What Is Kratom? Understanding the Basics
What Is Kratom?
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), kratom refers to Mitragyna speciosa, a tropical tree in Southeast Asia, and the many products that are derived from its leaves to create herbal supplements.
Kratom leaves contain a variety of chemical compounds known as bioactive alkaloids, which can have different effects on the body and brain.
What Is Mitragyna Speciosa?
Mitragyna speciosa, which is commonly called kratom, specifically refers to the tropical tree that kratom products come from.
Mitragyna speciosa is an evergreen tree in the Rubiaceae family, best known for coffee containing bioactive metabolites. Additionally, Mitragyna speciosa is only native to Southeast Asia and is known for its dark green, glossy leaves and smooth, grey bark.
Where Does Kratom Come From in Southeast Asia?
Kratom is native to several countries across Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Cambodia.
What Are Kratom Leaves Traditionally Used For?
Kratom leaves have been used traditionally for centuries in Southeast Asia for a variety of ailments, including to boost energy, improve mood, and provide pain relief, especially among workers doing hard labor.
How Kratom Is Used and Marketed
What Is the Drug Kratom Used For?
Today, kratom is often used to self-treat conditions such as fatigue, chronic pain, mental health conditions like depression and anxiety, and to manage drug withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
Kratom products have also been used by individuals as an alternative treatment for coughing, diarrhea, and muscle pain relief related to opioid use disorder (OUD) and opioid withdrawal symptoms.
Is Kratom a Dietary Supplement?
Although a dietary supplement may contain kratom, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that kratom is not an appropriate substance for use as a dietary supplement.
The FDA doesn’t consider kratom to be a suitable dietary supplement because there isn’t an adequate amount of information and scientific data to provide reasonable assurance that it doesn’t present a significant or unreasonable risk of harm.
What Is Kratom Extract?
Kratom extract is the highly concentrated liquid version of the substance, derived from the kratom leaves.
What Do Kratom Products Look Like?
Kratom products can come in a variety of consumable forms, such as:
- Liquid kratom extract
- Powder mixes for drinks and food
- Kratom leaves can be brewed for tea
- Gel capsules, compressed or chewable tablets, gummy candies
- Kratom leaves can be crushed and smoked or dried and chewed on
What Is 7-Hydroxymitragynine in Kratom?
7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) is one of the naturally occurring chemical compounds known as bioactive alkaloids found in kratom.
Although 7-hydroxymitragynine accounts for only two percent or less of the total alkaloids in dried kratom leaves, it is highly potent. In comparison to primary alkaloids like mitragynine and well-known opioids like morphine, 7-hydroxymitragynine has substantially greater mu opioid receptors (MOR).
Mu opioid receptors are opioid receptors that help regulate pain, sleep, stress, mood, motivation, memory, and physiological functions such as temperature regulation, respiration, and gastrointestinal activity. 7-OH functions as a partial agonist by binding to and activating opioid receptors in the brain to have opioid-like effects for pain relief.
Kratom Strains, Types, and Potency Differences
What Are the Main Kratom Color Categories?
The main kratom color categories are red vein kratom, white vein kratom, green vein kratom, and yellow and gold kratom strains.
What Are Regional Kratom Strains?
The regional kratom strains are strains named for the geographical location they come from in Southeast Asia, such as Maeng Da Kratom, Bali Kratom, Borneo Kratom, Thai Kratom, Malay Kratom, and Bentuangie Kratom.
What Is the Strongest Kratom Strain?
Red kratom is the strongest and most potent strain of kratom.
Do Different Kratom Strains Have Different Effects?
Anecdotally, vendors and kratom users have noted different effects based on the kratom strains.
Listed below are some of the differences in effect between kratom strains:
- Red kratom: Soothing, relaxing, calming, stress relief, and sedative effects for bedtime use
- Green kratom: Calming, pain relief, and energizing effects for daytime use
- White kratom: Energy boost, alertness, focus, and stimulant effects for morning use
Effects of Kratom on the Body And Brain
What Are the Effects of Kratom?
At low doses, kratom can have stimulant-like effects, while higher doses can have sedative or opioid-like effects.
Does Kratom Get You High?
Yes, especially when abused, the use of kratom can produce a high or euphoria that’s similar to the effects of abusing opioids.
Low doses of kratom act like an upper that creates a stimulant-like effect that makes you more alert and energetic. In comparison, high doses produce sedative-like effects that contribute to calm, relaxation, less anxiety, pain relief, and euphoria.
What Does Kratom Do to the Brain?
Depending on the dosage, kratom alkaloids, especially mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, can have a variety of complex effects on the brain, including:
- Sedative and stimulant effects from binding to mu opioid receptors
- Affecting mood and emotional stability by binding to serotonin and dopamine receptors
How Long Does Kratom Last in the Body?
On average, kratom can last in the body for one to seven days for occasional use of kratom, while kratom can stay in the system for weeks or longer in chronic or heavy kratom users.
However, the length of time kratom lasts in the body is dependent on several factors, including body weight, dosage, duration of use, age, individual metabolism, method of consumption, and mixing with other substances.
