Supplements on the market offer alternatives to opioids, but at what cost?
(ABC 6 News) – Concerns are growing between medical professionals and the FDA over a newer supplement on the market, kratom, despite some claiming it’s a safer alternative to opioids.
Kratom has actually been around for centuries, specifically in southeast Asia where it comes from the leaves of a native type of tree.
It’s been used there as an herbal stimulant, but more recently it’s seen increased use to self-treat opioid addiction.
Kratom comes in a variety of forms: capsules, loose powders, liquid shots, infused into drinks – and its uses are just as varied.
“People use kratom in low doses as a stimulant and at high doses it acts on the opioid receptor, much like morphine would,” says Dr. Alta DeRoo, chief medical officer for the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, an addiction treatment and advocacy organization.
That opioid action seems to drive much of kratom’s most popular uses.
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, research has shown kratom to be used in treating chronic pain or addressing mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
Its use to treat opioid abuse, however, is one of kratom’s biggest draws.
“The think by using something like kratom to detox themselves that it’s a more natural way,” says DeRoo.
Part of the thought process stems from the availability of kratom commercially.
Many of Rochester’s smoke shops offer a selection of the varieties the substance can be found in, and it can be even be purchased online, making it difficult for law enforcement to do anything other than keep the public informed.
“Any time you put the word ‘legal’ attached to something like that, especially if it’s a drug, then it’s supposed to be ‘safer,’ and that’s not always the case either,” says Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson. “What may be good for me may not be good for you, and vice versa.”
Technically, kratom is legal on a federal level, though the FDA strongly recommends against its use for any reason and has not approved any kind of kratom-based medication.
The DEA labels it as a “Drug and Chemical of Concern”, and even tried to classify it as a Schedule 1 drug back in 2016.
Some states, like Alabama and Wisconsin, have banned it entirely.
What really drives the concern for many experts though is how little is known about kratom.
“We don’t really have something that we could compare it to because we never really know what the concentration of this kratom is,” says DeRoo. “It’s not even a scheduled substance or supplement.”
Ultimately, experts say it’s up to each individual person to decide if kratom is something they want to take, and if they think it could help them, or hurt them.
If you or someone you know is in need of treatment or support, you can find appropriate resources linked below.