"Kratom, a Southeast Asian tree in the coffee family, has become widely available in the United States in various forms for several years now. It is often sold at convenience stores, gas stations, and online. As an addiction psychiatrist, I saw use and abuse of kratom explode during the COVID-19 pandemic. This herbal extract has been used medicinally for centuries in Thailand and other Asian countries. Its leaves have traditionally been chewed or smoked as a remedy for managing pain and fatigue."
"Though kratom was promoted as a cure for pain, insomnia, anxiety, and depression, people began using it for opioid withdrawal as well. In low doses, it acts as a stimulant and in higher doses as an opioid. The extract of the plant can be turned into a liquid product, which is marketed as a treatment for muscle pain, cramps, and diarrhea. It is widely available in Florida, where I practice, and is found in local stores, gas stations, and strip mall smoke and vape shops."
Kratom is an herbal extract from leaves of a Southeast Asian tree in the coffee family that has been used medicinally for centuries in Thailand and other Asian countries. In the United States it is sold in pill, capsule, liquid, and other forms at convenience stores, gas stations, and online, and its use increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. In low doses kratom acts as a stimulant; in higher doses it produces opioid-like effects and has been used to manage pain and opioid withdrawal. Reported harms include liver toxicity, seizures, psychosis, high addictive potential, and opioid-like withdrawal that can be very difficult to manage.
Read at Psychology Today
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