Matthew Perry Died of ‘Acute Effects of Ketamine,’ Autopsy Says

Author: Editors Desk Source: N.Y Times

December 15, 2023 at 17:15

The coroner’s office said Matthew Perry had ketamine and the opioid buprenorphine in his system when drowned in a hot tub at his home in Los Angeles in October. Credit...Kevin Winter/Getty Images

The medical examiner said drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of an opioid also contributed to the death of the “Friends” actor, who was found in a hot tub in October.

Matthew Perry, the “Friends” actor who publicly struggled with drinking and drug use for decades, died from “the acute effects of ketamine,” the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said in an autopsy report that was released on Friday.

Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his home in Los Angeles on Oct. 28. He was 54.

The medical examiner’s office said that drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of an opioid, buprenorphine, had contributed to his death.

But the autopsy ascribed his death primarily to “the acute effects of ketamine.” Ketamine is a powerful anesthetic that has become increasingly popular as an alternative therapy for depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and other hard-to-treat mental health problems. It is also used recreationally.

The autopsy report said that Perry had been on ketamine infusion therapy but that the ketamine in his system could not have been from his most recent therapy session, which was about a week and a half before he died.