The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office announced on December 15, 2023, that “FRIENDS” actor Matthew Perry died of “acute effects of ketamine.”

Matthew Perry’s autopsy report listed “acute effects of ketamine” as the cause of death, but questions remain about the cause and nature of ketamine use. Renowned neurologist Dr. Bankwell Johnson claims Perry may have obtained the drug illegally for “recreational” purposes.

“He probably used ketamine recreationally,” Johnson told Page Six. He pointed to the potential dangers of combining ketamine with buprenorphine, a drug Perry also used to treat opioid addiction, calling it a “prescription for disaster.”

However, the ketamine injection therapy that Perry used for depression and anxiety was recorded a week and a half before his death. Dr. Johnson emphasizes the importance of professional ketamine prescribing for safe use, emphasizes intravenous fluids for precise dose control, and cautions against self-administration of intranasal injections.

“Intranasal use is generally less safe because it is often self-administered. This may drive drug-discovery more aggressively.”

Perry’s friend and ‘Friends’ co-star, Jennifer Aniston, quoted Variety as saying, “He quit smoking. He was getting in shape. He was happy – that’s all I know.…I was literally texting him that morning, funny Matty. He was not in pain. He was not struggling. He was happy.”

Toxicology findings revealed significant levels of ketamine in his system, exceeding the typical range for monitored surgical settings.

Complicating the picture, Perry’s death involved buprenorphine, which, according to Johnson, can increase the sedative effects of ketamine and lead to unresponsiveness. It basically acts as a catalyst

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s report acknowledges the abuse of ketamine for recreational purposes at parties and raves. However, Perry declined to say definitively whether the drug was abused or obtained illegally.