Who supplied Matthew Perry ketamine? Investigation aims to find out

How did “Friends” actor Matthew Perry get the ketamine that officials cited as his cause of his death?

That is now the subject of an investigation by Los Angeles police, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Service.

The Los Angeles County medical examiner concluded in December that Perry died months earlier of acute effects of ketamine. But the source 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 in supplying the ketamine.

Here is 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?

Trace amounts of ketamine were found in Perry’s stomach, according to an autopsy performed by the Los Angeles County medical examiner. But the level found in his blood was about the same quantity as would be used during general anesthesia, his autopsy showed.

The ketamine caused cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression. Other contributing factors in 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 19 months sober 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 blockage and breathing-related problems. He at one time had a two-pack-a-day cigarette habit.

California

Matthew Perry died from acute effects of ketamine, officials rule

Matthew Perry, known for his role in the NBC comedy “Friends,” died from acute effects of ketamine, a legal drug sometimes used to treat depression.

Dec. 15, 2023

What do we know about Perry’s use of ketamine?

Perry was undergoing 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 the ketamine could not have been from that session as it typically disappears from the system in detectable amounts in three to four hours.

Matthew Perry was undergoing 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 commonly used as an anesthetic. But it is increasingly offered “off label” at 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 there are few reported overdoses. However, people are at a higher risk of bad outcomes if they have underlying conditions, such as high blood pressure or breathing problems.

Times staff writer Emily Alpert Reyes contributed to this report.