Matthew Perry Outlined Prior Ketamine Use in His Memoir
Matthew Perry’s tragic death in October 2023 rocked the entertainment world. Perry, who had chronicled his substance use disorder in a recent memoir, appeared to be doing well before his death. Matthew Perry’s official autopsy results have revealed that ketamine, a powerful drug, contributed to his death. The TV star discussed his prior ketamine use in Friends, Lovers, and The Big Terrible Thing.
Matthew Perry’s cause of death was ‘acute effects of ketamine’
Two months after Matthew Perry’s sudden passing, an official cause of death has been released. According to Variety, Matthew Perry’s cause of death has officially been ruled an accident. The actor died from “acute effects of ketamine,” according to a toxicology report. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office released the report. The report shows that there were other contributing factors in his accidental death.
According to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, the likelihood of overdose from ketamine is low, but accidents are common among users. Experts attributed the accident rate to ketamine’s propensity to cause loss of consciousness,
Perry chronicled his ketamine use in his memoir
While fans might have been shocked to learn Matthew Perry was using ketamine before his death, those who read his memoir had likely heard of the drug before. Perry chronicled his past brushes with the drug. In his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry wrote that the drug had his name “written all over it” when it became popular among recreational drug users in the 1980s.
He went on to explain that while it was like being hit with a “happy shovel,” the hangover caused by its use left him reeling. Ultimately, he insisted it wasn’t for him. Still, he was using it in a therapeutic setting to treat anxiety and depression.
Additional factors contributed to Perry’s death
Perry’s death was ultimately ruled accidental, and no foul play is suspected. Ketamine wasn’t the only factor in his demise, though. According to official reports, coronary artery disease, drowning, and a prescription drug used in opioid addiction, all contributed to his death.
An assistant found Perry unconscious in the tub. They had returned to the residence after running an errand for the Friends star. The unnamed assistant called for help. Perry had posted to Instagram just days before his death from the same hot tub. In the photo, the star sits in the massive hot tub at night. He is wearing headphones and enjoying the scenery. Perry had moved into the renovated Pacific Palisades home where the pool was located just weeks before his death.
