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Artie Lange is making one more bid to save his life.

In June, the comedian made an appeal to a judge in state Superior Court: he didn't want to be ordered to check into an inpatient drug rehabilitation program.

Lange said he had tried both outpatient and inpatient rehab before, and he much preferred outpatient.

He wanted to be able to work. It's how he copes best, he said. Plus, it's how he supports his mother.

Now, just five months later, Lange, 51, has checked into inpatient rehab.

He's calling the move a "big step" that may just save his life.

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Andrew Miller | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Lange, who lives in Hoboken and appears on the HBO series "Crashing," pleaded guilty to heroin possession in December after State Police pulled him over in 2017 and reported finding him with a bag of heroin in his lap.

At his sentencing, a prosecutor argued that the comedian, who has long struggled with addiction and relapse, could lose his life if he was allowed to keep on working and attend an outpatient rehab program.

Judge Nancy Sivilli sentenced him to four years of probation and ordered him to participate in an outpatient program.

Lange addressed his change of heart on Twitter Monday night.

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I’m about to take a big step to help myself To save my life. I’m sure u will hear about it. I feel like I’m not done. I have another run of laughing w u all. I want to thank u fans the way u thank me. U have saved my life. U are special to me. Wish me luck — Artie Lange (@artiequitter) November 6, 2018

'I'm about to take a big step to help myself'

"I'm about to take a big step to help myself," Lange tweeted. "To save my life. I'm sure u will hear about it. I feel like I'm not done. I have another run of laughing w u all. I want to thank u fans the way u thank me. U have saved my life. U are special to me. Wish me luck."

He proceeded to retweet messages of support from fans.

Frank Arleo, Lange's lawyer, confirmed on Monday that Lange would be heading to an outpatient rehab program.

On Twitter, Lange thanked Kevin Meara for helping him make the move to rehab.

"I got in to a place I need to be with this guys help Kevin Meara!" Lange tweeted. "Thx Kev."

Meara is founder of City of Angels, a Hamilton Township-based nonprofit that offers support to people and families affected by drug addiction. A former Hamilton councilman, he became an advocate for those struggling with addiction after he lost his son KC to a heroin overdose a decade ago. Meara attended an opioid summit at the White House in March.

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Andrew Miller | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

From outpatient rehab to inpatient rehab

In addition to four years of probation and the outpatient drug program, Sivilli, the judge, ordered Lange to complete 50 hours of community service.

Lange, who grew up in Union Township, told NJ Advance Media that he was fulfilling that obligation by performing comedy for seniors at a Hoboken senior center.

"Mr. Lange, the ball's in your court now," Sivilli had told Lange, urging the comedian to avoid relapse and a "sad ending" for his family.

(Lange is pictured above in court with his lawyer, Frank Arleo.)

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Me in Steve’s studio tonight before I got in to a place I need to be with this guys help Kevin Meara! Thx Kev. pic.twitter.com/igQMf9VUPq — Artie Lange (@artiequitter) November 6, 2018

Meara and Lange appeared together on radio station NJ 101.5 with host Steve Trevelise to talk about the comedian's decision to commit to an inpatient rehab program.

"I'm about to go into drug treatment," Lange told Trevelise. "Kevin's helping me and -- I don't know -- I'm a very humble guy at this point. I think I'm ready to go and do what I gotta do."

Lange, who also contends with complications of diabetes, didn't say if there were any other reasons why he suddenly made the decision to enter inpatient rehab. Last month, he canceled a show after he was hospitalized for an infection.

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Lange went on to say he regretted not trying to help fellow comedian Mitch Hedberg before he died from a heroin overdose in 2005, at the age of 37.

"Even that didn't stop me," Lange said of his own troubles with heroin.

In May of 2017, police arrested Lange after finding him with 81 decks of heroin when they pulled him over on the Garden State Parkway. It was the second time he was arrested for drug possession that year (he was arrested again and jailed when he failed to show for court).

"They call it a disease, whatever," Lange continued. He said he didn't think he was at the point where he could die as a result of his addiction and redirected to the subject of Hedberg.

At Lange's sentencing, however, the judge pointed to a letter from a doctor that said Lange could die if he relapsed again.

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Comedian "The Reverend" Bob Levy, who has been performing sets alongside Lange, was also at the radio interview.

"This has been an ongoing thing," he said. "That's why tonight, really, I mean I could cry."

"I know this man for so long and I know what kind of man he is. We all fall into that, I fell into it, and I'm going to get myself off my opiates because they're terrible."

When asked if they were both going to rehab, Levy said yes.

"But I get the top bunk."

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Me at the old K-Rock studio. 40 W57th st NYC. 14th floor The impressive thing here is all those carts in back of me. Youngsters out there the genius Fred Norris used to play sound effects and clips from all those carts. Spontaneously!! It seems ancient. pic.twitter.com/bJorV1ANee — Artie Lange (@artiequitter) November 6, 2018

In recent days, Lange has been tweeting old photos, including one from when he was a regular co-host on "The Howard Stern Show" when it was at K-Rock. Years ago, Lange and Stern parted ways because of his addiction, though Lange has said that Stern tried to help him.

One episode of "Crashing" called "Artie," which aired in February, was especially true to life, dedicated to his character's struggles with drug addiction.

In July, after his sentencing, Lange talked about his history of addiction in an interview with NJ Advance Media.

"I really have to stop myself from listening to the bad voice," he said. "It takes willpower."

Lange said he gets a certain kind of "rush" from performing when his health is compromised, like when he went diabetic shock and had to be hospitalized. But he also expressed some anxiety about the future.

"I don't know how much longer my body's going to take those risks," he said.

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Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.