The anniversary of Matthew Perry's death: how did ketamine affect him?

‘Friends’ actor Matthew Perry had battled addiction throughout his life, but when he passed away last October, it shocked the world and even raised questions about conspiracies. However, a while ago, five people, including two doctors and the actor’s assistant, were booked in connection with his death. According to the 54-year-old Perry’s post-mortem report, his death in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home was caused by the acute effects of ketamine, a drug commonly used as an anesthetic since the 1960s. Apparently the drug rendered him unconscious and led to his accidental drowning. He also had a pre-existing coronary artery problem, which was exacerbated by the ketamine effect. The effects of buprenorphine, a drug used to treat the pain associated with opioid addiction, have also been cited as a contributing factor. Matthew Perry has been trending for over 15 hours with a search volume of over 5K. ‘

Matthew Perry’s memoir about the effects of ketamine
In his autobiography called ‘Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing’, which was released in 2022, Perry reveals in detail his addiction problems. Apparently he would consume up to a liter of vodka and up to 30 pills. He used ketamine therapy to treat his depression. However, he also said that taking ketamine was like “being hit on the head with a giant scoop of luck.” He confessed that he “enjoyed the drug” and that he might as well call it “Matty.” As part of the therapy, the book reveals that he was taken to a room and blindfolded while listening to music through headphones while being given an IV drip of Ativan (a drug for anxiety and insomnia) and ketamine. He even felt like he was about to die during this time due to its calming effect. That said, he said the hangover after the infusion was tough and it wasn’t for him.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, ketamine has side effects such as hallucinations, allergic reactions such as swelling of the tongue and lips, change in heart rate rhythm, increased blood pressure, loss of contact with reality and shortness of breath. According to reports, Perry asked his assistant Kenneth Iwamasa to inject him with ketamine on the day of his death and continued to request additional doses, which ultimately cost him his life. Allegedly, a drug supplier – and socialite named Jasveen Sangha, known as ‘The Ketamine Queen’, supplied the drug to Perry on the day of his death.