Marilyn Monroe’s Tragic Death: The Deadly Prescription Drugs That Ended Her Life

On August 5, 1962, the world was shocked by the news of Marilyn Monroe's untimely death at the age of 36.

The Hollywood icon was found dead in her Los Angeles home, and it was later discovered that her death was caused by a lethal combination of prescription drugs.

Long before the opiate and opioid crises that plague America today, there were already prescription drugs being abused with deadly consequences.

Marilyn Monroe had a variety of sedatives, tranquilizers, opiates, and sleeping pills on her bedside table.

The vial containing Nembutal, a powerful barbiturate, was empty.

She also consumed a large amount of other barbiturates, amphetamines, opiates, sedatives, and alcohol.

During the period leading up to her death, Monroe faced numerous personal and professional challenges.

Her last two movies were commercial failures, and she suffered from mental health issues such as substance abuse, depression, and possibly bipolar disorder.

She also dealt with physical ailments like endometriosis and gall bladder disease.

In June 1962, Monroe was fired by 20th Century Fox while filming “Something's Gotta Give.”

The studio claimed her absences were unjustifiable, but Monroe argued that she was too sick to work.

This public firing marked a low point in her career, despite her films grossing over $200 million.

The combination of drugs that Monroe was taking was particularly dangerous because each drug potentiated the effects of the others.

People who take this combination often forget how much they have consumed and reach for another dose, leading to overdose.

Monroe struggled with insomnia and would take a mixture of Nembutal and a sedative called chloral hydrate, washing it down with Champagne.

On her last day alive, Monroe spent the day in a haze of drugs and alcohol.

Her psychiatrist, housekeeper, publicist, and a photographer were present throughout the day.

Before leaving for the night, her psychiatrist asked the housekeeper to keep a close eye on Monroe.

However, when the housekeeper checked on her in the early hours of August 5, she found the lights on, the bedroom door locked, and no response from Monroe.

When the psychiatrist arrived and broke into the room, it was too late.

Monroe's personal physician and the police were called, and the world learned that she had died from an apparent suicide.

Over the years, numerous conspiracy theories have emerged surrounding Monroe's death, involving famous figures like John and Bobby Kennedy, the Mafia, the CIA, and even the Communist Party.

However, the exact details of her death remain unknown due to the secretive nature of the event.

What is most concerning about Monroe's story is that the majority of the drugs she abused were prescribed by physicians who should have known better.

Today, the barbiturates that killed her are rarely prescribed.

However, Monroe, like many other Hollywood stars, was able to manipulate her doctors to obtain the drugs she craved, leading to her tragic demise at a young age.

Prescription drug abuse is a widespread issue in America.

According to the National Institute for Drug Abuse, over 52 million Americans have used prescription drugs non-medically, with more than 6.1 million people using them in the past month alone.

The United States, with less than 5 percent of the global population, consumes 75 percent of the world's prescription drugs.

Prescription painkillers, tranquilizers, and stimulants are among the most commonly abused drugs.

Opioids, in particular, have become a leading cause of overdose deaths.

From 1999 to 2014, over 165,000 Americans died from overdoses related to prescription opioids.

Marilyn Monroe once said that sleep was the nicest thing for her because she could dream.

Unfortunately, her overdose represents the dark side of medical progress.

With the rise of new addictive and potentially lethal drugs, the prescription drug epidemic has only worsened.

Today, healthcare professionals, families, and patients are still struggling to combat its devastating impact.