What Are the Benefits People Report From Kratom?
People report that kratom provides pain relief, boosts energy and alertness, helps manage anxiety and depression symptoms, improves mood, increases sociability, improves sleep, and helps manage drug withdrawal symptoms.
Can Kratom Cause Drowsiness or Dry Mouth?
Yes, drowsiness and dry mouth are common side effects of kratom use.
Does Kratom Affect Weight Loss or Appetite?
Yes, loss of appetite is one of the common side effects of kratom, which can lead to weight loss from long-term use of kratom.
Risks, Side Effects, And Safety Concerns
Is Kratom Safe to Use?
No, kratom products are generally not considered safe for use, as noted by the FDA, and are illegal or restricted in more than a dozen countries.
What Are the Side Effects of Kratom?
The use of kratom comes with mild to severe side effects, such as:
- Constipation and frequent urination
- Dry mouth, itchiness, sweating
- Dizziness, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, weight loss, anorexia
- Drowsiness, sedation, psychosis
- Hypothyroidism, irregular heartbeat, liver damage
- Seizures, tremor, muscle pain
What Are the Health Risks of Kratom?
The adverse health risks of kratom include liver damage, severe side effects, dependence and addiction, kratom withdrawal, toxicity, overdose, and potential contamination-related illnesses.
Can Kratom Cause Toxicity?
Yes, especially when consumed in high doses, mixing it with other substances, or a preexisting medical condition, kratom can cause toxicity.
Can Kratom Be Contaminated With Salmonella or Other Pathogens?
Yes, the FDA has recalled numerous kratom products due to links to multiple outbreaks from different strains of Salmonella and other cross-contaminants.
Can Kratom Cause Psychosis or Mental Health Effects?
Kratom in high doses can cause severe side effects like psychosis.
The mood-altering and stimulant-like effects of kratom at any dose can exacerbate mental health issues for those who are predisposed or have certain preexisting conditions.
Can Kratom Affect Liver Health?
Chronic, recreational use of kratom can lead to a variety of kratom-related liver issues, including elevated liver enzymes, liver toxicity, acute liver injury, and liver damage.
What Are Kratom-Related Safety Issues?
Some of the kratom-related safety issues the FDA, NIDA, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have identified include:
- Harmful contaminants: Many products may contain heavy metals and harmful bacteria
- Adverse side effects: Constipation, seizures, heart and lung problems
- Overdose: Small but possible risk of overdose death
- Drug interactions: Polysubstance use is associated with liver problems and death
- Health and safety effects: Lack of research on intoxication, long-term use, and liver issues
- Pregnancy effects: Opioid-like neonatal abstinence syndrome and lack of studies on the use of kratom before, during, and after pregnancy
Is Kratom Approved By the FDA?
No, kratom products are not FDA-approved for any medical condition.
Kratom and Substance Use Concerns
Is Kratom Addictive?
Yes, regular use of kratom carries the risk of addiction with both opioid-like effects and stimulant effects.
How Addictive Is Kratom?
Regular use of kratom is associated with physical dependence, kratom withdrawal, and opioid-like effects.
However, it is significantly less likely to cause dependence compared to stimulants and traditional opioids like fentanyl.
Can Kratom Lead to Substance Use Disorder?
Yes, regular and heavy use of kratom can lead to substance use disorder (SUD), which can include cravings, kratom withdrawal symptoms, and an inability to stop kratom use despite its negative consequences.
What Are the Risks of Mixing Kratom With Other Substances?
Some of the health risks of mixing kratom with other substances include:
- Increased toxicity and amplified side effects
- Excessive sedation, respiratory depression, and respiratory failure
- Cardiovascular complications, serotonin syndrome, and liver stress
- Risk of kratom addiction, overdose, and overdose death
- Unpredictable effects, such as a lack of regulation for the potency and purity of kratom products
Kratom Use, Misuse, and Misconceptions
Can You Smoke Kratom?
Technically, kratom can be smoked or used to vape, but it’s unsafe because it bypasses the digestive system and quickly enters the bloodstream, leading to rapid absorption and unpredictable effects.
Can You Snort Kratom?
Some people snort kratom because they believe it will provide faster or more intense results.
However, snorting kratom not only doesn’t dissolve the way other drugs do, but it also comes with numerous health risks like damage to the nasal passages, throat, and upper respiratory tract.
What Happens When Kratom Is Taken in High Doses?
When taken at high doses, kratom can lead to sedative effects, euphoria, dependence, liver damage, and other severe side effects like nausea, vomiting, and difficulty breathing.
What Happens With Long-Term Kratom Use?
Long-term use of kratom can result in adverse effects like weight loss, anorexia, psychosis, liver damage, cognitive impairment, seizures, addiction, and withdrawal symptoms.
Is Kratom Used for Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms?
Some individuals self-medicate with kratom to alleviate opioid withdrawal symptoms, but it is not used in a medical setting.
Kratom Withdrawal and Dependence
What Is Kratom Withdrawal?
