MATTHEW PERRY DEAD AT 54

[glassheater]

Im not a doctor or a medical professional, but how ethical is it to administer ketamine treatments to someone with an extensive history of substance addiction issues?

My understanding is that some alternative providers use it as a treatment for addiction. This is having me question a lot.

What is ketamine? Drug found as cause of death for Matthew Perry also used for treatment

Ketamine is an dissociative anesthetic that has some hallucinogenic effects, according to the DEA. Its medical uses include the induction and maintenance of anesthesia and as a treatment for depression.

www.nbcnewyork.com

 

[10ofRods]

Im not a doctor or a medical professional, but how ethical is it to administer ketamine treatments to someone with an extensive history of substance addiction issues?

There's some researched, including in juried academic publications, that says ketamine can help with substance abuse (depending on the underlying issues for it - which is usually depression).

Google Scholar

scholar.google.com

20,000 articles on it since just 2019 (it's an overwhelming number, for sure).

And it's not really a lot of mixed results - it's pretty consistent that ketamine, just like most medicines, when used in proper dosage is quite effective in treating both recalcitrant depression and substance abuse.

Ketamine for the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders: comprehensive systematic review | BJPsych Open | Cambridge Core

Ketamine for the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders: comprehensive systematic review - Volume 8 Issue 1

www.cambridge.org

As with many medicines, it definitely has potential for abuse or serious side effects. Because it is also a street drug, there's the abuse issue too. But that's true for anxiety medicine and pain medicine, etc. Depression is a lot like chronic pain.

So, since there is wide consensus that ketamine works for depression (a common underlying cause of substance abuse), that it is indeed ethical to use it. If you search before 2019, you'll find maybe 150,000 research articles on its effects, side effects and issues. When a person is severely depressed, it can be a godsend. Better for many than, say, electroshock therapy (which is still used for severe depression). This article from 2023 was influential:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666915323002251

 

[DFWNF]

Im curious what his Blood Alcohol Level was

Perry did not have alcohol or drugs such as meth, cocaine, heroin, or fentanyl in his system at his time of death. No pills, drugs, or medications were discovered near the tub.https://www.vulture.com/2023/12/matthew-perry-cause-of-death.html

 

[Cedars]

Im not a doctor or a medical professional, but how ethical is it to administer ketamine treatments to someone with an extensive history of substance addiction issues?

You aren't the only one asking.

Ketamine’s Involvement In Matthew Perry’s Death Raises Questions

It’s not known exactly how ketamine got into Perry’s body. However, the drug’s involvement in his death suggests possible misuse.

www.forbes.com

"In 2020, the American Psychiatric Association issued a consensus statement on ketamine for mood disorders: “Considering the known potential for abuse of ketamine and recent reports of abuse of prescribed ketamine for the treatment of depression, clinicians should be vigilant about assessing the potential for patients to develop ketamine use disorder.”
"

 

[Catmommy]

Matthew Perry was an admitted addict his whole professional life. Very sad. He died from addict behavior. Also very sad. Not a surprise but very sad. RIP.

 

[Salah11]

Matthew Perry was an admitted addict his whole professional life. Very sad. He died from addict behavior. Also very sad. Not a surprise but very sad. RIP.

Yes it was shocking to hear to but not at all surprising considering his health in recent years. He brought billions of people joy and I hope now he can find peace

 

[steeltowngirl]

Im not a doctor or a medical professional, but how ethical is it to administer ketamine treatments to someone with an extensive history of substance addiction issues?

IIRC, Michael Jackson’s doctor was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for prescribing an anesthetic as a sleep agent. Not intending to compare the 2 cases without more details, but agreeing that doctors do have responsibility for oversight of a patient‘s history when prescribing.

jmo

 

[Tealgrove]

SPRAVATO® (esketamine) | Official Patient Website

SPRAVATO® (esketamine) Official Consumer Website. See full Prescribing & Safety Information, including BOXED WARNINGS.

www.spravato.com

Just watching the news and commercial came up for spravato (ketamine). Interesting read here.

 

[Elley Mae]

IIRC, Michael Jackson’s doctor was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for prescribing an anesthetic as a sleep agent. Not intending to compare the 2 cases without more details, but agreeing that doctors do have responsibility for oversight of a patient‘s history when prescribing.

jmo

Propofol is what dr conrad murray gave jackson, and other meds as well.

 

[Kittybunny]

Matthew Perry was an admitted addict his whole professional life. Very sad. He died from addict behavior. Also very sad. Not a surprise but very sad. RIP.

It is so very sad. And as a person in recovery, I 100% understand this mentality. If a little bit is good, more is better. Which is why I can't have any alcohol at all. I too question the judgment of ketamine treatment for someone with a long history of addiction, as well as easy access to drugs and a lot of money to get whatever they want.

