Matthew Perry’s death was due to the “acute effects of ketamine,” as per his autopsy report. There’s a suspicion that the drug may have been obtained illegally.
Dr. Bankole Johnson, a leading neuroscientist and physician, suggests that it’s likely Perry was using ketamine recreationally. He explains that combining ketamine with buprenorphine, as Perry was, is a dangerous mix.
The LA County Medical Examiner’s Office notes that Perry had been receiving ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety. His last known treatment was a week and a half before his death.
Johnson, who’s the CEO and founder of Casa Privée in Miami, says that ketamine is generally safe when administered by trained health professionals. It’s used in the treatment of depression or post traumatic stress disorder.
Johnson explains that it’s best for medical experts to distribute the ketamine via an IV, where the dose can be calculated accurately. He warns that intranasal use is generally less safe as it is often self-administered, which can drive drug-seeking behavior more aggressively.
According to Perry’s report, ketamine’s half-life is less than three to four hours. Therefore, the ketamine in his system at death could not be from his last infusion therapy.
The beloved TV star had reportedly been clean and sober for 19 months leading up to his death on Oct. 28. He was found unconscious in his residential pool at home. His close friends did not suspect that the “Fools Rush In” star had relapsed.
Jennifer Aniston, Perry’s “Friends” co-star, recently told Variety that Perry had quit smoking and was getting in shape. He was happy and she was texting with him that morning. He was not in pain, he wasn’t struggling, he was happy.
Perry’s toxicology findings showed 3,540 ng/ml of ketamine in his peripheral blood source and 3,271 ng/ml in his central blood source. For reference, in “monitored surgical-anesthesiologic care,” general levels are within the 1,000 to 6,000 ng/ml ranges, per the report.
Perry also had buprenorphine, an opioid-like drug used to treat opioid addiction, in his body when he died. Johnson tells Page Six exclusively that ketamine can be sedating and those effects can be compounded by opiates such as buprenorphine.
The LA County Medical Examiner’s Office noted in their report that while ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic used for medical or surgical purposes, it’s often misused for “recreational drug use” at parties, nightclubs and raves. However, the report does not explicitly confirm that Perry misused the drug or obtained it illegally.
Johnson tells us that ketamine is a scheduled medicine and can be prescribed by a doctor with a proper license or nurse practitioners. “Micro-dosing can be done at home, but this can be risky and the effectiveness is generally poor,” he says.
Perry’s reps did not immediately return Page Six’s request for comment. Perry’s history of substance abuse and drug addiction was well-documented, as even he had opened up about his issues in his memoir, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.”
Perry admitted in the 2022 book that his colon burst due to opioid overuse a few years prior, and doctors gave him just a “2 percent chance to live.” The “17 Again” star explained at the time, “I was put on a thing called an ECMO machine, which does all the breathing for your heart and your lungs. And that’s called a Hail Mary. No one survives that.”
Perry also shared in the bestselling memoir that he once spent about $9 million trying to get sober and once nearly died from consuming 55 Vicodin tablets and a quart of vodka.
This past Thanksgiving, the actor’s family honored his legacy by creating the Matthew Perry Foundation, a charity for those “struggling with the disease of addiction.” The “Whole Nine Yards” star always wanted to create a space where he could help others overcome drug and alcohol dependency.
Perry was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills neighborhood on Nov. 3 with his family and “Friends” co-stars present.
