Lessons from Matthew Perry’s Death How Ketamine is safe for patients facing both depression and addiction.
The many questions remaining after Mathew Perry
Is ketamine just too dangerous? Is there hope for people burdened with both depression and suicidality?
No. Ketamine administration is safe in a facility with experienced healthcare providers using established protocols. Ketamine and therapy play vital roles in helping these individuals with treatment-resistant depression and suicidality get their lives back.
What can we do better?
Taking steps like those listed above can prevent a potentially life-saving treatment from becoming a life-taking one.
Perry’s passing is deeply saddening, especially given his openness about his addiction struggles. This loss has special meaning for loved ones and the mental healthcare professionals involved in ketamine treatment of patients suffering from combined depression, suicidality, and other mental disorders.
To summarize:
Mr. Perry was being treated for depression using ketamine. He had been undergoing ketamine treatments for several years.
Ketamine is an anesthetic agent shown to increase neuroplasticity, grow neurons, and improve mood within hours of administration at a low dose.
After his death, Mr. Perry was found to have ketamine levels consistent with general anesthesia. This level is much higher than used to treat depression.
Given ketamine’s short half-life (meaning the sedating effects wear off within a few hours), Mr. Perry’s blood levels were not the result of his ketamine treatment 1.5 weeks before his death.
Even though Matthew Perry’s blood showed ketamine at a typical anesthesia level, this was not high enough to cause death on its own. Many things could’ve happened here, accidental drowning, cardiac arrest, possibly even suicide. We’ll never know this answer.
Mr. Perry also had a history of opioid addiction. His autopsy revealed the presence of buprenorphine, a medication used to help manage cravings. Buprenorphine likely enhanced the sedating effect of ketamine.
Be aware of the high comorbidity between depression and addiction. Comorbidity refers to coexisting conditions for a patient. A history of addiction may be a source of shame and embarrassment, it’s often not shared with treating clinicians, and the risk of suicide is significant.
Healthcare providers should gather sufficient information when evaluating potential patients, as well as their support networks, before administering any medications such as ketamine.
Getting back to our questions:
KEY POINTS
Ketamine can play a vital role in helping individuals with treatment-resistant depression and suicidality.
Ketamine can be dangerous outside a clinic without mental health experts monitoring its effects.
Make sure safeguards are being followed by treating professionals.