Kratom Addiction

October 31, 2021

3 min read

Approximately 23 million Americans each year report suffering from some form of substance abuse while only 10% of them seek treatment, according to the Partnership to End Addiction. Peer pressure, abuse, and exposure to drugs at an early age contribute to the growing numbers of people suffering from substance abuse and addictions.

Substance abuse can be found in the form of alcohol, legal drugs, and illegal drugs. Of the many legal and illegal drugs available, Kratom is brought into question by health professionals often.

What is Kratom?

The Mitragyna Speciosa is a plant that is native to Southeast Asia and is found within the same family of the coffee tree. The leaves of the Mitragyna Speciosa plant contain compounds known as Kratom that can have psychotropic effects on the brain.

Psychotropic drugs alter neurotransmitters in the brain causing an effect on a person’s thoughts, perception, mood, and behavior. Increasing and/or decreasing neurotransmitters in the brain lead to certain mental health disorders.

How is Kratom Used?

In areas such as Southeast Asia, Thailand, and other tropical countries, Kratom is used to combat fatigue and common gastrointestinal complications, such as diarrhea. It is common for people to use the leaves to make an herbal tea to drink or simply chew on the leaves themselves to ingest the compounds found within them.

Individuals often:

Crush Kratom and smoke it
Ingest via pill form
Make tea
Chew the leaves

In addition, kratom is sometimes used for withdrawal from morphine, heroin, and other opioid drugs.

How does Kratom work?

Kratom interacts with opioid receptors in the brain and alters the brain’s chemical receptors that affect emotional regulation and pleasure. Kratom contains mitragynine, which is a chemical. Mitragynine works similar to opioid drugs, like morphine and codeine, to provide pain relief.

In low doses, Kratom has been known to increase alertness and energy, similar to the effects of a stimulant drug. However, at higher doses, Kratom acts as a sedative or pain management drug.

Kratom side effects and safety concerns

According to the Mayo Clinic, various poison control centers from 2011 to 2017 received approximately 1,800 reports of negative effects, including death, as a result of the use of Kratom.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reported no approved use of Kratom and with the many negative effects reported of this substance, they are actively evaluating and studying all scientific data available.

There have been many concerning side effects reported including:

Weight loss
Xerostomia or dry mouth
Chills
Nausea
Vomiting
Changes in urine
Muscle pain
Dizziness
Drowsiness

More concerning and life-threatening side effects include:

Liver damage
Depression
Hallucinations
Suppressed breathing
Seizures
Coma
Death

Is Kratom addictive?

Kratom is thought to affect the same opioid receptors as morphine, a powerful and highly addictive prescription pain management medication.

Mind-altering drugs, such as Kratom, stimulate the chemical messengers produced in the brain and sent throughout the body. When opioid receptors in the brain are filled with drugs like Kratom, the individual will feel a rush of euphoria or a “high” feeling.

When drugs like Kratom or other opioids are regularly used, the brain’s chemistry is altered and unable to send chemical messengers throughout the body or central nervous system without them resulting in drug dependence.

How is an addiction to kratom treated?

Addiction is a very serious medical condition that requires immediate intervention and therapy to combat it. Through treatment, an individual will experience withdrawal symptoms from the dependency and detoxification process including:

Muscle aches
Anxiety
Insomnia
Irritability
Hostility
Aggression
Involuntary movements and/or jerking motions

While treatment plans are specific to each individual depending on their medical history and what they are addicted to, there are no specific treatment plans in place to treat an addiction to Kratom.

Medical professionals will treat the symptoms shown and provide therapy, including behavioral therapy, throughout the detoxification process.

Addiction is a common condition affecting millions of Americans each year. In addition to the individual suffering, families, and friends of the person are left to suffer as well. Treatment for substance abuse and addiction is very taxing on an individual, but with a great support system, anyone can make it through.