Elvis Presley’s Lover Linda Thompson Saw Him Take Drugs from a Dentist’s Office

Elvis Presley’s personal life is about as famous as his music. After all, his use of drugs has garnered lots of attention. Here’s how Elvis’ girlfriend, Linda Thompson, reacted when he took drugs from a dentist’s office when the dentist left the room.

Linda Thompson discusses an ‘agreement’ Elvis Presley had with his dentist

Linda Thompson was Elvis’ girlfriend for almost five years after his marriage to Priscilla Presley ended. In her book, A Little Thing Called Life, she discusses numerous aspects of her relationship with the “Can’t Help Falling in Love” singer. For example, she doesn’t shy away from discussing his issues with drugs.

During their early relationship, the couple was inseparable. At one point, Elvis asked if she would go to the dentist with him. Once there, Elvis had a quick filling done and then the dentist left the room. “Elvis immediately opened the cabinet under the sink and took out a gigantic jar of pills,” she recalled. “Without hesitation, he began taking handfuls of pills and stuffing them into random pockets.”

Thompson felt this was not the first time Elvis had done this kind of thing. She wrote “He might have been acting like all of this was totally natural, but I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.” Elvis said the dentist knew what he was doing. Thompson said their agreement was a secret.

“It’s fine,” Elvis said. “This is just Seconal. It’s sleeping medication. It’s just so tough to get prescriptions from doctors all of the time.” Thompson told Elvis he had taken enough pills from the jar for a lifetime.

Linda Thompson on Elvis Presley’s use of sleeping pills

According to Thompson, Elvis used “sleeping pills to go to sleep, and something else to wake up, as well as oftentimes something to pep him up to go onstage.” Elvis began to use pills while he was in the army – specifically Dexedrine to help him stay awake during his overnight posts. The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll believed prescription drugs were “perfectly healthy” and that he didn’t need to limit his use of them. Thompson recounts Elvis constantly dealt with insomnia. Even as a teenager, he had trouble with sleepwalking.

Did prescription drugs contribute to Elvis Presley’s death?

Thompson’s story raises an interesting question: Did drugs contribute to Elvis’ death? According to PBS, initial reports claimed drugs were not in his system at the time of his death. However, various drugs were later found in Elvis’ blood — including opiates. Elvis’ medicine chest was filled with medications “in doses no responsible doctor would have prescribed.” Thompson’s shock at the dentist’s office could be understood as a precursor to the shock his fans felt when he died.