Addison's Disease, colitis, osteoporosis, and prostatitis were the main medical woes facing Kennedy. His issues were so myriad that, as Dallek noted to ABC News just ahead of the release of his book, Kennedy was on as many as a dozen drugs at one time.
Painkillers, steroids, and antibiotics were constantly flowing through Kennedy's veins. At times, interactions between the competing medications could create adverse effects.