Pharmacology of kratom: an emerging botanical agent with stimulant, analgesic and opioid-like effects
- PMID: 23212430
Pharmacology of kratom: an emerging botanical agent with stimulant, analgesic and opioid-like effects
Abstract
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a plant indigenous to Thailand and Southeast Asia. Kratom leaves produce complex stimulant and opioid-like analgesic effects. In Asia, kratom has been used to stave off fatigue and to manage pain, diarrhea, cough, and opioid withdrawal. Recently, kratom has become widely available in the United States and Europe by means of smoke shops and the Internet. Analyses of the medical literature and select Internet sites indicate that individuals in the United States are increasingly using kratom for the self-management of pain and opioid withdrawal. Kratom contains pharmacologically active constituents, most notably mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. Kratom is illegal in many countries. Although it is still legal in the United States, the US Drug Enforcement Administration has placed kratom on its "Drugs and Chemicals of Concern" list. Physicians should be aware of the availability, user habits, and health effects of kratom. Further research on the therapeutic uses, toxic effects, and abuse potential of kratom and its constituent compounds are needed.
Similar articles
-
Update on the Pharmacology and Legal Status of Kratom.J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2016 Dec 1;116(12):802-809. doi: 10.7556/jaoa.2016.156. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2016. PMID: 27893147
-
The pharmacology and toxicology of kratom: from traditional herb to drug of abuse.Int J Legal Med. 2016 Jan;130(1):127-38. doi: 10.1007/s00414-015-1279-y. Epub 2015 Oct 28. Int J Legal Med. 2016. PMID: 26511390 Review.
-
Kratom policy: The challenge of balancing therapeutic potential with public safety.Int J Drug Policy. 2019 Aug;70:70-77. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.05.003. Epub 2019 May 16. Int J Drug Policy. 2019. PMID: 31103778 Free PMC article.
-
The neuropharmacology of kratom, a novel psychoactive natural product.Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2025 Jan 10;136:111215. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111215. Epub 2024 Dec 9. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2025. PMID: 39662722 Review.
-
Patterns and reasons for kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) use among current and former opioid poly-drug users.J Ethnopharmacol. 2020 Mar 1;249:112462. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2019.112462. Epub 2019 Dec 7. J Ethnopharmacol. 2020. PMID: 31816368
Cited by
-
Cardiac arrest in a young healthy male patient secondary to kratom ingestion: is this 'legal high' substance more dangerous than initially thought ?BMJ Case Rep. 2019 Jul 19;12(7):e229778. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2019-229778. BMJ Case Rep. 2019. PMID: 31326902 Free PMC article.
-
G protein-biased kratom-alkaloids and synthetic carfentanil-amide opioids as potential treatments for alcohol use disorder.Br J Pharmacol. 2020 Apr;177(7):1497-1513. doi: 10.1111/bph.14913. Epub 2020 Jan 24. Br J Pharmacol. 2020. PMID: 31705528 Free PMC article.
-
Anesthetic Challenges Posed by Heavy Kratom Users.Cureus. 2022 Mar 5;14(3):e22864. doi: 10.7759/cureus.22864. eCollection 2022 Mar. Cureus. 2022. PMID: 35399423 Free PMC article.
-
Fatal combination of mitragynine and quetiapine - a case report with discussion of a potential herb-drug interaction.Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2019 Mar;15(1):110-113. doi: 10.1007/s12024-018-0049-9. Epub 2018 Nov 29. Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2019. PMID: 30498933
-
A Biased View of μ-Opioid Receptors?Mol Pharmacol. 2019 Nov;96(5):542-549. doi: 10.1124/mol.119.115956. Epub 2019 Jun 7. Mol Pharmacol. 2019. PMID: 31175184 Free PMC article. Review.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Other Literature Sources
Medical