An autopsy report from the Los Angeles County coroner on Friday named acute effects of ketamine as the cause of death for "Friends" star Matthew Perry.
According to the report, Perry reportedly was on ketamine infusion therapy and had a ketamine infusion one-and-a-half weeks prior to his death. However, the medical examiner concluded that the ketamine in his system could not have been from that infusion, as ketamine has a half-life of three to four hours or less.
The report also listed drowning, coronary artery disease and buprenorphine effects as contributing factors not related to the immediate cause of death, Perry's death was ruled an accident.
Just over an hour after midnight on Oct. 29, Perry was transported from his house to the Forensic Science Center. Perry's autopsy was performed later that day.
Perry struggled with addiction for many years, although he reportedly had been clean for 19 months, the autopsy report said. Perry had been receiving ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety, with the last treatment a week and a half before his death, the autopsy report said. Perry had been responding to treatment and was "in good spirits," police said a witness told them in their incident report.
Ketamine has been approved by the FDA as an anesthetic since the 1970s, and research shows it may help some patients when used as a medically-supervised treatment for depression and anxiety. Experts say it also has risks. The drug has a dissociative effect, seemingly separating the mind from the body, and can cause hallucinations. It is known for its use in nightclub and party culture. The federal Drug Enforcement Agency warns that an overdose of ketamine can cause unconsciousness and dangerously slowed breathing.
Perry himself was using ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety, with the most recent infusion provided a week and a half before his death, his autopsy report said. But the ketamine used for that therapy was unlikely the cause of Perry's death as the half-life of the drug in the system is around three to four hours or less, the report said.
It's unclear still how or when Perry received more ketamine in the hours before he died.
Scientists have continued to study other ways to use ketamine to treat other psychiatric problems like substance use disorders and PTSD.
Researchers are also trying to extend ketamine's effects. A study published last year showed that the drug given to patients who play computer games designed to boost self-esteem after a ketamine infusion appeared to prolong the benefits of the anesthetic for up to three months after the therapy.
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