According to a study from the American Osteopathic Association, kratom leaves could be an option for those suffering from pain and opiod withdrawal. Researchers note that the supplement, which comes from a tree in Southeast Asia, has many pharmacologically active compounds.
The report emphasized the extensive amount of anecdotal evidence and current scientific research that indicates kratom may be safer and less addictive than other treatments.
“There’s no question kratom compounds have complex and potential useful pharmacologic activities and they produce chemically different actions from opioids,” says author Walter Prozialeck, chairman of the Department of Pharmacology at Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. “Kratom doesn’t produce an intense euphoria and, even at very high doses, it doesn’t depress respiration, which could make it safer for users.”
In traditional medicine, kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) was used to relieve fatigue, pain, cough and diarrhea, and aid in opioid withdrawal.
However, this study follows DEA scrutiny of the plant, with poison control centers noting 660 reports of adverse reactions to kratom products between January 2010 and December 2015. Despite this, the American Osteopathic Association notes that a ban on kratom would stifle scientific understanding of the herb’s active chemical components.
“While the DEA and physicians have valid safety concerns, it is not at all clear that kratom is the culprit behind the adverse effects,” said Anita Gupta, DO, PharmD and special advisor to the FDA, whose patients have used the natural remedy. “Many of my patients are seeking non-pharmaceutical remedies to treat pain that lack the side effects, risk, and addiction potential of opioids.”
Currently, Kratom is banned in Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Arkansas, Wisconsin and Tennessee. The DEA is scheduled to decide whether to place kratom on its list of Schedule 1 drugs, a classification for compounds thought to have no known medical benefit.
