Home / Health / Perry's Fatal Ketamine Overdose: A Medical Mystery
Perry's Fatal Ketamine Overdose: A Medical Mystery
3 Dec
Summary
- Ketamine, approved since 1970, treats depression and pain.
- Perry died from ketamine's acute effects, losing consciousness and drowning.
- Five individuals, including two doctors, pleaded guilty to drug charges.
Ketamine, a powerful dissociative anesthetic approved for medical use in 1970 and initially administered to soldiers in the Vietnam War, is now increasingly used for pain management and treating severe depression. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded approval for a ketamine-derived nasal spray in January 2025 for treatment-resistant depression. Despite its therapeutic benefits, ketamine is also popular as an illicit party drug, known by street names like 'Vitamin K' and 'special K.'
The drug's use gained significant public attention following the death of actor Matthew Perry in October 2023. An autopsy revealed that Perry died from the acute effects of ketamine, which led to him losing consciousness and drowning in his hot tub. Toxicology reports indicated high levels of ketamine in his system, consistent with general anesthesia doses.
In the wake of Perry's overdose, five individuals, including two physicians, have pleaded guilty to federal drug charges for illegally procuring ketamine for the actor. One of these defendants, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, is scheduled for sentencing soon. Perry's death highlighted the risks associated with unsupervised at-home ketamine injections, a practice he reportedly resorted to after clinic doctors denied increased dosages.
