What you need to know about ketamine

Matthew Perry's death has been attributed to the effects of high levels of the anesthetic, which is increasingly used to treat depression.

An autopsy report released Friday by the Los Angeles County medical examiner ruled the death of "Friends" actor Matthew Perry, who was found face down and unconscious in a hot tub at his home on October 28. results from the "acute effects" of ketamine, an anesthetic with psychedelic properties.

Ketamine has become increasingly popular as a therapy for treatment-resistant depression and d other mental health problems. It is also used for recreational purposes.

Mr. Perry had publicly acknowledged his long struggle with alcohol and drug use, but the report said he had been sober for 19 months and little was known about his relationship with ketamine.

Qu is ketamine and is it legal?

Ketamine is a short-acting injectable dissociative anesthetic that can have hallucinogenic effects at certain doses. It distorts visual and audio perceptions and allows users to feel detached from pain and their surroundings.

Developed as a battlefield anesthetic in the 1960s , ketamine has been legal since 1970. in humans and animals. It is frequently used as an anesthetic for children, particularly in developing countries.

But psychiatric use of ketamine is still neither approved nor regulated, although it is increasingly used off-label. to treat depression, suicidal ideation, and chronic pain.

In 2019, the Food and Drug Administration approved a ketamine derivative called esketamine in a nasal spray for treatment of treatment-resistant depression.

Ketamine has abuse potential, which can lead to moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence, but experts consider it a safe drug.< /p>

Those who use it recreationally often snort the drug in powder form or administer it intranasally via spray.

"People shouldn't be afraid. to use ketamine if prescribed by their doctor and administered correctly in a health care setting,” said Dr. Gerard Sanacora, director of the Yale Depression Research Program and co-director of the Department of Psychiatry. Interventional at Yale New Haven Hospital.

Can ketamine be fatal?

Ketamine is rarely fatal, but an overdose can cause loss of consciousness and slowing down dangerous breathing, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The amount of ketamine found in Mr. Perry's body was extremely high, comparable to a dose of anesthetic, the medical examiner's office wrote.

The effects Secondary side effects such as increased blood pressure and paranoia are rare and usually occur at very high doses. Frequent users of this medication may develop bladder problems.

The F.D.A. in October issued a warning about the dangers of using compounded versions of ketamine. Compounded drugs are those that have been modified or adapted in the laboratory for the specific needs of an individual patient.

The agency, citing adverse incident reports, warned that unsupervised use of the compound ketamine increases the risk of dangerous psychiatric reactions and health problems such as increased blood pressure, respiratory depression, and urinary tract problems that can lead to incontinence.