INSTANT RESULTS,
IN AN INSTANT

Potential Abuse of Kratom

In various parts of the world, kratom may be referred to under a variety of different names like Thang, Kakuam, Thom, Ketum, or Biak.

Even though there are no recognized medical uses for kratom in the US, it is not a controlled substance and is sold both online and in head shops. It is available in the form of chopped leaves used for making tea or capsules or tablets that are swallowed.

In addition to some of the associated negative effects such as tremors, nausea, anxiety, and sedation, users may experience even more harmful physical effects when kratom is combined with other drugs, including prescription medications.

Kratom Side Effects

Some of the chemicals found in kratom can interfere with the metabolism of other drugs by the liver. This can create dangerous drug interaction effects in kratom users who are also using other drugs (including legal medications). Such drug interactions can result in either an under- or over-activity of the concurrently taken medication, with consequences ranging from seizures to liver damage.

Kratom Addiction

Researchers have shown that the two main opiate-activating chemicals in kratom, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, can induce physical dependence in rodents after only 5 days. Likewise, human users in both Southeast Asia and the West have been reported to develop physiologic kratom dependencies after long-term use. Individuals who become dependent on kratom also may have developed tolerance to the drug–requiring progressively bigger doses of kratom to achieve the desired effects.