high dose steroids, (prednisone?), long term, to aid his breathing-which in turn can induce osteoporosis. He always looked pretty slight of build and may not have started with a robust baseline bone density. I’ve heard that he was trying to soldier on and complete his tour with a cracked tibia that progressed to a full fracture. That would be damned painful. Also seems a little “out there” to continue, while I’m wildly speculating, maybe his judgement was impaired by the very meds he was using for pain.

Make that make that a cracked femur.

Been awhile since I checked in on this thread.
Reading jim94025’s contribution, (and response to my initial entry), I realize how oversimplified and cavalier my comment about opioids appears- I apologize.
In terms of overall pain management (especially long term), I agree totally with “Jim” -a  multifaceted approach should be the standard of care- with competent physical therapy, (where appropriate) as a center piece. PT is often under utilized and under appreciated in our medical system. Pharmaceuticals (opioid and non-opioid, prescribed and OTC), should be used judiciously and monitored closely. Even NSAIDs, while effective for many types of pain and non addicting, also have the potential for serious side effects if over or carelessly utilized. Medicine is a balancing act to optimize the benefit to potential risk. Combining different pharmaceutical pain control classes can allow you to use lower doses and/or longer dosing intervals to minimize adverse reactions while maximizing therapeutic effects, (and perhaps lower the possibility of addiction). 
I was only making that comment about opioids in that if I had severe intractable pain, say major trauma, broken hip, or a terminal cancer pain flare,
                              -“1000 mg acetaminophen PO STAT!” -
are not the orders I hope to hear as I’m wheeled into the Emergency Department.