Former “Friends” actor Matthew Perry died from “acute effects” of the drug ketamine, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner revealed on Friday.
The medical examiner’s report said that “high levels of ketamine” were found in Perry’s “postmortem blood specimens,” adding that “the main lethal effects would be from both cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression.”
The “exact method of intake” in Perry’s case is unknown.
Perry, 54, died on Oct. 28 at his home in Los Angeles’ affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood.
Authorities confirmed Perry was already dead when first responders arrived to find him propped up in a hot tub after having initially been discovered by another person.
“There were trace amounts of ketamine detected in the stomach contents,” the autopsy report stated. “He was reported to be receiving ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety.”
Per the report, Perry’s last known treatment was one-and-a-half weeks prior to his death and the ketamine that was in his system when he died “could not be from that infusion therapy, since ketamine’s half-life is three to four hours, or less.”
According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, Ketamine is a “dissociative anesthetic that has some hallucinogenic effects.” It is often viewed as a “club drug” that is popular among youth and young adults at raves and EDM concerts.
The report also found that contributing factors in Perry’s death included “drowning, coronary artery disease and buprenorphine effects.”
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, “Buprenorphine is the first medication to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) that can be prescribed or dispensed in physician offices, significantly increasing access to treatment.”
The manner of the death was listed as accidental (drug and drowning-related) and there are no signs of foul play are suspected.
“Drowning contributes due to the likelihood of submersion into the pool as he lapsed into unconsciousness; coronary artery disease contributes due to exacerbation of ketamine-induced myocardial effects on the heart,” the report continued. “Buprenorphine effects are listed as contributory, even though not at toxic levels, due to the additive respiratory effects when present with high levels of ketamine. Autopsy shows no fatal blunt or penetrating trauma.”
