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A doctor who admitted to selling out ketamine to the actor matthew perry In the weeks before his death from an overdose in 2023 This will be the first of the five people to be punished Wednesday in case
Ketamine, a powerful sedative, has been approved for clinical use as an anesthetic since the 1970s, when it was first given to injured American soldiers during surgery in the Vietnam War.
more recently, Medicine Has found renewed support in the medical establishment for a variety of applications ranging from pain management Treatment Some mental disorders, including severe depression. Ketamine has also gained increasing popularity as an illegal party drug.
Five people, including two physicians who were accused of illegally purchasing ketamine for Perry, pleaded guilty to federal drug charges brought after the actor’s death in Los Angeles. The first of these, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, will appear in federal court on Wednesday the defendants should be punished,
Here’s what ketamine is and how it is used.
What is ketamine and how is it given?
Labeled as a “dissociative anesthetic hallucinogen” because it produces pain, anxiety, and a feeling of isolation from the environment, ketamine can be injected, mixed into solutions for infusion or absorbed under the tongue as a dissolving tablet.
In January 2025, the US Food and Drug Administration expanded approval for Johnson & Johnson’s ketamine-derived nasal spray Spratto as a standalone medication for patients with severe depression resistant to other types of treatments.
It was first approved for use in combination with antidepressant medications, and later for patients experiencing suicidal thoughts or actions.
The fast-acting drug works by targeting the neurotransmitter glutamate.
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, ketamine is often snorted or smoked in powder form by individuals who abuse it for recreational purposes.
How is ketamine used as a street drug?
Ketamine has become increasingly popular among recreational drug users, a trend linked to the spread of nightclub “rave” culture. Classified by the DEA as a Schedule III controlled substance – defined as having moderate to low potential for abuse – ketamine has adopted a variety of street names over the years, including “Vitamin K,” “Kit Kat” and “Special K.”
In the case of Perry, who starred in the hit TV sitcom Friend and publicly acknowledged history of substance abuse, the path to his fatal overdose began with ketamine injections he received at a licensed clinic to treat depression. While Perry relied on an illegal network of suppliers and supporters to feed his latest addiction, Perry resorted to injecting the drug at home unsupervised, after which it ended up in his hot tub, according to law enforcement officials.
“When doctors at the clinic refused to increase his dosage, he turned to unscrupulous doctors who saw Perry as a way to make a quick buck,” Anne Milgram, then DEA director, said in August 2023 when the defendants were charged.
Ketamine applications other than depression
Ketamine is rarely used nowadays as the primary general anesthetic for surgery, except in cases involving trauma or severe burn injuries. This is because, in high doses, it can cause hallucinations, increase blood pressure and cause other unwanted side effects, according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists.
Ketamine is often used for simple procedures that require short-term sedation or as a supplemental anesthetic given during surgery to help manage residual pain after an operation, the group said.
A growing body of medical science supports the benefits of ketamine in treating a variety of neurological conditions, including epilepsy, stroke, and migraine.
How ketamine killed matthew perry
Perry, 54, was found face down and lifeless in the hot tub of her Los Angeles home by her live-in assistant in October 2023. An autopsy concluded that Perry died from the acute effects of ketamine and other factors, which caused him to become unconscious and drown.
Toxicology tests found ketamine in Perry’s body at high levels, well within the range typically associated with general anesthesia used in monitored surgical care.
According to the autopsy report, those concentrations would have greatly stimulated Perry’s heart rate while disrupting his breathing, potentially rendering him unconscious before his face slipped below the surface of the water.
Placenia had shown Perry’s live-in personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, how to administer ketamine. According to court documents, Iwamasa admitted to injecting Perry multiple times at the actor’s request, including on the day of his death.
additional risk factors
Dr. David Mahjoubi, an anesthesiologist who is the owner and medical director of the Ketamine Healing Clinic of Los Angeles, said therapy involving the drug is not recommended for people showing symptoms of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
Dr. Gerard Sancora, a professor of psychiatry at Yale University, said ketamine therapy could be especially risky for patients with heart disease or high blood pressure.