Emerging evidence has shown that it can cause addiction and various adverse effects ranging from mild to life-threatening. At low doses, kratom has stimulant effects, boosting energy and making one more alert, while at higher doses, it creates opioid-like sedative effects, including relaxation and pain relief. The U.
S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has listed kratom as a “Drug and Chemical of Concern” due to its addiction potential and sedative effects. It is not approved by the U.
S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for medical use, and the agency considers kratom and food additives that contain it as unsafe. These products cannot lawfully be marketed in the United States.
Side effects associated with kratom use disorder include the following, broken into categories: Cardiovascular: rapid heart rate, palpitations Gastrointestinal: nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea Neurological: headache, disorientation, seizure Psychiatric: irritability, agitation, depressed mood, hallucinations Withdrawal symptoms may include agitation, muscle aches, and depression. Kratom has been linked to overdose deaths, though the rate remains low compared to other drugs. A 2019 report noted 11 kratom-related deaths from 2011 to 2017, while 200,000 opioid-related deaths occurred during the same period.
The FDA said that kratom’s contribution in these cases is still unclear since it was often used with other drugs like fentanyl in these cases. Oliver Grundmann, a clinical professor.