Kratom Tea For Anxiety and Chronic Pain, Is It Safe?
Kratom tea is being heavily promoted as a viable cure for anxiety, depression and chronic pain. It’s made by brewing the leaves of the kratom tree or mixing kratom leaf powder into boiling water.
The Kratom tree comes from Southeast Asia. In larger amounts, it has a sedative effect. Some people even use kratom to ease symptoms of opiate withdrawal. It’s marketed as a “natural high” and is illegal in many countries.
The leaves contain mitragynine, a chemical that works similarly to opioid pain relievers such as morphine and codeine. It can also be chewed, smoked, or taken as a supplement in capsules.
However, Kratom tea is the subject of a current lawsuit filed by a Florida mother claiming that her daughter suffered permanent brain damage due to her kratom tea habit.
And the FDA announced that they sent warning letters to two sellers for making health claims that are not supported by any research.
While there’s no denying the wellness benefits of green or black tea, with kratom tea, think twice before trying it. Here’s everything you need to know.
Kratom Tea: The Dangers
Several research studies report that doses of five to eight grams can lead to side effects such as:
- nausea,
- vomiting,
- loss of appetite,
- loss of muscle coordination,
- increased urination,
- dizziness,
- constipation,
- rapid heart rate,
- sedation,
- sweating,
- dry mouth
In addition, investigators looked at data from the National Poison Data System, which tracks calls made to the 55 poison control centers across the U.S. The data showed that over 2,300 people had called to say that kratom made them or someone else ill.
The most common symptoms reported were agitation (18.6 percent), rapid heartbeat (16.9 percent), and drowsiness (13.6 percent). More serious symptoms included seizure (6.1 percent), hallucinations (4.8 percent), and coma (2.8 percent).
Other serious symptoms also include a strong euphoric high, anxiety, slowed breathing, changes in heart rate, constipation, seizures, coma, and even death. For these reasons, the FDA put out a statement warning people to stay away from products containing kratom.
Moreover, the FDA reports 44 deaths linked to kratom products as of February 2018.
Effects are worsened when this tea is mixed with other drugs such as the opiod hydrocodone. The side effect reported in this case was liver damage.