Good Health Medicine

Main Menu

  • Home
  • Health medicine
  • Dietary supplements
  • Dietary nutrition
  • Alternative medication
  • Medicine price

Good Health Medicine

Header Banner

Good Health Medicine

  • Home
  • Health medicine
  • Dietary supplements
  • Dietary nutrition
  • Alternative medication
  • Medicine price
Health medicine
Home›Health medicine›Not enough is known about kratom to justify its use | Health, medicine and fitness

Not enough is known about kratom to justify its use | Health, medicine and fitness

By Rebecca C. Myers
March 23, 2018
0
0


[ad_1]

Dear doctor: What exactly is kratom? The FDA apparently called it an opioid, even though it appears to be an herbal supplement. Is it safer than prescription opioids? I’m scared of opioids, but if it’s safer, I’ll try it.

Dear reader: Before we begin, let’s think for a moment about America’s opioid epidemic. The origin of this epidemic stems from the desire of the medical community to control pain: pain was the enemy and opiates were the cure. But over the years, the addictive potential of these drugs has destroyed many lives. As a society, we are now using other drugs to control pain, while actively researching other drugs.

Some believe that kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), a tree native to Southeast Asia, has potential in this regard. Kratom has been used in traditional medicine since the 1800s, with the leaves of the tree being chewed or made into tea. These leaves contain many compounds, but two in particular, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, appear to have the main analgesic effects. These compounds bind to and stimulate the mu-opioid receptor in the brain, creating a positive reinforcement, while blocking the analgesic effect on two other opioid receptors. Kratom also contains chemicals that attach to other receptors in the brain, possibly promoting calm. Additionally, since kratom is a member of the caffeine family, the leaves of the tree also appear to have stimulating effects.

People also read …

People who have used kratom have reported pain relief, relaxation, improved mood, and decreased anxiety. Due to its pain-relieving mechanism and its action via opioid receptors, kratom has been seen as a potential alternative to traditional opiates, with perhaps even the ability to help people wean off opiates.

We already have a history with the substance, as kratom has been available in the United States since 2010. A 2017 study asked 500 men and women in recovery centers about their use of kratom. About 21 percent had used kratom once and 10 percent had used it in the past year. Kratom users were more likely to be university educated and younger than addicts who had never used kratom. In fact, many had used kratom to treat their opioid addiction.

While these results may suggest that kratom may hold promise for pain relief and opioid addiction, we just don’t have good studies on its effectiveness.

And it can have serious side effects. The substance is eliminated from the body by the liver, so if a person has liver problems or takes drugs that are metabolized by the liver, it can remain in the bloodstream. From 2010 to 2015, 660 kratom poison control calls were made; 65% of these appellants had used kratom alone, with no additional substances. Appellants complained of rapid heartbeat, restlessness, drowsiness, nausea and high blood pressure.

Symptoms can be amplified to life-threatening levels when kratom is mixed with alcohol and prescription or illicit drugs, sometimes resulting in liver toxicity, seizures and death. Kratom was linked to 15 deaths between the years 2014 and 2016; It should be noted that these deaths do not appear to be related to the use of kratom with other drugs – just kratom alone. That said, the number of deaths from prescribed opioid drugs far exceeds the number of deaths from kratom.

In summary, while the abuse potential of kratom appears to be less than that of more traditional opioids, the fact remains that kratom acts on the mu-opioid receptor, which means it can be abused. This potential prompted the FDA to warn recently about the opioid-like properties of kratom and its potential for risk.

In short, we need more studies on kratom – and better opioid substitutes. From now on, I would look for other ways to manage the pain.

Sign up here to get the latest health and fitness updates delivered to your inbox every week!

[ad_2]

Related posts:

  1. Teenager praised for attending medical school | Health, medicine and fitness
  2. Scabies Burrows Into The Skin And Causes Extreme Itching | Ask the doctors | Health, medicine and fitness
  3. What the Experts Say About the Best Time to Exercise Health, medicine and fitness
  4. Ask the Doctors: Early Studies Link Added Sugar to IBD | Health, medicine and fitness
Tagsdelivered inboxunited states
  • Alternative medication
  • Dietary nutrition
  • Dietary supplements
  • Health medicine
  • Medicine price
  • Survey compares how consumers and nutrition experts rate healthy foods – AgriNews
  • Bone & Joint Health Supplements Market to Witness a CAGR of 8% (2022-2028) Driven by Growing Prevalence of Orthopedic Disorders and Micronutrient Deficiencies | UnivDatos Market Overview
  • Police arrest scammer entangling hundreds of IPB students in online loans
  • Know which one is better for nutrition, skin and health
  • Your answers on cancer: What to know about stomach cancer? | Health, Medicine and Fitness
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • August 2020
  • May 2020
  • March 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • August 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • February 2016
  • October 2015
  • August 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2014
  • December 2013
  • September 2012
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • March 2010
  • September 2007
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions