An autopsy from LA County coroner named the effects of Ketamine on Friday as the cause of Friend’s star Matthew Perry’s death.
As per the report, Matthew was on ketamine infusion therapy and had the same ten days before his demise. The medical examiner concludes that ketamine in his body could not have been because of that infusion because the half-life of ketamine is three to four hours or even less.
The report also talked about buprenorphine effects and coronary artery disease as contributing factors, but they were not the cause of his death. Perry’s demise was a sad accident.
Buprenorphine is a medicine that treats OUD (Opioid Use Disorder), as per the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
What is Ketamine?
Ketamine is an anesthetic that is used to induce anesthesia. Recently, it has been used as a treatment for depression, as per StatPearls, which is an online library published in the National Library of Medicine.
What is Ketamine Therapy?
As per the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), the use of ketamine was allowed in 1970 as a quick-acting anesthetic by USFDA.
In recent years, off-label ketamine has been used in treating psychological disorders like PTSD and depression.
Co-director of Yale Centre for Clinical Investigation, D. John Crystal, told ABC News that the avg. Antidepressants take about 2 months to show their effects. Ketamine does the same within 24 hours in some people.
Ketamine Therapy became popular in 2021 when Lamar Odom, a former NBA player, talked to Good Morning America about his use of Ketamine Therapy to battle his addiction.
He said he went to rehab and did some things, but the arrival of Ketamine into his life at the right time. He thinks Ketamine is an addition to the overall treatment, Ketamine is something that can enhance the impact of the whole physiotherapy.
Risks of Ketamine Therapy
According to the American Addiction Centre, death because of Ketamine overdosing is a rare occurrence, even if the patient was solely on Ketamine.
According to StatPearls journal in the National Library of Medicine, the lethal dose is estimated at around 5.6mg per round for a 70kg human. Dr. John also said that other than the risk of death, ketamine should be avoided by individuals who have schizophrenia or someone with psychiatric illness.
How did Matthew die?
Matthew’s cause of death was because of Ketamine. He was found unresponsive in a Jacuzzi inside his residence in California on 28 October. According to authorities, he was declared dead because of drowning.
Jennifer Aniston’s Instagram post
Jennifer Aniston paid tribute to Matthew Perry in an Instagram post. She said this has cut deep. Having to say goodbye to Matthew has been a full-on emotional ride that she never felt before.
She referred to the Friends cast as her family, and she said how much Matthew meant to her and the whole group. She said they all loved him very much, which was part of their DNA.
She said Perry always wanted to make people laugh, as his life depended on it. She said that she would always keep her conversations with Perry. She even posted a text they exchanged. Matthew texted, making her laugh, which just made his day.
She concluded the list by adding the rest of her little brother and said Matthew always made her day.
Last month, a brief statement was published in which all the cast from the show spoke out publicly for the first time after learning about Matthew’s demise. They said they would say more and they would be able to.
Matt LeBlanc mourns
On a note, Matt said goodbye with a heavy heart. The time both of them had together been the best time of his life. It was an honor to share the stage with Matthew and call him his friend.
Matt added that he would always smile while thinking about Perry and would never forget him. He ended the note with their joke by saying he was hoping that Matthew would keep the 20 bucks that he owed him.
