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1d, 28!22 11'42 AM <br />MAYO <br />CLINIC <br />`�%/ <br />Healthy Lifestyle <br />Consumer health <br />Krarnn Unwin antl mntladiIn i.11 I fir,,, <br />Users swear by kratom for mood enhancement and fatigue reduction, but safety issues and <br />questions about its effectiveness abound. <br />If you read health news or visit vitamin stores, you may have heard about kratom, a supplement <br />that is sold as an energy booster, mood enhancer, pain reliever and antidote for opioid withdrawal. <br />However, the truth about kratom is more complicated, and the safety problems related to its use <br />are concerning. <br />Kratom is an herbal extract that comes from the leaves of an evergreen tree (Mitragyna speciosa) <br />grown in Southeast Asia. Kratom leaves can be chewed, and dry kratom can be swallowed or <br />brewed. Kratom extract can be used to make a liquid product. The liquid form is often marketed as <br />a treatment for muscle pain, or to suppress appetite and stop cramps and diarrhea. Kratom is also <br />Ii sold as a treatment for panic attacks. <br />Kratom is believed to act on opioid receptors. At low doses, kratom acts as a stimulant, making <br />users feel more energetic. At higher doses, it reduces pain and may bring on euphoria. At very <br />high doses. it acts as a sedative, making users quiet and perhaps sleepy. Some people who <br />practice Asian traditional medicine consider kratom to be a substitute for opium. <br />Some people take kratom to avoid the symptoms of opioid withdrawal and because kratom may be <br />bought more easily than prescription drugs. <br />Kratom is also used at music festivals and in other recreational settings. People who use kratom <br />for relaxation report that because it is plant -based, it is natural and safe. However, the amount of <br />active ingredient in kratom plants can vary greatly, making it difficult to gauge the effect of a given <br />dose. Depending on what is in the plant and the health of the user, taking kratom may be very <br />dangerous. Claims about the benefits of kratom can't be rated because reliable evidence is <br />lacking. <br />Although people who take kratom believe In its value, researchers who have studied kratom think <br />its side effects and safety problems more than offset any potential benefits. Poison control centers <br />In the United States received about 1,800 reports involving use of kratom from 2011 through 2017, <br />including reports of death. About half of these exposures resulted in serious negative outcomes <br />such as seizures and high blood pressure. Five of the seven infants who were reported to have <br />h1[p511� -iaycIinr,orq my 1itP_u/Ie: ­-tteaItNm i'. eionr art 2010211'1,! <br />AM <br />