FDA issues strong warning about kratom to treat pain, opioid addiction

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a public health advisory about risks associated with kratom, an herbal supplement used to treat pain and reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms.

Mitragyna speciose, commonly known as kratom, is an evergreen tree found in Southeast Asia, including Thailand and Malaysia. It is used to treat pain, anxiety and depression, with reported effects similar to opioids. The FDA noted the risk for addiction and misuse. The FDA release cited a 10-fold increase in kratom-related calls to poison control centers between 2010 and 2015.

“The FDA is aware of reports of 36 deaths associated with the use of kratom-containing products,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, in a Nov. 14 statement. “There have been reports of kratom being laced with other opioids like hydrocodone. The use of kratom is also associated with serious side effects like seizures, liver damage and withdrawal symptoms.”

The move from the FDA comes a month after the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) delayed plans of temporarily banning the substance. The DEA had planned to list kratom as a schedule 1 drug, which means it is a drug with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.

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Nicholas Leider, Managing Editor

Nicholas joined TriMed in 2016 as the managing editor of the Chicago office. After receiving his master’s from Roosevelt University, he worked in various writing/editing roles for magazines ranging in topic from billiards to metallurgy. Currently on Chicago’s north side, Nicholas keeps busy by running, reading and talking to his two cats.

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