KEtamine: there is this substance behind The new revelations about Matthew Perry’s death. Just over a year after the tragic death of the beloved Chandler Bing of the cult series Friends, Disturbing details emerge on the case. The US actor, who died in October 2023 at 54 years old, He was at the center of an investigation that led to anAdmission of guilt by a doctor Californian, Dr. Salvador Plasencia. In front of the Federal Court of Los Angeles, Plasencia declared himself guilty of four charges for having illegally administered ketamine to the actor. The sentence is expected in the coming months, with a possible sentence of up to 40 years in prison.
Matthew Perry and Ketamine
Matthew Perry was known not only for his artistic talent, but also for his fight against adddenza, a theme that he had publicly dealt with courageously. The actor He had long followed a ketamine therapy, an anesthetic used in psychiatry to treat resistant depression. However, the substance, if taken improperly, can generate euphoric effects and become dangerous. Here is everything you need to know.
What is ketamine
Matthew Perry, on September 23, 2012 at the Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Ketamine is A substance with two faces: an essential anesthetic in the medical field and a Promising treatment for depression, but also one of the most common substances of abuse in Europe. Known with road names such as Special K, Kit kat or Vitamin Kthis substance is at the center of a paradox: according to the Sito dell ‘Mario Negri – IRCCS pharmacological research institute, saves lives in clinical contexts, but it can become dangerous when used improperly.
A “kind” and indispensable anesthetic
Defined as “kind anesthetic”, ketamine is appreciated for his ability to induce sedation without seriously compromising breathingunlike other anesthetics. “Ketamine reduces neuronal excitement and can induce anesthesia, analgesia and dissociative states “we read the website of the Institute of Pharmacological Research Mario Negri – IRCCS. And its usefulness is underlined in emergency situations, such as surgery or intensive care interventions.
Its importance is such that the World Health Organization has inserted it in the list of essential drugs, mandatory in each hospital. Even in veterinary, ketamine is a privileged choice to anesthetize animals of different sizes, guaranteeing safety and effectiveness.
The use of ketamine for depression
In the last twenty years, research has highlighted The potential of ketamine in the treatment of resistant depression. In 2019, the European Commission approved Execine, a derivative of ketamine, as an antidepressant drug. “The antidepressant effects of the estemine would seem to be rapid and lasting, visible within a few hours of taking “reports the website of the Mario Negri Institute. However, its use is sthirtiers regulated due to side effects such as dissociationcognitive deficits and risks for liver and bladder, which require careful medical monitoring.
The dark side: ketamine as a drug
Outside the clinical contexts, ketamine becomes a substance of abuse, often consumed in combination with alcohol or cocaine. Sniffed, injected or ingested in tablets, produces effects that vary from a light euphoria to extreme dissociation statesin which the mind seems to “detach” from the body. “It is possible to enter a condition of dissolution of the ego “warns the website of the Institute of Pharmacological Research Mario Negri – IRCCS. And describes experiences that may include visual and auditory hallucinations or the loss of the ability to distinguish sensations such as hot and cold. This state, wanted for the “high”, involves several risks: the effect of ketamine can lead to serious injuries without the consumer realizing it.
Prolonged use is even more worrying. Ketamine can cause dependence and serious damage to the bladder, until it requires, in extreme cases, cistectomy, i.e. the removal of the organ. “Ketamine damages the epithelial cells of which the bladder is covered “explains the institute’s website, highlighting how abuse compromises the body’s ability to contain urine. In addition, regular consumption can lead to a “bad trip”, with Devastating psychological effects, such as paranoid thoughts and long -term mental imbalances.
A growing illegal market
While in the medical field, ketamine is administered only in the hospital and execmine requires rigorous supervision, the illegal market is expanding. “The” online pharmacies “proliferate that declare to provide any quantity of the substance in a short time and in every part of the world without any prescription”, denounces the website of the Institute of Pharmacological Research Mario Negri – IRCCS. This uncontrolled trade feeds the risks related to abuse, making a reflection urgently on how to manage a substance as precious as it is dangerous.
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