Are you one of the fans who still wonder what killed Elvis? Presley’s drug addiction is well documented and for years it was assumed that a drug overdose was to blame. New forays into music legend’s death come up with a new culprit: deadly constipation.
Elvis Presley: Death of a Junkie?
Fans point fingers at George Nichopoulos (a.k.a. Dr. Nick) when discussing what killed Elvis. A private physician to the singer dubbed the ‘King,’ he spent 10 years(1) prescribing uppers and downers, narcotics, laxatives and shots for the music legend. According to the findings of the coroner – at the time — ‘fatal heart arrhythmia’ became the official cause of death.
Before the ink was even dry on the document, there were contradictory findings from a Van Nuys lab that revealed a 14-drug cocktail in the singer’s system. The Guardian outlines that Elvis Presley’s drug addiction extended to such substances as Desbutal, Demerol, Dexedrine, Placidyl, Escatrol, Tiunal, and Seconal. Even so, Dr. Nick contends that Elvis did not suffer from any major heart issues.
Cyril Wecht, high profile forensic pathologist and coveted talk radio guest, concurs that ‘fatal heart arrhythmia’ is not the cause of death. As reported by TruTV(2), Wecht judged the cause of death to be accidental albeit directly related to the drug cocktails he had ingested. On a side note, he takes to task the physician claiming ‘fatal heart arrhythmia’ as being the cause of death – heart arrhythmias can only be diagnosed on a living person. Oops!
How Did Elvis Presley Die … Really?
Doctor Nick is making another appearance in an effort to put the rumors over Elvis Presley’s drug addiction and death to rest. The latest finding, according to the physician best known for his quick work with a prescription pad, is that the King died of constipation. Is Dr. Nick trying to peddle his book “The King and Dr. Nick?” Sure. But his theory is intriguing.
Dr. Nick explains that Elvis suffered from constipation, which had always been thought to have been caused by the drugs he was taking. Now Fox News(3) discloses that the autopsy files of the late great singer tell a different story. They explain that the King of Rock ‘n Roll had a colon almost twice as wide and two times as long as that of the average person. A colostomy could have solved this issue, but back in the 1970s constipation was not an issue you wanted to have associated with your public image.
As proof of his assertion, Dr. Nick claims that at the autopsy the colon contained stool that was in Presley’s body for about five months.
Deadly Constipation? It is Possible!
The National Center for Biotechnology Information(4) outlined in 2006 that “clozapine-induced constipation” led to numerous deaths. None of these deaths came without warning, as patients experienced abdominal pain over the course of weeks and even months. One case, however, only came on with about two days of warning.
This – and the initial report that Elvis Presley did receive laxatives – paints a new picture of the music legend’s death. Drugs may still have played a role – they most certainly could have led to some of the constipation issues the musician experienced – but what killed Elvis, in the end, may have just been constipation.
Sources
(1)Guardian. “Doctor Feelgood” (accessed May 8, 2010)
(2)TruTV. “Coverup for a King” (accessed May 8, 2010)
(3)Fox News. “EXCLUSIVE: Elvis Presley’s Doctor Claims He Died of an ‘Embarrassing’ Case of Chronic Constipation” (accessed May 8, 2010)
(4)National Center for Biotechnology Information. “Case report: rapidly fatal bowel ischaemia on clozapine treatment” (accessed May 8, 2010)
