An accidental death from ketamine. Matthew Perry’s death was caused by “the acute effects” of taking ketamine, the Los Angeles County forensic pathology office announced Friday. The star of Friends was found in her jacuzzi on October 28.
Other factors also contributed to his death, determined to be an “accident”: “drowning,” “coronary artery disease,” and “effects of buprenorphine,” a medication used to treat opioid addiction. Ketamine is an anesthetic sometimes misused for recreational purposes but which the actor took to treat his depression.
No alcohol or fentanyl
The autopsy report notes that the last administration of ketamine by infusion as part of therapy that Matthew Perry was following was a week and a half before his death. This means, given the level noted by the analyses, that he then took it more recently, probably without being monitored.
Matthew Perry struggled for years with addiction. According to the coroner’s report, no traces of alcohol, cocaine, heroin or fentanyl were found in his system.