Is Kratom Addictive? An Addiction Medicine Expert Explains
Key points:
- Kratom and 7-OH are addictive.
- Many people start off believing these products are safe.
- Recovery from kratom and 7-OH is possible.
- More people need to know about the dangers of kratom and 7-OH and that help is available.
- Master Center can help.
What is kratom? Is it addictive?
Often dismissed as a harmless herbal supplement or energy booster, kratom is a Southeast Asian leaf that has gotten a lot more popular over the past decade. Since efforts to regulate kratom products have begun only recently, these items are often available over the counter, as easy to buy as an energy drink.
Many people are casually offered kratom products by a convenience store or vape shop employee, branded as an herbal supplement or a high-power energy drink with no chance for addiction.
In reality, both kratom and its synthetic, more potent cousin 7-OH are highly addictive, have nasty withdrawal symptoms, and quickly become a drain on users’ wallets. Many people who seek help for kratom or 7-OH addiction do so once the cost becomes more than they can handle.
Keeley Grimm, DNP, BS, RN, is a board-certified primary care Nurse Practitioner and Doctor of Nursing Practice with more than 20 years of experience providing direct patient care. Throughout her career, she has developed extensive expertise in the safe administration of medication-assisted treatment (MAT), care coordination, and harm reduction in both hospital and correctional settings. Grimm earned her Bachelor of Science in Health Services from James Madison University and her Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Vermont. She holds a Virginia Advanced Practice Nursing License and a Vermont Registered Nursing License, and is certified in Adult Gerontology by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).
We see a lot of patients who have trouble kicking kratom. Most thought it was natural and therefore safe and not addictive. But the truth is that they were in for an unpleasant surprise. In Virginia, we are seeing changes to the law to address kratom and 7-OH. Keeley Grimm explains why it’s becoming a growing concern.
What are you seeing with kratom and 7-OH?
I definitely have noticed in the last year a lot more patients coming in specifically asking for help coming off of kratom or 7-OH. Buprenorphine* is traditionally medication helpful for opioid use disorder, but a lot of my buprenorphine injections in general are used for kratom and 7-OH.
*What is Buprenorphine?
Buprenorphine is an FDA-approved medication that is effective at reducing cravings in individuals addicted to opioids. Since kratom and 7-OH mimic the effects of opioids, Buprenorphine can also be used in these cases.
Recently a lot more of my intake spots are from people wanting to come off of kratom or 7-OH. I’m seeing a lot of patients who do have a history of substance use disorder to some extent coming in for help. But also, there are a lot of people who haven’t ever struggled with anything, to their knowledge, coming in for help and they are confused about what’s happening and haven’t experienced anything like this.
It can be difficult to treat when somebody doesn’t have any treatment history. In general, it’s a little bit easier to treat people, or people expect a bit more if they’ve been in treatment for opioids or alcohol in the past—they kind of know the routine. But for someone who’s never been in treatment before and comes in for that, it’s very difficult.
And definitely not a lot of providers are screening for kratom and 7-OH because of how new they are. Patients just know a lot more because they’re actively using and being told certain things. So just being able to listen to the patient and ask questions and say, “Yeah, I’ve never heard of that—let me research it.” would be helpful because there’s so much new synthetic stuff out there that’s popping up frequently.
Are patients generally kratom-only, or using multiple different substances?
I would say generally polysubstance use, at least somewhere in their history. I would say a majority of kratom patients have some sort of other history of substance use if they’re not actively using other substances. But for a lot of people, it’s cannabis or alcohol concurrently.
Do people end up being surprised that they were addicted?
Yes. When they try to stop and they have withdrawal symptoms from it, they’re like, “Oh, okay, I didn’t realize that I could have this.”
How do you treat kratom addiction?
The best treatment option out there right now is medication of some kind, whether that be maintenance treatment or a taper if people don’t want to stay on it. Some types of comfort medications like supportive care, or ideally residential treatment, like a higher level of care or detox, and then coming back. But talking to people about going to groups and getting engaged with meetings as well from a non-medication perspective.
What should patients know about kratom and 7-OH detox?
That’s a good question. I guess I would say more [for] the general public—more knowledge about it—because I do find that generally people, my patients, are relatively knowledgeable about kratom. But I think also, if they’ve gone through opioid use disorder—heroin or fentanyl withdrawal—the addiction to those substances can be more lethal.
You can still have seizures or kratom poisoning from taking too much, but the lethality isn’t the same. So people might not feel like it’s as pressing of an addiction if they’ve experienced other, more potentially fatal addictions.
What should providers know about kratom and 7-OH?
Being open to screening patients and just talking to people about it. Maybe even just having information out in the waiting room or mentioning it casually during annual screenings for alcohol or substance use. A lot of primary care providers are great at screening, but I know they’re busy.
I would say just even mentioning it like, “Oh, I heard about this—have you heard about it?” almost conversationally in passing. That might open the door a little bit. If they haven’t, then now they at least know to stay away from it if they see it at a gas station.
People just need to be a little bit more aware of what they consume, because it’s in convenience stores and gas stations, and just because something is natural doesn’t mean that it’s good for you.
If you want to stop using kratom, 7-OH, or one of their other relatives, Master Center can help. The Master Center model is one of Virginia’s most comprehensive outpatient treatment programs, using proven treatment methods to help with recovery from addiction to a variety of substances, including kratom and 7-OH. It is quick and convenient to get started, with same day appointments available and several Master Center locations across the Commonwealth.
New patients: Call us at 804.332.5950 or fill out the call request form.
Provider or justice system referrals: Call intake directly at 804.323.7029 or fill out the referral form.
