Matthew Perry said ketamine made him think he was ‘dying’ in memoir before death from ketamine effects

Matthew Perry wrote about the effects that ketamine had on him, saying it was 'not for me'.

A passage from the Friends actor's memoir has re-emerged following confirmation from the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner that 'the acute effects of ketamine' were a factor in Perry's death.

Perry was found dead in his hot tub on 28 October, prompting an outpouring of tributes from fans and people who had worked with him over the years.

A passage from his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir describes the uses of the drug ketamine and how Perry had previously received infusions of it in a Swiss rehab clinic during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Describing ketamine, Perry wrote: “Ketamine was a very popular street drug in the 1980s. There is a synthetic form of it now, and it’s used for two reasons: to ease pain and help with depression."

He went on to describe how the drug had made him 'disassociate', and feel as though he was 'dying'.

“‘Oh,’ I thought, ‘This is what happens when you die,'” he wrote.

“Yet I would continually sign up for this sh*t because it was something different, and anything different is good.”

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He explained: “Taking K is like being hit in the head with a giant happy shovel. But the hangover was rough and outweighed the shovel.”

The actor added: "Ketamine was not for me."

The 'acute effects of ketamine' were listed as a cause of death by the medical examiner.

Other contributing factors reported in Perry's death included drowning, coronary artery disease, and the opioid buprenorphine.

Perry spoke openly about his struggles with addiction, asserting that he wanted to use his experiences to help and support others.

In his memoir, he wrote: “The best thing about me, bar none, is that if somebody comes to me and says, ‘I can’t stop drinking, can you help me?’ I can say ‘yes’ and follow up and do it.

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“When I die, I don’t want Friends to be the first thing that’s mentioned. I want that to be the first thing that’s mentioned. And I’m gonna live the rest of my life proving that.”

In the wake of Perry's death, his Friends co-stars released a joint tribute to the actor, saying: "We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.

“In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world.”