Matthew Perry Had ‘As Much Ketamine In His System As A Surgical Patient’ When He Died

The amount of ketamine Matthew Perry had in his system when he died was equivalent to the general anesthesia given to surgical patients, according to the Friends star’s autopsy report.

It’s definitely not a good idea to get in the water after ingesting that amount of ketamine (as anyone who’s ever been in a K-hole will no doubt attest).

Interestingly, Perry had taken ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety a week-and-a-half before his death. However, the ketamine in his system at the time of his death “could not be from that infusion therapy, since ketamine’s half-life is 3 to 4 hours, or less,” according to his toxicology report.

Dr. Philip Wolfson, one of the world’s biggest experts on ketamine and author of “The Ketamine Papers: Science, Therapy and Transformation,” said the amount of ketamine found in Perry’s bloodstream was a lot:

“He really did himself in. He must have taken a large amount. You don’t do this and go swimming or go into a pool of any sort. What I foresee happened with him is, what it does is put you in kind of a trance state, so he probably was in the hot tub in a trance state, slipped under the water and drowned. So, the ketamine in and of itself doesn’t stop your breathing, but it can keep you from waking up if you are submerged.”

Comments 54-year-old Perry made about ketamine his 2022 memoir – Friends, Lovers, & the Big Terrible Thing – have now resurfaced online:

‘Taking K is like being hit in the head with a giant happy shovel. But the hangover was rough. Ketamine was not for me.’

It does seem pretty crazy that any doctor would prescribe ketamine therapy to a well-known addict like Matthew Perry, even though it seems he ultimately died from a self-administered recreational dose at home. Other contributing factors in Perry’s death include coronary artery disease and buprenorphine effects (used to ween addicts off opioids.) Unfortunately, sounds like it was a disaster waiting to happen as he struggled to stay sober and drug-free. RIP to an absolute legend.