Matthew Perry.Photo:Bruce Glikas/Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
Bruce Glikas/Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
TheFriendsalum was practicing ketamine infusion therapy and his last treatment took place “one and a half weeks before” his death, the report stated. However, the coroner noted 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.”
Ketamine is a “dissociative anesthetic that has some hallucinogenic effects,” per theUS Drug Enforcement Administration. It “distorts the perception of sight and sound and makes the user feel disconnected and not in control,” and “can induce a state of sedation (feeling calm and relaxed), immobility, relief from pain, and amnesia.”
Matthew Perry.Dave Benett/Getty
Dave Benett/Getty
The autopsy stated that Perry died due to acute effects of the drug. Drowning, coronary artery disease and buprenorphine effects (a medication used to treat opioid use disorder) were also listed as contributing factors in his death, which was ruled accidental.
The autopsy also noted that there were no signs of fatal trauma or no foul play suspected.
“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,” the coroner states in the report. “Drowning contributes due to the likelihood of submersion into the pool as he lapsed into unconsciousness.”
Matthew Perry.Mike Pont/WireImage
Mike Pont/WireImage
On Oct. 28, Perry wasfound deadin his Los Angeles home. He was 54.
Over the course of his life, the17 Againstar was vocal about his struggles with addiction. In his 2022 memoir,Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, he opened up about his journey with sobriety and the sense of pride he felt about staying clean.
“I wanted to share when I was safe from going into the dark side again,” he told PEOPLE at the time. “I had to wait until I was pretty safely sober—and away from the active disease of alcoholism and addiction—to write it all down. I was pretty certain that it would help people if I did.”
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If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
source: people.com
