Matthew Perry’s death was caused by drowning and ketamine, the LA County coroner said.The 54-year-old was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home in October. The manner of the “Friends” actor’s death was ruled an accident, according to the coroner.
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Matthew Perry’s death was ruled an accident, with the cause being the effects of ketamine, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.
“The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner (DME) determined the cause of death for 54-year-old actor Matthew Langford Perry as the acute effects of ketamine,” the Los Angeles County Corner’s Office said in a statement Friday.
The beloved “Friends” actor who long struggled with addiction, was found dead at his Los Angeles home on October 28. He was found unresponsive in his hot tub, The Los Angeles Times reported at the time.
“Contributing factors in Mr. Perry’s death include drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine (used to treat opioid use disorder). The manner of death is accident,” according to a statement from the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office.
Ketamine, which was once known only as a party drug, can be used recreationally or as a treatment for depression and other mental health issues under doctor supervision.
According to the full autopsy report obtained by Business Insider, Perry was using ketamine therapy but the amount found in his system — about as much as would be used in general anesthesia — could not have been from his last treatment a week and a half prior.
The amount of ketamine used to treat depression is much lower than the amount used in general anesthesia, according to Harvard Health.
The autopsy report says that the exact method of intake of the ketamine is unknown, but notes that there was traces of ketamine found in Perry’s stomach. No illicit drugs were found at his house or near the pool.
Perry’s opioid replacement therapy and his previous heart condition exacerbated the effects of the ketamine before he drowned, the report found.
Perry had coronary artery disease, which is when plaque builds up on the walls of the arteries of the heart, causing them to narrow. This condition, plus the ketamine, led to “cardiovascular overstimulation,” according to the report.
Perry was taking buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder. While buprenorphine and ketamine can be combined at low doses, high doses of both drugs can cause people to breathe too slowly and lose consciousness.
The report said that Perry “lapsed into unconsciousness” and was likely submerged in his pool.
The actor’s representative did not respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
Perry was open about his struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction.
At 49, he had a near-death experience after his colon burst from opioid use.
A 2022 interview with ABC News’ Diane Sawyer revealed the “Friends” actor attended rehab at least 15 times, detoxed 65 times, and went to 6,000 AA meetings.
In his memoir, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” Perry wrote that his addiction stemmed from a “lifetime of feeling abandoned” and a “desperate need for love.”
Perry told People he decided to open up about his struggles in the hopes it would help others.
“I wanted to share when I was safe from going into the dark side of everything again,” Perry said. “I had to wait until I was pretty safely sober — and away from the active disease of alcoholism and addiction — to write it all down. And the main thing was, I was pretty certain that it would help people.”
Perry’s “Friends” costars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer released a joint statement following his death.
“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,” the statement read.
They added: “There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss. In time we will say more, as and when we are able.”
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