Ha ha!!!
I have to say my respect for the man has gone up. Of course, the only direction it had to go was up. I am still not buying the 4000 pills in a month thing though.
Well, in another thread Qadgop (an MD) pointed out that addicts can build up amazing tolerances for opiates. Some addicts can literally (literally literally, not figuratively literally) take enough opiates to kill a bull elephant.
So he starts on pain pills for chronic back pain, builds up a tolerance, and starts gobbling them by the handful. It is certainly possible, although mind-boggling.