Kris Kristofferson was battling Lyme illness throughout the previous couple of years of his life. Before the late A Star Is Born actor died on the age of 88 in September 2024, he had been misdiagnosed with one other sickness. While talking with Rolling Stone in 2016, Kris and his spouse, Lisa Meyers, revealed that he was initially identified with Alzheimer’s Disease. To be taught extra about Kris’ well being and the way he managed Lyme illness, preserve studying.
Kris Kristofferson’s Health
During his 2016 interview with Rolling Stone, Kris defined that he was experiencing reminiscence loss. Lisa spoke with LymeDisease.org shortly thereafter and shared extra particulars about her husband’s well being.
“About 12 years in the past, he was identified with fibromyalgia, which trying again, ought to have been the primary indication {that a} take a look at for Lyme was warranted,” Lisa defined to the web site in 2016. “But we suspect he’s been contaminated with Lyme wherever from 14 to 30 years as a result of he used to have these persistent muscle spasms, which is a standard symptom.”
Lisa elaborated that the medical doctors surrounding her and Kris weren’t “conscious” of Lyme illness on the time, and due to this fact, confused it with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Leading as much as his Lyme illness prognosis, Lisa recalled Kris’ fibromyalgia. For some time, he had “huge, painful spasms throughout his again and legs,” including that watching her husband’s ache was “so horrible.” She additionally identified that the “Me and Bobby McGee” songwriter’s “nerve endings have been inflicting golf ball-sized, painful contractions that we battled with acupuncture, warmth and therapeutic massage, then lastly a spinal cortisone shot by a rheumatologist, and a low dose antidepressant.”
Lisa additionally recalled Kris engaged on the movie Disappearances, which required him to be on the forest ground “for many of the shoot” and being “dragged in a makeshift sling” for the entire film.
“During the aftermath of that movie, Kris was identified with reasonable to extreme sleep apnea, warranting a bi-level CPAP machine, which he tried and refused to make use of,” Lisa continued. “He had painful knees and annual knee photographs, a pacemaker for arrhythmias — which we now know might be from Lyme — a lot Advil for complications that he bought anemic.”
Finally, Kris was formally identified with Lyme illness in early 2016.
What Is Lyme Disease?
According to Mayo Clinic, Lyme illness is brought on from a tick carrying borrelia micro organism. The first and commonest signal of the sickness is a rash after being bitten by a tick. If left untreated, the situation can result in “immune-system exercise in coronary heart tissue that causes irregular heartbeats” along with ache, numbness and/or stiffness in numerous components of the physique.
What Did Kris Kristofferson Die of?
It’s at present unclear what Kris’ reason for dying was. In his household’s assertion, Kris’ spouse and eight kids stated he died “peacefully” at dwelling.
“It is with a heavy coronary heart that we share the information our husband/father/grandfather, Kris Kristofferson, handed away peacefully on Saturday, September 28, at dwelling,” the assertion learn. “We’re all so blessed for our time with him. Thank you for loving him all these a few years, and whenever you see a rainbow, know he’s smiling down at us all.”