The effects of kratom may not be as safe as you think

Although some believe that kratom is safe for the treatment of chronic or acute pain, various serious medical effects as well as 11 deaths have been caused by the effects of kratom.

According to a new study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy and the Central Ohio Poison Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital, USA, calls to poison control centers in the United States for effects and exposure to kratom increased.

What do you know about Kratom?

Over the years, kratom has become popular for the treatment of chronic or acute pain as well as mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. It is also often used to help with the withdrawal of opioids.

Although some believe that kratom is safe because it is categorized as herbal supplements, various serious medical outcomes as well as 11 deaths have been observed as a result of using kratom.

The study found that from January to December 2017, more than 1,800 calls were made to poison control centers in the United States regarding kratom exposures.

The annual number of calls has increased dramatically, from 13 calls in 2011 to 682 calls in 2017.

This equates to going from about one call a month to almost two calls a day.

Details of the study

Posted in the journal Clinical ToxicologyOverall, 32% of calls resulted in admission to a health facility and 52% resulted in serious medical consequences, particularly for adolescents and adults.

Taking kratom with another substance increased the chances of admission to a health facility (OR 2.80) and having a serious medical outcome (OR 2.25).

The medical effects observed in this study ranged from tachycardia (rapid heartbeat) to agitation / irritability and hypertension (high blood pressure) to seizures, coma (loss of consciousness), Increased bilirubin, renal failure and death.

Henry Spiller, MS, DABAT, co-author of this study and director of the Central Ohio Poison Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital, explains, "The use of kratom has been badociated with a variety of severe medical consequences, such as seizures and coma in adult severe withdrawal syndrome in the newborn. "

"People who choose to use kratom should be aware of the potential risks. The fact that it is currently clbadified as an herbal supplement does not mean that it is regulated or is safe. "

A drug of concern

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has clbadified kratom as a "drug of concern" and has not been approved for any medical use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

As it is not currently regulated, the quality, purity and concentration of the product vary considerably. The researchers are calling for FDA regulation to ensure product uniformity.

Of the 48 kratom exposures involving children 12 and under, 69% were children under two years of age, including seven newborns, five of whom were indented.

"As doctors, we need to inform pregnant women about the risks of using kratom during pregnancy and during badfeeding," says Spiller.