The autopsy results of "Can't Buy Me Love" actress Amanda Peterson, 43, reveal that she died of a "huge morphine overdose" after she self-medicated with various drugs to curb her unknown pain. Peterson was found dead on July 4 in Greeley, Colorado.
Peterson's autopsy report has revealed a variety of prescription drugs in her system, TMZ reported, citing statement from Weld County Coroner in Colorado. The late actress ingested marijuana and some anti-anxiety drugs like benzodiazepines, said the report. She also took opiates and phenothiazines, which are a part of various anti-psychotic medications.
She also took her pain medication Gabapentin, six times the recommended dosage. It is not clear what kind of pain was Peterson suffering from but a week before her death she told a close confidante that she took morphine medication from some of her friends, Mail Online reported.
Peterson was "naive to opiates," said the report, adding that the cause of her death is "morphine effect" or an overdose of morphine that caused her respiratory system to shut down.
The actress was struggling with substance abuse since long and was reportedly arrested four times in her hometown of Greeley, Colorado. Her most recent arrest dates back to 2012 when she was booked for Driving Under Influence (DUI) and drug paraphernalia charge.
Peterson is best known for the role of a blonde cheerleader Cindy Mancini in the hit '80s film,"Can't Buy Me Love," where she starred alongside Patrick Dempsey. However, she made her debut in Hollywood as a child artist in a musical film "Annie."
The actress also had her share of good times in 1985 when she was awarded the Young Artist Award in the category of Best Young Actress for her work in NBC's hit television drama series, "Boone."
However, after spending more than a decade in Hollywood, Peterson took break from her career to study in her home town. She also undertook some modeling assignments briefly.