Kratom: Addictive and Dangerous
Maybe you’ve never heard of kratom but anyone who goes to shops selling paraphernalia for the consumption of cannabis surely has. Many of these shops sell kratom in shiny foil bags, right alongside their bongs and rolling papers. Some people call it a beneficial herb but others look at its opioid-like effects and are concerned about its potential for abuse and addiction.
Kratom is sourced from a tropical tree growing in Southeast Asia and it is usually sold as a powder or tea. Users say that it enhances their mood and how it can be used as either a stimulant or a sedative, depending on what type you buy and how much you consume.
Supporters tout it as a natural treatment for conditions such as chronic pain, anxiety, and depression. Some people recommend the use of kratom as a way to eliminate their use of opioids like oxycodone or even heroin. While some people be able to stop using one addictive substance, it comes with its own risk of addiction and damage to health. Risks of kratom use include:
- Weight loss
- Anorexia
- Constipation
- Psychosis
- Anxiety
- Liver and kidney failure (for those using high doses)
Unregulated
The FDA currently says that kratom is dangerous, and has pointed to the lack of an approved medical use as justification to stop numerous shipments of kratom products in the United States. Despite these steps, the sale of kratom has not yet been outlawed in the United States.
Kratom supporters argue, for instance, that there is no credible proof that kratom is an addictive substance. Yet that isn’t true, according to a Phoenix New Times article which highlighted a 2004 study on the tolerance and withdrawal effects of kratom in mice. The study was conducted jointly by the Josai International University in Japan and Chulalongkorn University in Thailand.
The chemical in kratom that has the potential to addict a person is 7-hydrocymitragynine. A person who develops a tolerance to this chemical also develops a tolerance to morphine, indicating a strong similarity between the two substances. Research has also noted that a person who stopped consuming a substance with 7-hydrocymitragynine will suffer withdrawal symptoms when they quit, one of the characteristics that defines an addictive substance.
Overdose Risk
Yes, a person can overdose on kratom—typically this only happens when a person takes it with another drug, alcohol or has a previous medical complication. The leaves contain a variety of alkaloids, two of which are primarily responsible for the plant's opiate-like effects: mitragynine, and 7-hydroxymitragynine. Taking high doses of kratom leads to sedation which causes a person to slip into a coma state when taken with other drugs.
Why does this happen? At higher doses, the alkaloids in kratom start acting on the receptors present in the brain-stem, which depresses the respiratory center. The respiratory center receives fewer signals to keep breathing and so the respiratory rate slows. When there are too many of these alkaloids present in the body, respiration can stop, ending a person’s life.
In a three-year period, more than a dozen deaths have been linked to the use of kratom but in each case, there was one or more other drugs involved. Not a single case has been reported so far that attributes the use of kratom on its own to lethality, however, with kratom’s growing popularity in the recreational drug scene, that number is expected to grow because typically people experimenting with drugs don’t fully educate themselves about the risks.
A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that from the 26 cases of kratom overdose in 2010, there has been an increase to 263 in 2015. If you overdose on this drug, you are likely to see symptoms like very fast heart rate, high blood pressure, nausea and even seizures.
If you care for someone who is struggling with dependence on kratom or any addictive substance, call Narconon. By helping a person recover from the trauma of the past and learn stronger life skills, it’s possible to rebuild your self-respect and gain greater self-control. In Oklahoma, Narconon Arrowhead has helped thousands of people from across the country and even around the world learn how to live sober, enjoyable lives once again. Should you or someone you know suffer from drug and alcohol addiction, please call us.
