Corey Haim died from pulmonary congestion, enlarged heart: mom

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Last Updated: 1:06 PM, March 12, 2010

Posted: 4:25 PM, March 11, 2010

Comments: 22

Former teen heartthrob Corey Haim suffered from pulmonary congestion and died as a result of having an enlarged heart and water in his lungs, his mother said.

In an interview with "Access Hollywood," Judy Haim said the LA coroner's office called her Thursday to give her the results of her son's autopsy.

L.A. Chief Coroner Craig Harvey confirmed that the autopsy was completed at 11 a.m. Thursday, but added, "There is no final cause of death at this time."

VIDEO: COREY HAIM DIES OF OVERDOSE

PHOTOS: COREY HAIM | STARS WHO DIED TOO YOUNG | CHILD STARS THEN AND NOW

Corey Haim is shown in a scene from "Crank: High Voltage."

"The final cause of death has been deferred pending additional tests that have been ordered," he told People magazine's Web site today.

Shortly before his death on Wednesday at age 38, Haim complained of flu-like symptoms and had a high fever.

His former fiancee, Tiffany Shepis, told People the actor had long suffered from heart problems.

"Every time he would go to a doctor they'd tell him he had really bad arrhythmia, probably due to clogged arteries," she said. "They all said he should have it taken care of. But, being from Canada, his insurance was there, so he never went and got it done."

Shepis, who was engaged to Haim briefly last year, said he also struggled with drug addiction.

"His problem was with prescription drugs – painkillers and Valium," she says. "His addictions are common knowledge. And the longer [you] are addicted to something, the harder it is for you to quit. And that's what he was facing."

Meanwhile, bottles of generic versions of Vicodin and Valium were found in Haim's apartment -- and all of them had been prescribed by the same doctor just days earlier, according to a report.

Bottles for hydrocodone (Vicodin), diazepam (Valium), haloperidol (an atipsychotic medicine) and Soma (a muscle relaxer) were all found in his mother's apartment where he collapsed before dying, TMZ.com reported on Thursday.

A well-known LA psychiatrist wrote the prescriptions all on the same day, according to the Web site.

The LA Coroner would not confirm the report.

The actor, who shot to fame in the 1980s, starring in "The Lost Boys" and "License to Drive," was known to have a drug problem, and had recently been approached to be on the reality TV show "Celebrity Rehab."

Despite multiple stints in rehab, Haim said in that interview that pills were always hard to kick.

"I started on downers, which were a hell of a lot better than the uppers because I was a nervous wreck," he said.

"But one led to two, two led to four, four led to eight, until at the end, it was about 85 a day ... and that was just the Valium."

Police initially said his death was likely an accidental overdose.

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Corey Haim

Comments (21)

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Shari

03/16/2010 1:58 AM

I have no idea about the mother or any other stuff written, and feel it to show a lack of character to assume this actor was a bad person. You don't know his life. I would like to address the lady who does not know anything about Valium. Please don't remark about something you know nothing about, which is so obvious. This is another very sad case of too much, too soon in his life.... Abuse of some form was bound to happen. I believe that the final report will show a combination of drugs to be the culprit. Please FDA...take OxyContin off the market!! It is a lethal drug and one of the most abused.
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DaSheriff

03/12/2010 8:38 PM

Finding it difficult to feel any sorrow for this guy. I understand the being a "has been" at 20 phenomena. But life is full of choices and obviously this guy always made the wrong one.
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FairAndBalanced

03/12/2010 6:47 PM

The mother is selling the kid's clothes, the day after he died, on Ebay. Any questions? Dysfunctional parents breed dysfunctional children. The mother should be jailed (after she gets the money from the kid's clothes) of course.
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Bazwald927

03/12/2010 6:09 PM

I don't think I'd be able to take 85 tic tacs in one day..
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Jahosacat

03/12/2010 3:00 PM

Corey's mother pushed him when he was a teen so she could make easy $$ and now she's letting press into his bedroom a couple of days after he died so she can make $$ off him.

Rest in peace, Corey - you're finally away from people who only want to be around you for what they can make off you.
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avaleigh

03/12/2010 5:30 AM

He never made it past TEEN STAR that is why. His career ended then. No one has heard about him in years. Pity he never grew up.
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Richard Thornton

03/12/2010 5:27 AM

Since he was 38, why does the Post continually refer to him as a "teen star?" I guess that means Murdoch is a "former teenager?"
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avaleigh

03/12/2010 4:17 AM

Valium IS addictive and you need more and more to get the same affect!!The family would prefer it to be an accident not a suicide because the pain of suicide is to extensive and causes too much guilt to the survivors.As you say dead is dead but intent means alot to the family. Accidents are softer to deal with. Suicide is hard core pain for all.