Kratom: What is it & what are the risks?
Some hail it as a miracle for beating opioid addiction, but it’s banned in some other states and countries; Kratom is causing concern in an Orlando emergency room as more patients are coming in with adverse outcomes.
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At just about any smoke and vape shop, the products behind the counter include the latest craze- Kratom, in liquid, powder, or capsule form.
“You can put them in your purse. You can put them in your car. You can put them in your pocket. They’re just quick, easy to go,” said Alexis Adams, manager of Spark in Ormond Beach.
Alexis Adams has seen an influx of customers seeking out the plant-based product at Spark in Ormond Beach. In the United States, about 1.7-million people over the age of 12 admitted to using Kratom in 2021.
Read: Authorities move to reclassify marijuana as less dangerous drug
“It has definitely grown just in the last four months, it’s gotten really big,” Adams said.
Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia that has both stimulant and sedative effects, depending on how it’s dosed.
“When someone comes in and says, ‘Hey, I’ve never tried Kratom, what do you recommend?’ My question is always, what do you want it for?” Adams said. “Do you want it for stress? Do you want it for pain management? Do you want it for focus, relaxation?”
Read: Family files lawsuit over Florida woman’s kratom-related death
That element of self-diagnosing, and self-dosing, has the DEA listing Kratom as a drug and chemical of concern. Emergency room toxicologist, Dr. Josef Thundiyil, is raising concerns as well.
“Many people that I’ve seen are using it to try to help wean off of opioid use disorder, or opioid addiction,” Dr. Thundiyil said. “It’s a concern because we still don’t have good studies to tell us who will benefit from it, what the right dose is, and who is going to be at risk for side effects.”
One of the known potential side effects is addiction, since Kratom mimics effects of an opioid. The drug has been blamed for dozens of deaths across the country, and here in Florida.
Read: Georgia governor signs law adding regulations for production, sale of herbal supplement kratom
“There is a perception, because it’s sold in the tea shop, that it is safe,” Dr. Thundiyil said. “And like with any drug, we don’t quite know what the safe dose is. We don’t know what the interactions might be with someone’s underlying medical conditions, or medications.”
Adams says her regulars have had positive outcomes, adding that using this is better than the alternative.
“They’ve been taking the opioids to help with pain, and they are replacing it, and it is helping them a lot,” Adams said. “I see a lot of changes in here.”
One of the most high-profile overdose cases was right here in Florida. The family of a Palm Beach County woman won an $11-million judgement after she died following the use of Kratom.
The American Kratom Association posted an update just a few days ago to its website, claiming the Florida Department of Agriculture is conducting seizures of Kratom products, something the Association plans to fight. Adams says she is not aware of this actually occurring.
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