What Kratom Is

You’ve probably heard of kratom before, and it’s something that offers stimulant and opioid results from this. It’s a supplement which is not approved by the FDA, but it does help with managing the health and wellness issues that are there along with the withdrawal symptoms of drugs too. There is a lot of buzz around kratom because it is something that people are looking at as a means to replace the opioid need that’s there, but the thing is, it’s still addictive, and it’s not FDA approved, and it basically is a bit different from cannabis, with a whole different pharmacology. 

What it is 

This is basically derived from a tree that’s located directly in southeastern Asia, and the leaves are used to help with opioid withdrawals.  It’s a plant that’s in the coffee family and is considered an evergreen plant. The compounds of kratom do include what’s called mitragynine, and mitragynine psyudoindoxyl, which do bind directly to your opioid, serotonin, and dopamine receptors, which is why people feel the stimulating effects when they take a low amount. 

Mitragynine also is one that does bind directly to your receptors that are opium types, which is why it’s a sedative, and also is why it is slightly addictive, even if you’re trying to get off the withdrawal of the opioids. This has not been approved by the FDA, but some people use it to treat diarrhea, fatigue, and other pain and other problems in the body. 

Using this 

If you chose to use this, do understand that none of this is FDA approved, and this is also the same way as vitamins. They are a bit addictive since they do bind directly to those opioid receptors, which is why there are some adverse side effects that come with this, respiratory depression, liver toxicity, and death are all risk if you take this for too long. 

Most of the time, you can chew it, or brew these inside a form of a tea. You can also get these as supplements at a ton of major vitamin shops and retailers, and right now, there is no specific way to use it, but you should discuss this with a professional before you start this. Some people report that wen they use this, they feel as if they drank a cup of coffee. Some people also say that it makes them feel less stressed, other pleasurable sensations, and the like. However, this is dependent on the dosages, with the lower ones being much more stimulating, and the higher ones being far more sedative, similar to how cannabis works. 

Health Benefits 

Right now, there are some health benefits that some people have gotten, but they are all anecdotal than anything. 

Some of the benefits though that people report include: 

• Relieving pain 

• Reducing anxiety 

• Helping with depression treatment 

• Treating addiction to opioids

Right now, most people do experience relief from opioids, and most of them drop this within a year or so. There are some side effects that come with this though, since this is not totally regulated. Some kratom, when not from a reputable reseller, can contain a lot of heavy metals, contaminants, and even bacteria. 

Not to mention, t can cause other problems including nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, constipation, heart problems and high blood pressure, addiction, liver problems, can damage unborn babies, respiratory problems, and you can overdose on this one, so it is risky. But if you do find benefit in this product, talk to your doctor before you decide to consume this product as well too.