The “Friends” actor tried ketamine injections for his melancholy and anxiety, but the star’s “ketamine in his system” couldn’t have come from those treatments.
Almost two months after his untimely demise, the reason for Matthew Perry’s demise has been disclosed. After an autopsy, the coroner in Los Angeles concluded that the cherished Friends star died from “acute effects of ketamine.” Possible causes were buprenorphine’s side effects, coronary artery disease, and drowning. Buprenorphine treats opioid use disorder. Opioid addiction has plagued Perry for years, and he was forthright about it. “Drug and drowning related” describes the official cause of death. In age, he was 54.
The autopsy report details Perry’s condition just before he passed away. There was a mention of the actor’s “history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/emphysema” and “diabetes.” The report acknowledged Perry’s history of drug usage but also mentioned that he had supposedly abstained for 19 months. Even though he smoked heavily, he refrained from using tobacco throughout that period. Nevertheless, the comment that stood out the most was about Perry’s “ketamine infusion therapy,” which he had done just 1.5 weeks before to his passing.
The use of ketamine in therapeutic settings for mental health issues is on the rise. You can do it at home with concierge services, or you can visit one of the many clinics in the Los Angeles area. Anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other mental health issues have all found uses for it. The medicine is usually administered intravenously to the patient. Another substance that has been used recreationally is ketamine, which has an anesthetic history dating back to the 1960s. It was in the 1990s that its hallucinogenic effects initially brought it fame as a party drug.
When and how Perry administered ketamine just before he passed away is unknown.
“The exact method of intake in Mr. Perry’s case is unknown,” the postmortem report said, adding that the star was reportedly utilizing ketamine therapy to alleviate his mental health issues. The coroner did say that “the ketamine in his system at death could not be from that infusion therapy, since ketamine’s half-life is 3 to 4 hours, or less.” He did, in fact, undergo infusion therapy more than a week ago, as said before.
“At the high levels of ketamine found in his postmortem blood specimens, the main lethal effects would be from both cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression,” according to the paper. “Drowning contributes due to the likelihood of submersion into the pool as he lapsed into unconsciousness.”
On the afternoon of October 28th, Perry passed away at his residence in Los Angeles’s Pacific Palisades district. At the site, authorities only discovered legally prescribed pharmaceuticals and no illegal narcotics. None were discovered by the pool, according to the autopsy. After being discovered lifeless in his hot tub, Perry was officially declared dead at the spot. There was no foul play.
Death certificates for actors indicate that Perry passed away at 4:17 p.m. According to the indictment, Dateline host Keith Morrison is the informant who tipped off the police about Perry, who is his stepfather.
According to a representative from the Los Angeles Police Department who talked with Zobuz News, officers were dispatched to the area of “Blue Sail Drive at 4:10 p.m. for a death investigation of a male in his 50s.” First responders from the Los Angeles Fire Department noted that they arrived at the property “to find an adult male unconscious in a stand-alone hot tub.”
According to Capt. Adam Van Gerpen, the man was rescued from the water when firemen arrived after a passerby had lifted his head out of the water and carried him to the edge. It was said by TMZ that the bystander was actually Perry’s assistant. Reportedly, the assistant discovered Perry in the hot tub upon his return to the house.
Adding, “A rapid medical assessment, sadly, revealed the man was deceased prior to first responder arrival,” the Fire Department continued. Robbery homicide detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department spearheaded the probe.
The toxicology report was delayed in determining Perry’s cause of death, even though the autopsy was finished on October 29.
The actor had played pickleball at a local country club in the morning just hours before he passed away. While he was sober, the Friends star began participating in the sport. Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry’s best-selling memoir from last year, was extremely open and honest about his struggle with alcohol and prescription painkiller addiction that spanned years.
Friends cast members Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer publicly grieved Perry’s death. Launched on November 3rd, the Matthew Perry Foundation was an initiative the actor was involved in before his untimely passing. The initiative aims at “identifying addiction as a disease, addressing the complex of stigmas that prevents individuals from seeking and accessing care, and fiercely advocating for better and more equitable treatment.”
To paraphrase Perry’s memoir, “When I die, I know people will talk about Friends, Friends, Friends” was his saying. The things I did to attempt to help other people should be ranked far after Friends when I die, as far as my so-called successes go. It would be lovely if it could happen, but I know it won’t.
Lisa Eclesworth is a notable and influential lifestyle writer. She is a mom of two and a successful homemaker. She loves to cook and create beautiful projects with her family. She writes informative and fun articles that her readers love and enjoy.
