EXCLUSIVE: Elvis Presley's Doctor Claims He Died of an 'Embarrassing' Case of Chronic Constipation

Fox News ^ | 5-5-2010 | Hollie McKay

[Hegewisch Dupa]

That’s Funny!!!!

[Born Conservative]

So, rather than dying with his face in the toilet bowl, he died with his a** on the toilet seat....

[lowbridge]

Any possibility of posting it here?

[Star Traveler]

You were saying ...

Dr. Nick...You oughta know many Prescription pain medicines, and other narcotics have the side effect of constipation.

The article said that they thought, originally, that it was a secondary effect because of the meds, but he's now saying that now they think it was the primary problem, and not a secondary effect. And he also says that they were hoping to treat it with an operation but that Elvis nixed the idea. He says that Elvis would still be alive today if they had done it.

[Alex Murphy]

"Elvis, what's wrong?"
"I just don't give a ...."

[Terry Mross]

Very funny.....

“You know I can be found.
sittin’ here all alone....”

[Slings and Arrows]

We all know that The King died on his throne.

---

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Many years ago I read an article about opium use in Asia. Addicts would go so long without a bowel movement that very large masses of fecal matter would accumulate, requiring surgery. I think the record was over 35 pounds. They called the removed mass an "opium baby".

Google isn't any help on this, I think the article was in some old obscure British journal. The library we had when I was a kid was full of ancient books.

[Retired Greyhound]

Good job. Still laughing.

[a fool in paradise]

“true” story (or at least all accounts I’ve read) is that the songwriter behind Jerry Lee Lewis’s early hit “It’ll be me” wrote the song during a heavy bout on the toilet with the line “if you see a t*rd in your toilet bowl, it’ll be me and I’ll be looking at you” later changed to “a lump of sugar in your sugar bowl...”

[justlurking]

Hmmmm.... Dr. Nick, eh?

I had exactly the same thought....

[Persevero]

Maybe it will help others with similar problems to deal with them instead of hoping it will go away.

[pogo101]

Saturday Night Live once did a chuckle-worthy skit of an aging Peggy Lee, famous for “Fever,” warbling out “Fiber.”

[GovernmentShrinker]

Apparently, Elvis was a better friend than his doctor was—why even talk about something he knows would’ve embarrassed Elvis?

To give the doctor the benefit of the doubt, perhaps his hope is to prevent other deaths from this condition. Publicizing the serious and/or fatal medical problems of celebrities often does make a tremendous difference in raising awareness of the ailment in question, and getting people to seek screening and treatment before it's too late.

[pogo101]

It certainly rings true to me: When I had to take Tylenol 3 for a couple of weeks after a smashed shin, well, let’s just say there were such side effects. And that was a very mild opiate for only two weeks.

[a fool in paradise]

"No one's ever written a song about REAL pain..." - Screamin' Jay Hawkins

[SWAMPSNIPER]

The stuff I take for hypertension causes problems.

[justlurking]

Overuse of prescription pain killers (or opiates like morphine) will cause constipation.

The article says that's exactly what they thought at the time. But the autopsy reportedly revealed it was more serious than they thought.

All joking aside, the article makes a number of interesting points. Elvis's pride prevented him from getting the treatment he needed for this condition: a colostomy (that was the standard treatment in the 70's).

[Hildy]

Well..you become constipated when you take opiates..so no matter how you look at it, it’s a drug related death. It’s not uncommon for people to have these issues when they are drug addicts.

[Keith in Iowa]

>>>Unnngh...

Put a “B” in front of that.