Perry received ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety.
Topline
Matthew Perry—the 54-year-old “Friends” actor—died from the “acute effects of ketamine,” Los Angeles medical officials revealed Friday, bringing new attention to a drug used both medically and recreationally that rarely results in overdose deaths, though it can increase the risk of other health problems or lead to accidental deaths.Key Facts
Ketamine is an injectable anesthetic that has some hallucinogenic effects, including the distortion of sights and sounds while making the user feel “detached from their pain and environment,” according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The drug is approved as an anesthetic, and a potent version called esketamine is approved in nasal sprays for treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder, though some doctors also prescribe it without formal federal approval for a broader range of mental health conditions—which is legal but unregulated.
The drug has also long been used recreationally as a powder or liquid, and is sometimes mixed with other drugs.
Higher doses can cause difficulty moving, seizures and nausea, while further use could result in the “complete dissociation from reality and loss of consciousness” in addition to “out-of-body” and “near-death experiences,” according to a 2017 paper.
