Kratom Lords

  Long used as a painkiller overseas, the plant has gained in popularity among American opioid addicts trying to get clean. Meanwhile, researchers are making headway as U.S. regulators consider cracking down. Step into the forest around a rural Malaysian village, pluck the  red ,  green  or  white-veined  leaves off a kratom tree, and start chewing. At a small dose, the leaves will act as a stimulant helpful for getting through long hours of hard labor. At a much higher dose, they may cause nausea, vomiting and indigestion, followed by euphoria. At a dose somewhere in between, kratom becomes a highly effective painkiller that can take the edge off after a day’s work. It also can stave off the symptoms of heroin withdrawal. The leaves of Mitragyna speciosa, kratom’s Latin name, have been used for centuries throughout Southeast Asia for all of the aforementioned properties. The plants grow wild in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, with related species of the ...

 Mitragyna speciosa (“kratom”), employed as a traditional medicine to improve mood and relieve pain, has shown increased use in Europe and North America. Here, the dose-dependent effects of a purified alkaloid kratom extract on neuronal oscillatory systems function, analgesia, and antidepressant-like behaviour were evaluated and kratom-induced changes in ΔFosB expression determined. Male rats were administered a low or high dose of kratom (containing 0.5 or 1 mg/kg of mitragynine, respectively) for seven days. Acute or repeated low dose kratom suppressed ventral tegmental area (VTA) theta oscillatory power whereas acute or repeated high dose kratom increased delta power, and reduced theta power, in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), prefrontal cortex (PFC), cingulate cortex (Cg) and VTA. The repeated administration of low dose kratom additionally elevated delta power in PFC, decreased theta power in NAc and PFC, and suppressed beta and low gamma power in Cg. Suppressed high gamma power ...

Kratom-Pharmacology, Clinical Implications and Deep Review Kratom, or Mitragyna , is a tropical plant indigenous to Southeast Asia, with unique pharmacological properties. It is commonly consumed by preparing the leaves into decoction or tea , or by grinding them into a powder . Recent evidence has revealed that kratom has physiological effects similar to opioids, including pain relief and euphoria, as well as stimulant properties, which together raise potential concern for dependence and addiction. Moreover, growing evidence suggests that the prevalence of kratom use is increasing in many parts of the world, raising important considerations for healthcare providers. This manuscript will discuss the most current epidemiology, pharmacology, toxicity, and management related to kratom, while seeking to provide a contemporary perspective on the issue and its role in the greater context of the opioid epidemic. Key Summary Points Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a botanical su...