Hulk Hogan Described Heavy Fentanyl Use in Final Interview Amid Health Struggles
In one of his final recorded interviews before his death in July 2025, professional wrestling icon Hulk Hogan spoke candidly about the extent of his opioid use during a physically and emotionally turbulent period of his life. The remarks, featured in the Netflix docuseries Hulk Hogan: Real American, shed light on the severity of the pain he endured while working with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling beginning in 2009, as well as the methods he used to cope with it.
According to Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, the physical toll of his wrestling career had reached a critical point by the time he joined TNA Wrestling. In the docuseries, he described consuming extremely high doses of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid typically prescribed for severe pain. “I was taking 80-milligram fentanyl, two in the morning, stuffing them under my gums,” Hogan said. He added that he simultaneously wore two 300 mg fentanyl patches and was prescribed multiple fentanyl “lollipops,” a delivery system used in certain medical contexts for rapid pain relief.
Hogan recalled a pharmacist expressing alarm at the quantity of medication he was taking, telling him, “You should be dead. We have never seen a human being take this much fentanyl.” The account underscores the intensity of his pain management regimen during that period, which coincided with his return to the ring under demanding conditions.
The timeline also overlaps with a difficult chapter in Hogan’s personal life. Around the same time, he was navigating a high-profile divorce from his then-wife, Linda Hogan, which he said left him financially strained and emotionally isolated. Despite his physical limitations, Hogan accepted a contract with TNA Wrestling, in part due to financial necessity. Former wrestling executive Eric Bischoff, who helped facilitate Hogan’s return, described the situation as deeply concerning.
“Your wife’s divorcing you, your doctors are giving you fistfuls of pills that would kill a horse, and you’re chasing it down with a quart of vodka a day,” Bischoff said in the docuseries. He added that Hogan’s reliance on substances made it difficult for those around him to watch. According to Bischoff, Hogan required assistance with basic daily tasks, including getting out of bed and preparing for appearances.
Hogan himself described the severity of his physical condition during this time. He said the pain prevented him from sleeping in a bed, forcing him to rest in a chair instead. Even minor movements could trigger intense back spasms. “If I just twitched my finger… my whole back would spasm and torque,” he recalled.
Hogan died at the age of 71 from an acute myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, after emergency responders were called to his home in Clearwater, Florida, for a reported cardiac arrest. Medical records indicated that he had previously been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, a condition characterized by an irregular heart rhythm, as well as chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a type of cancer.
While the interview provides a detailed account of Hogan’s struggles with pain and substance use, it also offers insight into the broader physical demands and long-term health consequences associated with professional wrestling. His reflections highlight the intersection of chronic injury, mental health challenges, and the risks of high-dose opioid use in managing severe pain.
