The cause of death of ‘Friends’ sitcom star, Matthew Perry has been revealed after an autopsy report was released on Friday by the Los Angeles County medical examiner.
According to reports, the 54-year-old was found unresponsive and face down in a pool in his home.
The report says the death was accidental and that no signs of foul play were suspected.
His cause of death is listed as the “acute effects of ketamine,” with contributing factors listed as “drowning, coronary artery disease, and buprenorphine effects.”
Just over an hour after midnight on Oct. 29, Perry was transported from his house to the Forensic Science Center after his death where his autopsy was carried out.
Perry struggled with addiction for many years, although he reportedly had been clean for 19 months, the autopsy report said.
Ketamine has been approved by the FDA as an anesthetic since the 1970s, and research shows it may help some patients when used as a medically supervised treatment for depression and anxiety. But experts have pointed out that it has risks.
The drug has a dissociative effect, seemingly separating the mind from the body, and can cause hallucinations.
Trace amounts of ketamine were found in Perry’s stomach, but the coroner said high levels of the drug were found in his blood: 3.54 micrograms per milliliter.
