A study from the University of Florida indicates that kratom, a plant native to southeast Asia, may be an all-natural treatment for opioid addictions.
Researchers discovered that kratom tea alleviated some withdrawal symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, in morphine-addicted mice, according to Jay McLaughlin, a professor of pharmacy at the University of Florida. Until now, kratom has also been shown to provide pain relief with fewer withdrawal symptoms than morphine.
The study is funded by a five-year, $3,400,000 grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and is directed by graduate assistant Lisa Wilson and UF College of Pharmacy professor Chris McCurdy. McLaughlin explained that the study examined anecdotal claims that kratom reduces the symptoms of opioid addiction, such as difficulty breathing.
Kratom is available at gas stations, kava bars, and smoke shops in Florida and all states except six. Concerns that the plant may be addictive and harmful have prompted opposition to it.
Ian Mautner began drinking kratom tea at a Delray Beach kava bar at age 17, according to his mother, Linda Mautner. He committed suicide in July 2014 after struggling with and receiving treatment for a three-year kratom addiction, according to Mautner.
Mautner stated that Kratom came to dominate his life.
During his struggle with addiction, Ian refused to shower and lost approximately 20 pounds, according to Mautner. She stated that she would occasionally discover his bed drenched in sweat.
I told him I couldn’t live like this, that I couldn’t watch my son die before my eyes, said Mautner.
When Ian visited a drug treatment clinic, according to Mautner, he told staff that his kratom tea had been tampered with.
Mautner stated that he felt duped, as if someone had laced his drink.
91 out of 27,338 overdose deaths reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between July 2016 and December 2017 were attributed to kratom. Seven of the kratom-related deaths did not involve other substances, such as fentanyl or heroin. The Drug Enforcement Administration attempted to classify kratom as a Schedule I substance, which would place it in the same category as heroin, LSD, and marijuana.
Kratom supporters, such as the American Kratom Association, opposed kratom’s scheduling, according to Mac Haddow, senior fellow of public policy at the association. Haddow stated that the potential danger of kratom does not stem from the plant itself. In contrast, synthetic chemicals and other drugs added to kratom products are frequently not regulated.
McCurdy found in a separate study that some kratom products contained synthetic components, such as 7-Hydroxymitragynine, which occurs naturally in kratom but was artificially increased in some commercial samples.
While Mautner respects McCurdy’s research, she is concerned that some readers will purchase a kratom product containing synthetic ingredients after reading his work.
If he has a strategy to combat the opioid epidemic, I say let’s implement it, said Mautner. But the modification of the product will occur until regulation is in place.
Haddow stated that the AKA is working to expand kratom regulations. It is advocating for the passage of the Kratom Consumer Protection Act, which would restrict kratom sales in all state legislatures that pass it.
Haddow added that the bill would prohibit synthetic additives, mandate labels, and impose age restrictions on all kratom products. Utah, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada all passed versions of the bill with overwhelming majorities. Haddow stated that twenty-one additional states are currently considering the bill.
McLaughlin stated that, despite the results of the UF study, additional research is necessary.
He stated that other forms of kratom must be evaluated. The alkaloids, or drug-like molecules within the kratom plant, vary depending on the growing conditions.
Early findings from studies of various alkaloid compositions suggest that the effects of various natural substances are comparable, he said. This is only true if no other substances are added to the kratom.
McLaughlin stated that it appears we can observe consistently beneficial effects from a wide variety of kratom sources, but that research is ongoing.
He added that he hopes the outcome of UF’s kratom research will provide new treatments for opioid-dependent individuals.
McLaughlin emphasized the urgency of finding a solution to aid these individuals as soon as possible, given that opioid overdoses are expected to result in at least 72,000 deaths in the United States this year alone. This research is currently being conducted at UF; hopefully, we will find results that are beneficial.
Conclusion
Researchers found that kratom tea alleviated some withdrawal symptoms.
