Matthew Perry took 'phenomenally high' ketamine dose as doctor gives new insight
Matthew Perry's cause of death has been ruled an accident from the acute effects of ketamine, with one doctor now suggesting the actor had a "phenomenally high level" of the drug in his system.
The 54-year-old was found dead in the hot tub at his Los Angeles home on October 28. Matthew had struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for years, but claimed that he was clean in the 18 months before his death.
However, toxicology reports have revealed the Friends star had substantial amounts of ketamine in his system. The drug is a powerful anaesthetic used in hospitals, and it's often abused recreationally.
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Matthew Perry's cause of death has been revealed (Penske Media via Getty Images)
He has ketamine in his system when he died (Getty Images Europe)Dr Zaid Fadul, an expert in addiction medicine, said someone using a particular substance over time will "develop a tolerance very quickly". Speaking to TMZ, he explained: "So what they end up doing is using higher and higher amounts to try and get the same effect and with the levels that was in his blood, it's pretty phenomenally high level."
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Dr Fadul also claimed it's misleading to say Matthew's death was caused by ketamine. He said other substances such as Xanax and alcohol could also cause someone to drown in a hot tub.
He added: "In fact, if you are just in a hot tub for more than 30 minutes, you could have possibilities that's why you see a warning on hot tubs. So I don't know if it's really fair to say Ketamine killed him."
The addiction expert encouraged people to "respect" any substances they may use. He said people need to be aware of the "possibilities of things going wrong" and encouraged people to seek "support".
The Friends actor was found dead at his Los Angeles home (Getty Images North America)According to the L.A. County Medical Examiner's report, Matthew's ketamine levels at his time of death were 3,540 ng/ml, enough to knock him unconscious for an operation. When used to put people under ahead of surgery, patients are in the 1,000 - 6,000 range.
The Medical Examiner's report also revealed that Perry had been prescribed ketamine as part of an infusion therapy treatment for depression and anxiety, and was taking it every other day. However, six months ago, a new doctor tried to wean him off the chemical, which can cause feelings of euphoria and disassociation when taken in small amounts. The last time he was prescribed a dose of the drug was reportedly a week and a half before his death.
It has been suggested Matthew might have taken the ketamine before getting in the hot tub, become disorientated or passed out and drowned. Large doses of ketamine can cause people to hallucinate or slip into unconsciousness.
The coroner noted that the ketamine in Perry's system "could not be from that infusion therapy, since ketamine's half-life is three to four hours, or less." The report added that the method of intake could not be determined, but trace amounts of the drug were found in Perry's stomach hinting that he might have taken it in tablet form.
The medical examiner concluded: "At the high levels of ketamine found in his post-mortem blood specimens, the main lethal effects would be from both cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression."
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