Kratom withdrawal is the set of physical and psychological symptoms that arise from discontinuing kratom use.
What Are Kratom Withdrawal Symptoms?
Some of the common mild to moderate kratom withdrawal symptoms include:
- Loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and cramping, diarrhea
- Hot flashes, sweating, tremors, cravings
- Runny nose, watery eyes, tension
- Jerky movements, restlessness, sleep issues, mood swings
How Long Does Kratom Withdrawal Last?
On average, kratom withdrawal can last for three to seven days or longer, depending on factors like length of use, dosage, and individual physiology.
What Is Kratom Withdrawal Insomnia?
Kratom withdrawal insomnia is a common withdrawal symptom in which you experience difficulty falling or staying asleep after discontinuing kratom use.
Is Kratom Withdrawal Similar to Opioid Withdrawal?
Kratom withdrawal and opioid withdrawal are similar, but kratom withdrawal symptoms are often mild or moderate compared to the moderate to severe physical symptoms seen with opioids.
What Is a Kratom Hangover?
Kratom hangover is a collection of unpleasant physical and mental symptoms that linger after the effects of kratom use have worn off.
Hangover symptoms can range from headaches and fatigue to brain fog and mood changes, and often occur at higher doses or with prolonged use of kratom.
Can Kratom Withdrawal Affect Mental Health?
Yes, some mental symptoms of kratom withdrawal can include restlessness, irritability, depression, anxiety, and emotional instability.
Kratom Detox and Getting Off Kratom
How Long Does It Take to Detox From Kratom?
It typically takes five to seven days to fully detox from kratom after your last dose.
How Do You Get Off Kratom Safely?
The safest way to stop using kratom is to seek support from healthcare professionals in a detox program where you have 24/7 medical and psychiatric care, monitoring, and pharmacological support with medication management when appropriate.
Can Healthcare Professionals Help With Kratom Detox?
Yes, healthcare professionals can provide the medical support and supervision needed for a safer and more comfortable detox process.
Does Suboxone Help With Kratom Withdrawal?
Yes, since kratom binds to opioid receptors, Suboxone can work much like it does in opioid withdrawal to reduce cravings and manage other withdrawal symptoms.
Kratom Addiction and Treatment Options
Can You Become Addicted to Kratom?
Yes, using kratom regularly and especially in high doses can lead to addiction.
Do People Go to Rehab for Kratom?
Yes, support is available through treatment programs to detox and recover from kratom addiction.
At Legacy Outdoor Adventures, we provide a safe, supportive, and stable environment to recover with full-time support, medical supervision, mental health services, physical health care, regular counseling, and 12-Step support under one roof.
What Treatment Options Exist for Kratom Addiction?
Several treatment options are available to treat kratom addiction:
- Inpatient and outpatient detox programs
- Medication-assisted treatment (MAT), such as buprenorphine-naloxone (Suboxone) and naltrexone
- Behavioral therapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Support groups like group therapy and 12-Step meetings
Can Kratom Addiction Be Treated in Inpatient Rehab?
Yes, kratom addiction can be treated in an inpatient or residential program.
At Legacy Outdoor Adventures, we combine evidence-based therapy with stimulating outdoor activities in a residential program that treats the whole person with clinical guidance and outcome-informed support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is kratom an opioid?
Kratom isn’t classified as a traditional opioid like fentanyl or morphine, but it does act on the same opioid receptors in the brain and can produce opioid-like effects.
Is kratom legal?
At the federal level, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) doesn’t consider kratom to be a controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act and its not approved for medical use by the FDA, but its legality can vary at the state level.
Kratom is currently illegal in several states like Alabama and Vermont, while other states have strict age restrictions and ID requirements for kratom use. Even if kratom is legal in a state, cities and counties in that state may impose their own restrictions on access, use, and vendor requirements.
Does kratom show up on a drug test?
Kratom doesn’t show up on standard drug tests like 5-panel and 10-panel tests, but specialized drug tests can detect kratom up to several days after consumption.
Is kratom safe for medical use?
No, kratom is not considered safe for medical use, as a dietary supplement, or for any other use.
What cannot be mixed with kratom?
Kratom can’t be mixed with depressants like alcohol, benzodiazepines, opioids, and sedatives.
What are the risks of long-term kratom use?
Addiction, psychosis, insomnia, weight loss, liver damage, and other serious adverse effects.
What is the street name for kratom?
Kratom has several street names, including thang, kakuam, thom, ketum, and biak.
What does kratom do to your mind?
Kratom binds to opioid receptors in the brain to create stimulant-like effects and opioid-like effects that can boost energy and mood, increase alertness and focus, cause sedation and euphoria, alleviate anxiety, cause mood swings, and exacerbate mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.
Understanding kratom addiction and knowing what treatment options are available to you is invaluable to making an informed decision about your health and long-term well-being. If you or a loved one is struggling with stopping kratom use, kratom withdrawal, or functioning in your daily life, Legacy Outdoor Adventures can provide clinical, outcome-informed care, a mutually supportive community, and the restorative splendor of nature needed for transformative healing.
