Is the FDA’s Warning that Kratom Is a Dangerous Opioid Justified?

In February 2018, the Commissioner for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a warning that new research has determined that the legal drug kratom has opioid properties. What did this warning mean? It meant that those individuals who choose to buy and consume this unregulated product are risking their lives in a similar way to those who use opioids like heroin, or misuse prescription products like morphine or oxycodone.

Advocates who want to keep kratom legal have long claimed that it has many health benefits, helping to alleviate anxiety, addiction to opioids and even diabetes. The research on kratom has been limited so far, meaning that it was hard to counter these arguments. Until now.

This new FDA statement comments that the opioid characteristics of kratom “may contribute to stress responses that impact neurological and cardiovascular function.” An earlier warning from the FDA stated, “FDA is concerned that kratom, which affects the same opioid brain receptors as morphine, appears to have properties that expose users to the risks of addiction, abuse, and dependence.”

As yet, kratom has not yet been added to the official schedule of drugs that are banned or controlled but it appears that day is coming closer.

FDA Reports on Kratom Deaths

One of the motivating factors in these FDA warnings is the number of reports they have received about kratom-related deaths. Just how heartbreaking is it when a person buys and consumes kratom, a substance he has been told is harmless, and then that person dies?

Here’s what one victim’s twin brother said (the victim’s name was deleted):

“My twin brother, age 25, passed away Feb 2nd, 2017, and Mitragynine intoxication (Kratom) was the accidental cause of death. From our knowledge, **** began taking this supplement as an energy and mood enhancer the spring of 2017. **** then began getting skin rashes, losing hair, vomiting, loss of appetite and irritable. Our family was under the impression he stopped in July because of the side effects but we believe he picked it back up mid-January and he passed away during his sleep Feb 1st/Feb 2nd. There was vomit next to him in bed. **** chose Kratom because he was under the impression from false marketing and internet messages that it was a safe alternative supplement. **** has never been a hard drug user so he was not using Kratom as an alternative drug like many Kratom advocates.”

The surviving twin went on to say that he hopes that his family’s experience would be used to warn others of the deadly harm that can occur from use of this drug. His twin brother died from using an over-the-counter drug that was being sold legally. This is exactly why the FDA and the Drug Enforcement Administration decree that certain substances should be restricted or banned outright. Even if that substance has many advocates who want it to be kept freely available to anyone who wants it.

Another young man was using kratom to detox from opiates and to help with anxiety and depression. The report to the FDA on his death includes this statement from his mother:

“The coroner determined that my 31-year-old son died from the toxic effects of Kratom tea. He stopped breathing.”

If you still think this drug is safe, please read these FDA reports on deaths resulting from kratom use before you buy or use any more of this substance: FDA Reports.

These people lost sons, husbands or wives they loved after those individuals used kratom, thinking it was safe.

A Message to Those Who Think Kratom Use is Acceptable

If I could speak to a person who wanted to use kratom, I would want to tell him (or her) three things:

• First, the drug is not harmless. It has the potential to addict and even end your life.
• Second, the greatest safety and health lies in staying 100% drug-free. An individual possesses the greatest rationality when making decisions for his survival and the clearest perceptions of the present time environment. Those qualities can make the difference between life and death sometimes.

Those who want kratom to remain legal claim that banning this substance will drive some people to opioids that are more capable of causing overdose deaths. This is a possibility. The solution is not to keep selling another drug that may kill you but just not as often. It’s to help those seeking a solution to opioid addiction discover that they can actually enjoy sobriety.

• Third, Narconon can provide the support you need to return to a healthy, 100% sober life if you are having difficulty achieving this change on your own. Over a fifty-year period, tens of thousands of families have trusted Narconon to rehabilitate their loved ones.

When your life is enjoyable and when you feel like you can succeed despite the barriers you face, there is no reason to escape into drug use.

If, in your heart, you want a change, call Narconon. We have rehabilitation facilities across the U.S. and around the world. One call can get you the answers you need about this rehabilitation program.