Kratom—Pharmacology, Clinical Implications, and Outlook: A Comprehensive Review

Summary & key facts

Kratom is a tropical plant people drink as a tea or use as a powder. Researchers reviewed many studies and reports to describe how kratom affects the body, how often people use it, and the health problems it can cause. They found that kratom can act like an opioid at higher doses and like a stimulant at lower doses, so it can ease pain and cause pleasure but also raise the risk of dependence and other harms. Use of kratom seems to be growing worldwide, so doctors and public health workers are paying more attention to its benefits and risks.

Key facts:

• Kratom is a plant from Southeast Asia that people usually take by making a tea or taking powdered leaf.
• At some doses kratom can relieve pain and cause feelings of pleasure, effects that are similar to opioid drugs.
• Kratom can also act like a stimulant, meaning it can make people feel more awake or energetic depending on the dose.
• Because it has both opioid-like and stimulant effects, kratom can lead to dependence or addiction in some people.
• Reports and studies suggest that kratom use is increasing in many parts of the world.
• The review looks at how common kratom use is, how it works in the body, its toxicity (how it can harm people), and how to manage problems from kratom.

Abstract

Kratom, or Mitragyna, is a tropical plant indigenous to Southeast Asia, with unique pharmacological properties. It is commonly consumed by preparing the leaves into decoction or tea, or by grinding them into a powder. Recent evidence has revealed that kratom has physiological effects similar to opioids, including pain relief and euphoria, as well as stimulant properties, which together raise potential concern for dependence and addiction. Moreover, growing evidence suggests that the prevalence of kratom use is increasing in many parts of the world, raising important considerations for healthcare providers. This manuscript will discuss the most current epidemiology, pharmacology, toxicity, and management related to kratom, while seeking to provide a contemporary perspective on the issue and its role in the greater context of the opioid epidemic.

Topics

Alkaloids: synthesis and pharmacology Berberine and alkaloids research Traditional and Medicinal Uses of Annonaceae

Categories

Life Sciences Pharmacology Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics

Tags

Addiction Biology Context (archaeology) Ecology Euphoriant Indigenous Medicine Paleontology Pharmacology Psychiatry Stimulant Traditional medicine

Substances

Other

Conditions & symptoms

Addiction Chronic Pain Substance abuse disorder Addiction or harmful habbits Chronic pain