How did “Friends” actor Matthew Perry obtain the ketamine that authorities cited as the cause of his death?
This is now the subject of an investigation by the Los Angeles police, with the help of the DEA and the United States Postal Service.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner concluded in December that Perry died months earlier from the acute effects of ketamine. But the origin of the drug has not been revealed.
Officials have said little about the investigation. But law enforcement sources said officials are trying to determine whether any laws were broken by supplying ketamine.
Here's a breakdown of what we know:
Police investigators walk near Matthew Perry's Pacific Palisades home, where the actor died in October.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
What did the medical examiner conclude?
Traces of ketamine were found in Perry's stomach, according to an autopsy conducted by the Los Angeles County medical examiner. But the level found in her blood was about the same amount as would be used during general anesthesia, her autopsy showed.
Ketamine caused cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression. Other factors that contributed to the actor's death included drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder.
The autopsy report noted that Perry had no other drugs in his system and had been sober for 19 months at the time of his death. There was no evidence of illicit drugs or paraphernalia at his Pacific Palisades home.
The medical examiner also noted that Perry, 54, had diabetes and suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which refers to a group of diseases that cause airflow obstruction and related breathing problems. There was a time when she smoked two packs of cigarettes a day.
What do we know about Perry's use of ketamine?
Perry was receiving ketamine infusion therapy every other day for a period of time, but had reduced that intake, and his last known infusion was a week and a half before his death.
The medical examiner noted that the ketamine could not have come from that session, as it typically disappears from the system in detectable amounts within three to four hours.
Matthew Perry was receiving ketamine infusion therapy every other day for a period of time, but had reduced that intake, and his last known infusion was a week and a half before his death.
(Associated Press)
What do experts say about ketamine?
Ketamine is a legal medication that is commonly used as an anesthetic. But it is increasingly being offered “off-label” in private clinics in an effort to treat depression and other mental health disorders. In 2006, the National Institute of Mental Health concluded that an intravenous dose of ketamine had rapid antidepressant effects.
Experts have said ketamine is generally safe and few overdoses have been reported. However, people are at greater risk of poor outcomes if they have underlying conditions, such as high blood pressure or breathing problems.
Times staff writer Emily Alpert Reyes contributed to this report.