I have a friend who has treatment resistant depression, and she is undergoing ketamine treatment. She said the feeling of relief that she got from her first treatment was incredible, she said she doesn't remember feeling that light and happy since she was a teenager, but she said within about a week, the feeling wore off. I can imagine the strong desire that someone who suffered from depression would have to re-create that feeling of relief on their own.

I hope that Matthew is free and happy now, RIP Chandler, my favorite Friend by far.

 

[steeltowngirl]

It is so very sad. And as a person in recovery, I 100% understand this mentality. If a little bit is good, more is better. Which is why I can't have any alcohol at all. I too question the judgment of ketamine treatment for someone with a long history of addiction, as well as easy access to drugs and a lot of money to get whatever they want.

I have a friend who has treatment resistant depression, and she is undergoing ketamine treatment. She said the feeling of relief that she got from her first treatment was incredible, she said she doesn't remember feeling that light and happy since she was a teenager, but she said within about a week, the feeling wore off. I can imagine the strong desire that someone who suffered from depression would have to re-create that feeling of relief on their own.

I hope that Matthew is free and happy now, RIP Chandler, my favorite Friend by far.

Congratulations on your strength and courage to stay in recovery @Kittybunny!

 

[Damarna]

Rest easy, Matty. It's OK now.

 

[DFWNF]

In my younger day they called Ketamine Special K. And if you were so messed up to need to be taken home by a friend and babysat it was called falling in the K hole. 2 of my friends never did it again after they went into the K-hole K-hole - Wikipedia jme. I never tried it, I am speaking of recreational use, not supervised used when prescribed and accompanied by a physician. Seems to me shrooms and special k use are being used in some cases in the last couple years. Shrooms were great ime, k-hole stories scared me off ever trying it. Jme.

 

[DFWNF]

IIRC, Michael Jackson’s doctor was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for prescribing an anesthetic as a sleep agent. Not intending to compare the 2 cases without more details, but agreeing that doctors do have responsibility for oversight of a patient‘s history when prescribing.

jmo

I wonder where he obtained what he took that day. In the past they have gone after dealers and certain docs as you noted. Matthew Perry’s autopsy reveals ‘Friends’ star had as much ketamine in his system as a surgical patient

 

[Catmommy]

I wonder where he obtained what he took that day. In the past they have gone after dealers and certain docs as you noted. Matthew Perry’s autopsy reveals ‘Friends’ star had as much ketamine in his system as a surgical patient

There is always somebody who can get it for you. There is always somebody who will sell it to you. Always.

 

[DFWNF]

There is always somebody who can get it for you. There is always somebody who will sell it to you. Always.

Oh I agree always. I am curious if charges will eventually be laid.

 

[airportwoman]

This is my belief too.

When he took it medically it was delivered by IV. The Ketamine they found during autopsy was in his stomach from my understanding.

He may have had a home prescription, but id assume that would've been mentioned, so imo its unlikely.

Ketamine is used at home as frequently as propofol is, as in NEVER. There are ketamine clinics, where people receive periodic infusions when other methods of treating depression fail, and some people use nasal ketamine, which must be administered by a physician; the inhaler, which is sold at the pharmacy, has a single dose, so the doctor will know if you sneaked a dose beforehand.

He was using it recreationally; don't kid yourselves. Had he not been wealthy and able to spend $9 million of his own money on treatment programs, he would have died decades ago. I hope he is at peace now, because he definitely wasn't while he was here.

 

[airportwoman]

My understanding is that some alternative providers use it as a treatment for addiction. This is having me question a lot.

What is ketamine? Drug found as cause of death for Matthew Perry also used for treatment

Ketamine is an dissociative anesthetic that has some hallucinogenic effects, according to the DEA. Its medical uses include the induction and maintenance of anesthesia and as a treatment for depression.

www.nbcnewyork.com

For some people, ketamine seems to "re-set" some part of the brain chemistry that leads to addiction, on top of people using recreational drugs to self-medicate. Again, the exact mechanisms are not known but are being researched.

 

[Springrain]

Matthew Perry was an admitted addict his whole professional life. Very sad. He died from addict behavior. Also very sad. Not a surprise but very sad. RIP.

Matty had a lot of issues throughout his life and, with his tragic history of addiction, to be frank, it is very surprising that he made it to his 50s to begin with. He was most certainly a tortured soul, and a true addict. He had other health issues that were caused or at least worsened by the drugs as well, most notably his heart issues and his cycle of massive weight loss and weight gain. At one point during the filming of Friends, he was around 120 lbs as I recall - a grown 6'0 man. It is really, really sad. His book offered a lot of insight into his addiction. I read it a few months before his death and I was astounded he was still alive. He had so many near misses before he died. He really, really struggled and I am sadly not surprised that it led to his death.

 

[PrairieWind]

I'm wondering if we are about to see his doctors potentially being charged here or at least investigated. This doesn't sound right?