Lamar Odom 2016: Embattled star reportedly says no to rehab, yes to more herbal Viagra

Lamar Odom 2016 is shaping up to be unexpectedly difficult for the former NBA champion. It was only a few days ago that numerous reports of Odom teetering on the edge of addiction surfaced; now, according to a new slate, it looks like Lamar might have dismissed all concerns outright, and instead returned to one of the very substances that put him in the hospital last year.

Late last week, a series of articles appeared to confirm the possibility that Odom had begun abusing crack: friends of the 36-year-old staged a pseudo-intervention after finding crack pipes and other “drug paraphernalia” at Odom’s house. However, a new report from Inquisitr claims that Odom has “nixed” the very thought of rehab, despite the pleas of those close to him. In addition to the aforementioned friends, “Odom’s aunt, cousin, and several other unidentified New York family members flew to Los Angeles for a heart to heart” with the star, who “won’t consent” to treatment.

Additionally, a surprising series of photos published by the Daily Mail appears to confirm that Odom is once again using herbal Viagra, one of the drugs that led to his overdose and seizure at Nevada’s Bunny Ranch brothel last October. Close-ups of a package Lamar emerged from a convenience store holding in his hand appear to confirm that he at least purchased a package of “sexual enhancement pills.” According to the Washington Post, the controversial substance has been the subject of at least one FDA warning against “sildenafil,” which is the active ingredient in the FDA-approved prescription drug Viagra.” Sildenafil, which is an “undeclared ingredient” in herbal, non-prescription forms of Viagra, “may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs such as nitroglycerin and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels.”

Odom “is an addict and should never have been drinking again,” a source close to the situation recently told People. “When he was first drinking again, some said he was just getting back to normal–clearly this was just a gateway back to his destructive behavior.”

Odom is “a sad mess,” that insider concluded.

(Photo credits: Lamar Odom 2016 via Michael Wright / WENN.com)