When Matthew Perry was found dead in his hot tub on October 28 at age 54, it was reported as a suspected drowning. But while drowning was listed in the autopsy report as a contributing factor, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office ultimately found that the Friends’ star died accidentally from the “acute effects of ketamine.” This has caused some confusion amongst the general public about ketamine therapy — which Perry was reportedly undergoing — and one doctor has spoken out in defense of the treatment.
Due to the large amount of ketamine in Matthew Perry’s system, the coroner’s office determined his death couldn’t have been from his final ketamine treatment, which was reportedly a week and a half prior. Dr. Zaid Fadul, the medical director at BetterU and an expert in addiction medicine, has since defended the use of ketamine therapy and he even spoke out against the drug being listed as the actor’s cause of death, telling TMZ:
I don’t think it’s fair to say he died from ketamine. If you use Xanax in a hot tub, you could drown, and if you are drunk in a hot tub, you could drown. In fact, if you’re just in a hot tub for more than 30 minutes, you could have possibilities. That’s why you see the warnings on hot tubs. So I don’t know if it’s really fair to say ketamine killed him.
The doctor went on to say that the key is to respect whatever substance you’re using, for any reason. Knowing the risks of your medication and ensuring you’re in a safe environment, preferably with support, is the best approach, he said.
Dr. Zaid Fadul also defended ketamine therapy’s use to treat things like depression, anxiety and chronic pain, though he admitted that the drug being named as the cause of Matthew Perry’s death may deter some people from wanting to try it, and may even give providers pause as well. Fadul continued:
I’m sure people who don’t know or haven’t done the research will be a little bit more hesitant. That goes for providers as well. As someone who has used ketamine in the past with patients, I’ve seen the response, I’ve seen the safety efficacy profile. I feel very comfortable continuing to use it.
He again, however, warned against the dangers of mixing drugs.
Dr. Zaid Fadul’s comments seem to align with another medical professional’s opinion about what happened to the Friends icon. Dr. Philip Wolfson, one of the world’s foremost experts on ketamine, says due to the amount of ketamine that was reportedly in Matthew Perry’s bloodstream, he imagines the actor was in a trance state in the hot tub and slipped under the water and drowned. Adding to Fadul’s argument, Wolfson told the New York Post:
So, the ketamine in and of itself doesn’t stop your breathing, but it can keep you from waking up if you are submerged.
Matthew Perry was open about his struggles with addiction, and he even wrote about ketamine in his memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, saying the drug felt like “a giant exhale.” And while he said taking ketamine was like “being hit in the head with a giant happy shovel,” the hangovers were brutal, he wrote, and ultimately ketamine was not for him.
Celebrities and fans alike continue to mourn the actor’s passing, and we’ve compiled some of the best TV shows and movies to watch in Matthew Perry’s honor. All 10 seasons of Friends can also be streamed with a Max subscription.
