The well-known character Matthew Perry plays on television is Chandler Bing from the popular series “Friends.” He has won over audiences all around the world with his charm and wit.
Ketamine’s increasing usage in the treatment of depression and other severe mental health conditions has sparked intense discussion about the drug in recent years. Some medical professionals and patients refer to it as life-saving, while others claim it is addictive and causes bladder problems.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office issued an autopsy report on Friday, December 15, more than a month after the unexpected death of “Friends” actor Matthew Perry. The report said that Perry’s cause of death was the “acute effects” of ketamine.
On October 28, the star was discovered unconscious in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home, “floating face down in the heated end,” according to media accounts. His age was 54. The effects of the opioid buprenorphine, coronary artery disease, and drowning were also cited in the autopsy report as contributing factors to his demise.
Ketamine’s increasing usage in the treatment of depression and other severe mental health conditions has sparked intense discussion about the drug in recent years. Some medical professionals and patients refer to it as life-saving, while others claim it is addictive and causes bladder problems.
Matthew Perry Demise: Can you explain what ketamine is?
The US Drug Enforcement Administration has classified the anesthetic ketamine as a hallucinogen. The term “dissociative anaesthetic hallucinogen” refers to the state of separation from pain and surroundings that it induces.
In the 1960s, ketamine was initially applied as an animal anesthetic in the United States. The US Food and Drug Administration gave it human approval around ten years later.
It is relatively new to utilize the medication to treat mental problems like depression. Patients who have not responded to conventional therapy take ketamine because of its potent effects.
Ketamine, sometimes referred to as Special K or K by club patrons, is also used recreationally.
How does one take ketamine?
Patients with mental illnesses typically take ketamine once or twice a week for six to eight weeks (some may require it longer) via an IV, nasal spray, or tablet. A white, crystalline powder is snorted in order to ingest it recreationally. Additionally, ketamine can be smoked or injected.
What consequences does ketamine have?
The New York Times recently conducted interviews with forty ketamine users, many of whom compared the medication to a brain reset button.
They had pleasant visualisations during treatment sessions, sometimes coupled with a feeling of existing outside of oneself and merging with the cosmos. Their everyday issues appeared less pressing after that, the report said.
It also mentioned how ketamine became well-known due to its ability to influence brain receptors that are not affected by conventional antidepressants. According to the paper, “many believe that the psychedelic-like trip is integral to the drug’s therapeutic effect.”
Ketamine has a stronger anesthetic effect when taken in large dosages. Some people may have trouble moving, feel numb, or have more vivid hallucinations. Users refer to this as the “k-hole” at times, The Guardian reports.
Is ketamine consumption safe?
It’s challenging to determine. Certain medical professionals have emphasized that ketamine is safe to take and highly successful in treating mental diseases when used just for medicinal purposes and at the recommended dosages.
Nonetheless, a number of individuals cited in the NYT article said that the medication can become addictive and that long-term high dose use can seriously harm the bladder. The paper states, “There are indications that abuse may also lead to cognitive impairment.”
Furthermore, not sufficient study has been done to establish the safety of long-term ketamine treatment. Additionally, there is a dearth of research on drug addiction and abuse among medicinal users.
