What's Kratom? Parents Claim the Drug Drove Son to Suicide
The late John Eden, right, with his sister and parents, who are speaking out about his Kratom addiction. (Photo: courtesy of Lauren Eden)
The parents of a University of Georgia student who committed suicide earlier this month are now speaking out about it â specifically about an unregulated drug called Kratom they say their son John Eden was addicted to, in an aim to save others from the same tragic fate.
âI had a feeling he was on the ledge, and next thing I know I get a knock on my door from a sheriff,â mom Lauren Eden tells Yahoo Parenting, through tears. He told her that John, who was a 22-year-old junior in the Navy Intelligence program, had shot himself while sitting in his truck on May 3.
STORY: I Almost Lost My Daughters to Anorexia and Depression
In the months leading up to that day, she says, her son had come to her and asked for help with what he called an addiction to the substance, which he had initially turned to for his anxiety. She had looked into rehab programs, âbut no one had never heard of Kratom,â she recalls. âAnd at that point we didnât know where to turn.â
Lauren, who also has a 25-year-old daughter with her husband John, shared her sonâs suicide note during an interview with WSBTV. ââMom and Dad, I loved you very much,ââ she read. ââPlease know there was nothing you could do. I tried everything. Iâve ruined myself with drugs.â
STORY: Should You Smoke Pot With Your Teenager?
She said he was referring to an age-old Asian herbal supplement called Kratom, which can be used as either a stimulant or a sedative depending on the dosage, and which is made from the leaves of a tree thatâs native to Thailand, Malaysia, and Burma. Though a spike in usage has led to recent bans in just a handful of states, including Tennessee and Indiana, itâs not federally regulated and is easy to purchase online. Bags of Kratom, Lauren says, were found in her sonâs apartment.
John Eden. (Photo: courtesy of Lauren Eden)
So how dangerous is it? That depends on whom you talk to. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has placed it on its list of Drugs and Chemicals of Concern (in the same company as bath salts and the cough suppressant DXM). âIt means itâs not scheduled but is one weâre aware thereâs been issues with,â DEA special agent Joseph Moses tells Yahoo Parenting, noting theyâve had reports of Kratom related psychosis. âItâs more for public awareness.â
When ingested in low doses, typically as a tea or pellets, notes the DEA fact sheet on Kratom, the drug, which can be addictive, can cause increased alertness and physical energy. At higher doses, users experience sedative effects.
In addition, the fact sheet states, âSeveral cases of psychosis resulting from use of Kratom have been reported, where individuals addicted to Kratom exhibited psychotic symptoms, including hallucinations, delusion, and confusion. Withdrawal effects include symptoms of hostility, aggression, mood swings, runny nose, achy muscles and bones, and jerky movement of the limbs.â
In 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it had seized more than 25,000 pounds of raw Kratom (mitragyna speciosa) from a California warehouse, issuing a warning that the drug can have âpharmacological effects similar to morphine and other opiates.â The seizure, a spokesperson noted, âwas taken to safeguard the public from this dangerous product, and FDA will continue to take aggressive enforcement actions against products that are promoted for uses that are unapproved.â
Just one of many websites selling Kratom online.
Although she knew her son had begun taking the drug, Johnâs mother Lauren admits, âI thought it was harmless. He bought it online.â (Indeed, a quick search for purchasing Kratom brings up many options, including a site offering eight different types for prices ranging from $45 to $78 per 4-ounce packet.)
Last year, the family of a Denver man named Guy Garcia, 36, spoke out about the drug after a seizure that killed him, apparently triggered by a Kratom overdose. Garciaâs death certificate, said his mom, listed âapparent acute mitragynine toxicityâ as cause of death â a reference to Kratomâs chemical compound, mitragynine. The drug was also blamed (but not confirmed) in the deaths of several others, including a 31-year-old Montana woman and a teenage boy in Florida named Ian Mautner. âHe became argumentative; his eyes would roll back in his head. He was delusional at times. He was not the same person,â his mother, Linda Mautner, told CBS Miami last year.
Florida lawmakers are now in the process of attempting to ban the drug in that state, and itâs already illegal Tennessee, Indiana, Vermont, and Wisconsin. But the efforts have ignited a seemingly small but vocal faction of Kratom supporters who say it has important health benefits. Theyâve started online petitions, spoken at legislative hearings, and formed coalitions in an effort to keep it legal.
The Botanical Legal Defense, for example â which has a website, albeit with no biographical details about its organizers â is âdedicated to fighting over-reaching government criminalization of natureâs most significant gifts. Chief among these is Mitragyna speciosa (aka Kratom), a natural analgesic, muscle relaxer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant.â The herbal supplement, the website explains, has been âwidely misrepresented as dangerous and without medical value, when the truth is that is has already been under the scrutiny of the scientific community and has been found to be not only benign, but highly therapeutic.â A series of Reddit threads on the pros and cons of Kratom contain, along with warnings of its potency, first-person accounts of how the drug was beneficial.
Still, Johnâs parents say they will not back down with their message. âIâm talking about our young people,â Lauren says. âThis has to become illegal â or at least something that is only prescribed to someone under a doctorâs care.â
Please follow @YahooParenting on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Have an interesting story to share about your family? Email us at YParenting (at) Yahoo.com.