Current and Future Potential Impact of COVID-19 on Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa Korth.) Supply and Use

Singh, Darshan; Brown, Paula N.; Cinosi, Eduardo; Corazza, Ornella; Henningfield, Jack E.; Garcia-Romeu, Albert; McCurdy, Christopher R.; McMahon, Lance Richard; Prozialeck, Walter C.; Smith, Kirsten E.; Swogger, Marc T.; Veltri, Charles A.; Walsh, Zach; Grundmann, Oliver

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.574483

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…It is typically used for pain relief or for recreational purposes due to its effects on mood (euphoria), sociability, and productivity. It is also used to self-treat opioid use disorder or other substance abuse disorders [5].…”

Section: Figure 1: Normalization Of the Serum Potassium Level After S...mentioning

confidence: 99%

A Case of Hyperkalemia Induced by Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa)

Torres‐Ortiz¹,

Zein²,

Alqudsi³

2022

Cureus

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Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), a tree found abundantly in Southeast Asia, has been used for centuries because of its opioid-like properties. In the last 20 years, it has gained popularity in the United States of America due to its easy availability and effects on pain control. However, different types of toxicity from kratom use have been reported in the literature. Here, we present a case of kratom-induced hyperkalemia in a 61-year-old patient with no significant past medical history. His laboratory work-up excluded other etiologies, and his potassium level eventually normalized after the discontinuation of kratom. Although reasonable data exist on kratom effects on the nervous and cardiovascular systems, the magnitude of its effect on potassium homeostasis and whether it is kidney mediated or not is not well recognized.

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Section: Figure 1: Normalization Of the Serum Potassium Level After S...mentioning

confidence: 99%

A Case of Hyperkalemia Induced by Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa)

Torres‐Ortiz¹,

Zein²,

Alqudsi³

2022

Cureus

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“…The current COVID-19 pandemic first emerged from China in the late fall to early winter of 2019 and has had a major impact on almost all aspects of healthcare delivery around the world (WHO, 2021). The impact of COVID-19 on supply and demand for kratom has been complex, variable and somewhat unpredictable (Singh et al, 2020). In light of the many case reports and kratom user summaries claiming that kratom has beneficial analgesic and mood-enhancing effects (Prevete et al, 2021), some COVID-19 patients have turned to kratom as a means of treating the pain, lethargy and depression that are commonly associated with COVID-19 infections (Metastasio et al, 2020;Singh et al, 2020).…”

Section: Impact Of the Covid-19 Pandemic On Supply And Demand For Kratommentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The impact of COVID-19 on supply and demand for kratom has been complex, variable and somewhat unpredictable (Singh et al, 2020). In light of the many case reports and kratom user summaries claiming that kratom has beneficial analgesic and mood-enhancing effects (Prevete et al, 2021), some COVID-19 patients have turned to kratom as a means of treating the pain, lethargy and depression that are commonly associated with COVID-19 infections (Metastasio et al, 2020;Singh et al, 2020). While we are aware of no direct studies showing that kratom can slow transmission and progression of COVID-19 infection, there is one case report suggesting that kratom can alleviate the pain, lethargy and lack of energy that are often experienced by COVID-19 patients (Metastasio et al, 2020).…”

Section: Impact Of the Covid-19 Pandemic On Supply And Demand For Kratommentioning

confidence: 99%

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Kratom Use Within the Context of the Evolving Opioid Crisis and the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

Prozialeck

Lamar

Krupp³

et al. 2021

Front. Pharmacol.

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Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa, Korth.) is an evergreen tree that is indigenous to Southeast Asia. When ingested, kratom leaves or decoctions from the leaves have been reported to produce complex stimulant and opioid-like effects. For generations, native populations in Southeast Asia have used kratom products to stave off fatigue, improve mood, alleviate pain and manage symptoms of opioid withdrawal. Despite the long history of kratom use in Asia, it is only within the past 10–20 years that kratom has emerged as an important herbal agent in the United States, where it is being used for the self-treatment of pain, opioid withdrawal symptoms, and mood disorders. The increase in the use of kratom in the United States has coincided with the serious epidemic of opioid abuse and dependence. Since 2015, efforts to restrict access to prescription opioids have resulted in a marked increase in the use of “street” opioids such as heroin and illicit fentanyl. At the same time, many patients with chronic pain conditions or opioid use disorder have been denied access to appropriate medical help. The lack of access to care for patients with chronic pain and opioid use disorder has been magnified by the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this report, we highlight how these converging factors have led to a surge in interest in kratom as a potential harm reduction agent in the treatment of pain and opioid use disorder.

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“… 54 - 56 Kratom is legal in 44 US states and can be purchased in retail stores and online. 32 , 57 During the early months of the pandemic, some kratom vendors reportedly increased production to counter possible disruptions and to meet demand by consumers who may have wanted to stock up. 32 Given that many people who use kratom are doing so to self-treat medical or psychiatric symptoms, 35 , 36 , 51 , 58 , 59 disruptions in the US kratom market could lead to significant consequences for regular kratom consumers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

For Better or Worse: Self-reported Changes in Kratom and Other Substance Use as a Result of the COVID-19 Pandemic

et al. 2022

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Background: Kratom is taken to self-treat pain and symptoms of psychiatric disorders, including substance-use disorders (SUDs) and opioid withdrawal. Before COVID-19, kratom use was increasing in the US, however, there are few published data on whether that trend continued during the COVID-19 pandemic, which could have affected kratom use in multiple ways. Aim: To examine COVID-19-related changes in kratom use and how these changes were experienced, relative to changes in other commonly used substances. Methods: Using Amazon Mechanical Turk, 2615 evaluable surveys were completed between September 2020 and March 2021. Responses from past-month and past-year kratom-using adults (N = 174) indicating changes for the better or worse were examined using generalized linear mixed effects models, and relevant open-text responses (n = 85) were thematically coded. Results: For kratom 33% (n = 58) reported a Covid-related increase and 24% (n = 42) reported a Covid-related decrease. Controlling for changes in amount used, alcohol (OR = 5.02), tobacco (OR = 4.72), and nonmedical opioid use (OR = 3.42) were all more likely to have changed for the worse, compared with kratom use. Relative to decreases in kratom use, decreases in alcohol (OR = 3.21) and tobacco (OR = 6.18) use were more likely to be changes for the better. Cannabis use was the only substance to display a probability lower than 50% of being a decrease for the better, and of the increases, cannabis use displayed the highest probability of being for the better. Conclusions: Increases in kratom and cannabis use were less likely than alcohol and tobacco to be reported as changes for the worse, and decreases in kratom and cannabis use were more likely than alcohol and tobacco to be reported as changes for the better. These findings indicate that people differently conceptualize their relationships with kratom and cannabis, compared to their relationships with alcohol and tobacco.

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Current and Future Potential Impact of COVID-19 on Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa Korth.) Supply and Use

Cited by 7 publications

References 18 publications

A Case of Hyperkalemia Induced by Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa)

A Case of Hyperkalemia Induced by Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa)

Kratom Use Within the Context of the Evolving Opioid Crisis and the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

For Better or Worse: Self-reported Changes in Kratom and Other Substance Use as a Result of the COVID-19 Pandemic

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