Diego Maradona was sedated to help him cope with withdrawal symptoms, says his personal doctor

Monday 09 November 2020

SMA News – Argentine

Football great Diego Maradona, who underwent surgery earlier this week for a subdural hematoma, has displayed substance withdrawal symptoms, his personal physician Leopoldo Luque told local media Friday.

Maradona, who turned 60 on October 30, had surgery on Tuesday for a blood clot on his brain. His recovery has been favorable, according to his medical team in Buenos Aires.

“His sedation is decreasing and we have noticed a very good response from Diego (Maradona), a neurological response,” said Luque on Friday. “So, the next step is to see if Diego is stable with these drugs that he is taking orally. That’s a big step.”

Maradona’s symptoms were a “sweating reaction” and “at one point anger,” revealed Luque, adding that the 60-year-old’s response is “mainly due to consumption … throughout his life.”

“Based on that we have said, it’s a withdrawal syndrome,” Luque said. “We are treating it and have not let him leave. We are treating it. Diego was not much in agreement. We insisted and what happened, happened.”

Maradona’s “recovery is still very good,” according to Luque. The 60-year-old was initially admitted to hospital on Monday as a preventive measure, according to his doctor, due to a low mood. The diagnosis at that time was dehydration and anemia.

However, subsequent tests revealed that he had a blood clot on the brain and was immediately transferred from a hospital in La Plata to the Olivos clinic for surgery.

A subdural hematoma is considered “among the deadliest of all head injuries,” according to the US National Library of Medicine.

It is a blood clot on the brain’s surface beneath its outer covering, called the dura. It is usually caused by severe head injuries, but can also be caused by minor injuries and can go unnoticed for days or weeks.