Kratom: Treating Addiction With Addiction

By Drs. David Niesel and Norbert Herzog, Medical Discovery News Some who use kratom to ease their withdrawal symptoms from heroin addiction are discovering that this is also an addictive drug that can reignite the cravings for the heroin they are trying hard to conquer. The use of kratom as a painkiller or to treat depression or for the mild high it provides is gaining in popularity, but its potential dangers are not well understood. Kratom is legal in most states and is sold under a variety of names. It is available in powdered form at head shops, convenience stores and online. There are even bars that sell beverages made with kratom in Colorado, Florida, New York and North Carolina. Reports suggest that 40 million Americans have purchased kratom online for the management of chronic pain or to mitigate opioid withdrawal. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the importation of kratom in 2014 due to the strong suspicion that it was harmful, but the laws concerning the drug are so bizarre that it was sold legally in Chicago at the same time. Although the FDA considers kratom to be a somewhat safe dietary ingredient, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration lists it as a "drug of concern" but not a controlled substance. Some states have banned it, and the Army forbids its use by soldiers. Kratom comes from a tropical tree in the coffee family, Mitragyna speciosa, which is indigenous to Southeast Asia. The name kratom comes from the term for the tree and the preparat...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news