Author: Charles Frank

KRATOM: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews

The effects of kratom become stronger as the quantity taken increases. Exposure to kratom has been reported in an infant who was breastfed by a mother taking kratom. Kraton is the trade name given to a number of high-performance elastomers manufactured by Kraton Polymers, and used as synthetic replacements for rubber. Kraton polymers offer many of the properties of natural rubber, such as flexibility, high traction, and sealing abilities, but with increased resistance to heat, weathering, and chemicals. FDA is also aware of cases involving neonatal abstinence syndrome, in which newborns experienced withdrawal signs such as jitteriness, irritability, and muscle stiffness following prolonged exposure to kratom prior to birth. Due to lack of regulation, there’s also the risk of not knowing where the kratom you purchase is sourced from or if it might be laced with other substances.

Additional information about each of these programs can be found throughout the FDA website. FDA regularly exercises its authority to protect consumers from firms selling unapproved kratom drug products and making false or misleading claims about unproven “benefits” of kratom. Customs and Border Protection and with the Department of Justice to take numerous actions to limit the sale of unlawful kratom products in the U.S., such as refusing shipments of kratom and seizing kratom products. Therefore, kratom is not lawfully marketed in the U.S. as a drug product, a dietary supplement, or a food additive in conventional food. For more information on this topic or FDA’s seizure alerts, see Seizures and Injunctions. Kratom’s effects on the body may also depend on how it’s consumed, says David Cohen, clinical director at Harmony Place, an addiction treatment and recovery center in Woodland Hills, California.

So, at any temperature between about −90 °C and +100 °C Kraton SBS will act as a physically crosslinked elastomer. This is the reason such a material is called a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). The polystyrene blocks form domains of nanometre size in the microstructure, and they stabilize the form of the molded material. Depending on the rubber-to-polystyrene ratio in the material, the polystyrene domains can be spherical or form cylinders or lamellae. The hydrogenated Kraton polymers named Kraton G exhibit improved resistance to temperature (processing at 200–230 °C is common), to oxidation, and to UV. SEBS and SEPS due to their polyolefinic rubber nature present excellent compatibility with polyolefins and paraffinic oils.

The compensation we receive from advertisers does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides in our articles or otherwise impact any of the editorial content on Forbes Health. Traditionally, kratom leaves were chewed, brewed into tea, or used in cooking. Today it’s ground up in pills, or crushed and smoked like tobacco or marijuana. Kratom is not currently regulated in the United States, and federal agencies are taking action to combat false claims about kratom.

Information provided by NIDA is not a substitute for professional medical care or legal consultation. U.S. and international agencies have expressed concern that kratom products may cause serious harm.1 There are no uses for kratom approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the FDA has warned consumers not to use kratom products because of potential adverse effects. If eliminating kratom proves to be difficult, or if your child is struggling with withdrawal symptoms, then an evaluation by an addiction professional is in order. Unapproved drug products are one of the most challenging areas that FDA regulates, due to the complex and fragmented supply chain of distributors, wholesalers, retailers, and even individuals. These entities are not usually registered with FDA, may operate out of residences, and distribute kratom through sales made on the internet, social media, and small stores, using the mail or other package delivery services.

Kratom powder is a substance derived from the leaves of a plant native to Southeast Asia. There are a lot of substances in kratom, Dr. Seitz explains, “some of which haven’t even been properly identified.” Among those other substances, he says, seems to be something that acts like a benzodiazepine, an anti-anxiety medication. FDA recognizes that it is necessary to develop therapies for patients with unmet medical needs. FDA has numerous programs that help drug companies develop and obtain approval for new drug products.

What is FDA doing to support sound scientific research on kratom?

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1. Kratom’s two main active compounds are mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, which bind to the body’s opioid receptors and produce a morphine-like effect.
2. See more information on seeking substance use treatment and other medical attention.
3. Five of the seven infants who were reported to have been exposed to kratom went through withdrawal.
4. If you read health news or visit vitamin stores, you may have heard about kratom, a supplement that is sold as an energy booster, mood enhancer, pain reliever and antidote for opioid withdrawal.
5. There are epidemiological data suggesting that some individuals develop substance use disorder following kratom use.

Products prepared from kratom leaves are available in the U.S. through sales on the Internet and at brick-and-mortar stores. Kratom is often used to self-treat conditions such as pain, coughing, diarrhea, anxiety and depression, opioid use disorder, and opioid withdrawal. An estimated 1.7 million Americans aged 12 and older used kratom in 2021, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

FIND TREATMENT:

“I urge [kratom users] to get into treatment very soon,” says Dr. Dwenger, adding that kratom use is worsening the existing opioid epidemic, especially by increasing the risk of overdose for people who combine kratom with other substances like Xanax or alcohol. Some people take kratom to avoid the symptoms of opioid withdrawal and because kratom may be bought more easily than prescription drugs. If you read health news or visit vitamin stores, you may have heard about kratom, a supplement that is sold as an energy booster, mood enhancer, pain reliever and antidote for opioid withdrawal. However, the truth about kratom is more complicated, and the safety problems related to its use are concerning. The emergency and referral resources listed above are available to individuals located in the United States and are not operated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). NIDA is a biomedical research organization and does not provide personalized medical advice, treatment, counseling, or legal consultation.

When kratom is used during pregnancy, the baby may be born with symptoms of withdrawal that require treatment. Kratom is also used at music festivals and in other recreational settings. People who use kratom for relaxation report that because it is plant-based, it is natural and safe. However, the amount of active ingredient in kratom plants can vary greatly, making it difficult to gauge the effect of a given dose. Depending on what is in the plant and the health of the user, taking kratom may be very dangerous. Claims about the benefits of kratom can’t be rated because reliable evidence is lacking.

Quetiapine (Seroquel) interacts with KRATOM

If your teen is using kratom, it’s helpful to ask what it’s doing for them, and to discuss healthier things they can use or do instead. If it’s hard for your teen to beak their kratom addiction, then you should take them for an evaluation with an addiction professional. FDA has warned the public when certain kratom products were contaminated with Salmonella and/or concerning levels of heavy metals. These contaminants can put people at risk and can result in numerous documented illnesses. Further, kratom use is not recognized as a substance use disorder, which limits insurance coverage for detox and rehabilitation treatment. Kratom can exacerbate the effects of other “drugs of abuse,” says Dr. Dwenger, such as  benzodiazepines, stimulants, opiates and fentanyl.

About half of these exposures resulted in serious negative outcomes such as seizures and high blood pressure. Five of the seven infants who were reported to have been exposed to kratom went through withdrawal. Marianne Chai, MD, director of the Center for Living in New York, first encountered kratom a few years ago when a teenage boy came to her office for addiction treatment.

Consistent with FDA’s practice with unapproved substances, until the agency scientists can evaluate the safety and effectiveness of kratom (or its components) in the treatment of any medical conditions, FDA will continue to warn the public against the use of kratom for medical treatment. The agency will also continue to monitor emerging data trends to better understand the substance and its components. In addition to aiding academics and drug companies who are interested in studying kratom, FDA is planning to conduct its own clinical study with kratom through its Controlled Substance Staff (CSS), the group at FDA that assesses whether drugs have abuse potential.