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But people who use kratom regularly may experience withdrawal symptoms if they stop using it or cut back. The psychoactive compounds in kratom interact with opioid receptors in the brain. According to NIDA, people taking the drug at higher doses may experience sedation, pleasure, and decreased pain. But the federal Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration worry that kratom carries the risk of physical and psychological dependency and, in some people, addiction. Kratom products are legal in most states and are widely available. Due to the similarities between how kratom and opioids work on the brain messaging center responsible for pain and energy, the effects of kratom have been considered in treating opioid withdrawal.
Kratom acts similarly to these drugs, and it carries some similar risks, such as addiction, withdrawal, overdose, and death. Most of these deaths involved other substances, as well, such as opioids, benzodiazepines, alcohol, gabapentin (Horizant, Gralise, Neurontin), and over-the-counter medications. People can develop an opioid use disorder from taking kratom.
“Opiates” is the term for naturally occurring opioids, such as morphine and codeine. “I have seen that people who use kratom end up having a very hard time stopping the use of it,” says Steiger. Americans know the dangers of drugs such as morphine and heroin.
To learn more about kratom, visit nccih.nih.gov/health/kratom and nida.nih.gov/research-topics/kratom. That means there is the potential for pregnant mothers to pass the drug through the placenta to their unborn babies. That point is reinforced in the study by the fact that kratom is starting to show up in infants.
“If it is ever studied to a point that the FDA puts its thumb of approval on it, it will be in a purified form and there will be data that shows its safety,” Kaye said. Last week, U.S. marshals seized an estimated $3 million worth of kratom that was being sold as a supplement by an Oklahoma-based company. Globally, kratom is illegal or restricted in more than a dozen countries, including parts of Europe, Japan and Russia.
Give American Addiction Centers a call today free at to speak with one of our supportive and non-judgmental staff members. There has also been some evidence that long-term, high-dose kratom use can be damaging to the liver [4]. You’ll be dizzy, nauseous, tired, and you may have severe diarrhea to boot. It’s very unlikely for anybody to want to keep drinking kratom past this point. So it is clear that kratom could be a contributing factor in cases where an individual has overdosed, as many other things could have been contributing factors as well. Let’s compare kratom to something that has become a true crisis in the world today, opiates.
In the same light, taking large amounts of kratom over a long period of time can cause you to develop a dependence. What happens here is that your body learns to live with kratom. So when you decide to stop using the substance, your body manifests the symptoms of withdrawal. Of these deaths, nine involved kratom alongside other drugs and medications, including diphenhydramine, alcohol, caffeine, benzodiazepines, fentanyl, and cocaine. A person who takes kratom regularly may develop a physical dependency on the drug and may develop an opioid use disorder.
McClain Haddow, spokesperson for the American Kratom Association, agrees that the product should be sold only to people over age 18. White says that animal studies suggest kratom could be an effective pain reliever, but the collection of human data has only just begun. He says scientists need to conduct a lot more research before the appropriate level of regulation is clear. https://sober-home.org/alcohol-poisoning-symptoms-treatment/ White recently argued in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy that the safest place for kratom is behind pharmacy counters, for adults only, but with no prescription required. Mateo’s younger brother, Marco, struggled with an opioid addiction in high school. Mateo describes Marco as a charismatic, creative teen, passionate about video games, cartoons and anime.
The DEA notes several cases of psychosis or hallucinations have been reported after kratom consumption. Though possible, a research review suggests serious adverse effects from kratom are very rare. Kratom is an herbal product made from the https://sober-house.org/hallucinogens-effects-addiction-potential/ leaves of the kratom tree (Mitragyna speciosa), which is native to Southeast Asia. Kratom is sold as a tea or in capsules and marketed as a natural stimulant. A kratom overdose can result in extreme sedation and loss of consciousness.
As a natural herbal product, kratom is non-toxic even in large amounts. So although you might feel sick for a while after taking a megadose, it’s not likely that you’ll just have to ride it out. Keep in mind that everyone experiences kratom differently, and some people might manifest just a few of these symptoms while others experience the whole list. It’s also worth noting that while it might seem scary to take more kratom than your body can handle, the nature of the substance means that you’re unlikely to die. Doctors urge buyers to beware as its active ingredient, mitragynine, can be highly addicting, and has shown up in toxicology reports of some individuals who have died after ingesting the substance.
A person with kratom-induced liver damage may also develop jaundice over time. As with opioids, a person can overdose on kratom if they take very high doses. This may cause extreme sedation and a loss of consciousness. If a person has some level of physical dependence on kratom, they may experience withdrawal when they stop taking it. Compounds in kratom act similarly to opioids, and kratom withdrawal can cause similar symptoms to opioid withdrawal.
While some report kratom can help relieve pains, depression and anxiety and reduce symptoms of opioid withdrawal, at higher doses, the herbal substance can mimic an opioid. All this is to say that while some kratom users describe it as a miracle drug, it’s still a substance that scientists don’t understand all that well yet. For instance, a study published in August in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs showed that people who use kratom regularly can experience psychological withdrawal symptoms. For centuries, people in Southeast Asia have used its leaves for both increased energy and relaxation.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse says on its website that adverse side effects from kratom are rare but serious, and include psychiatric, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and respiratory problems. They note that a very small number of deaths have been linked to kratom and nearly all deaths involved other drugs or contaminants — which Kaye said is one of the major concerns with kratom in the U.S. https://rehabliving.net/alcohol-relapse-signs-symptoms-stages-causes-stats/ The reason for the increase in kratom use and overdose isn’t clear either. The drug’s increasing popularity is often seen has yet another facet of the United States’ ongoing opioid epidemic. There is some evidence to suggest kratom use during pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in newborns. There are also other health risks and adverse effects that people may experience when using the drug.
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