“Friends” actor Matthew Perry died from the “acute effects of ketamine,” a anesthesia drug also used for treatment of depression and pain, the Los Angeles County medical examiner says in an autopsy report released Friday.
Perry, 54, was found dead in a jacuzzi at his home in October, as CrimeOnline reported. He had been open about his prior struggles with substance abuse, which he detailed in his memoir published last year.
No illicit drugs were found at Perry’s home, and the medical examiner’s report said he was “reportedly clean for 19 months,” NPR reported.
The report noted his drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine — a drug used to treat opioid use — were contributing factors in Perry’s death but not the primary cause. The medical examiner ruled the manner of death an accident.
According to the report, Perry had been receiving ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety. His most recent treatment came about 10 days before his death.
But the ketamine the autopsy found in Perry’s system when he died “could not be from that infusion therapy, since ketamine’s half-life is 3-4 hours, or less,” the medical examiner said.
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[Featured image: FILE – Matthew Perry/(Photo by Rich Fury/Invision/AP, File)]
