Matthew Perry's Death from a Ketamine Overdose Shows the Dangers of a Powerful Treatment Drug

The report that Matthew Perry died of a ketamine overdose should raise awareness of the dangers of the drug, whose efficacy in treating anything other than severe depression is not thoroughly established but whose use as a means of fighting depression and anxiety has skyrocketed since 2020.

A study by EPIC research showed more prescriptions were issued for ketamine for depression (28.3%) and anxiety (19.0%) combined than for pain (35.4%), which was the original purpose of the drug, especially for major surgery.

Deaths from overdose are rare, according to AmericanAddictionCenters, but health problems such as difficulty breathing, addiction, and seizures are more common and need to be taken into consideration.

WebMD does report that in properly controlled environments, under the supervision of a doctor, ketamine can significantly help those with serious depression, though the site said that doctors who prescribe the approved IV infusion of ketamine continue to take their prescribed medicine as well, rather than consider it a substitute.