Is kratom a safe opioid detox? What a survey of 2,798 users found

Claim

KRATOM FOR OPIOID QUIT?

Catch

SELF-REPORTED

Verdict

UNPROVEN, NOT RISK-FREE

Kratom is often marketed as a natural way to stop or cut back on opioids. A cross-sectional online survey published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence (2020) gathered responses from 2,798 kratom users, mostly middle-aged, white, and female, living in the United States. Forty-one percent (1,144 people) reported using kratom to stop or reduce prescription or illicit opioid use, citing decreased withdrawal and craving; 411 reported more than one year of continuous opioid abstinence attributed to kratom. Kratom was also commonly used for pain (91%), anxiety (67%), and depression (65%).

The catch: this is self-reported survey data with no control group, so it cannot prove kratom helps opioid withdrawal. Kratom is not FDA-approved for any use, products vary widely in content, and kratom itself can cause dependence and withdrawal — two percent of respondents met criteria for a past-year moderate or severe kratom use disorder. Talk to a doctor before using kratom, especially for opioid treatment.

SOURCES

1. Garcia-Romeu A, Cox DJ, Smith KE, Dunn KE, Griffiths RR. "Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa): User demographics, use patterns, and implications for the opioid epidemic." Drug Alcohol Depend. 2020 Mar 1;208:107849. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.107849. PMID: 32029298. PMCID: PMC7423016.

For information only, not medical advice. Talk to a qualified health professional before changing your diet, supplements or treatment.