Matthew Perry's cause of death has been released. The Friends star died due to acute effects of ketamine. Drowning, coronary artery disease, and buprenorphine effects were also listed as factors in his death.
Ketamine is described as being a "dissociative anesthetic that has some hallucinogenic effects."
The drug also "distorts the perception of sight and sound and makes the user feel disconnected and not in control" and can induce a state of sedation (feeling calm and relaxed), immobility, relief from pain, and amnesia."
Perry was on ketmaine infusion therapy and had received a treatment one and a half weeks before he died. However, the coroner noted that "the ketamine in his system at death could not be from that infusion therapy, since ketamine's half-life is 3 to 4 hours, or less."
