Author: Alex Thompson
4 Surprising Health Effects of Long-term Kratom Use FHE Health
Kratom can also change the production of hormones in the body. In particular, it’s known to change how your body produces testosterone [5]. However, if your liver begins to suffer, the kidneys pick up some of the slack. Toxins that are not effectively processed by the liver will be passed through the kidney instead, leading to kidney damage.
Doing this keeps you from using too much or building a tolerance — two things that lead to addiction and increases your risk of other side effects. If you haven’t used kratom before, start with the smallest dose possible and work your way up. Aside from multi-substance use, adulterated kratom is one of the most significant risks. Symptoms such as jaundice can be challenging to distinguish from other medical conditions.
It’s unclear how kratom causes the issue, but it’s more likely to occur when other substances are used with kratom [6]. Knowing about kratom and how to use it responsibly create safety. Next, we will delve into the long-term side effects of kratom. Kratom has been reported to cause abnormal brain function when taken with prescription medicines.
Does Kratom Interact Negatively With Medications?
However, as you continue to use kratom daily, these effects will start to change. The initial, energetic rush will become shorter and less pronounced. The post-energetic relaxation will amount to a sort of lethargic fatigue. Kratom is a powerful plant that has helped heal thousands of people. A plant this powerful is bound to cause some side effects if it’s not treated with respect, and that’s the reality. It is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your health care provider(s).
- The most common uses of it are to relieve pain, depression, and opioid addiction.
- Because kratom acts on the opioid receptors, making it helpful for mood and pain, it can cause changes in emotional health.
- Because you’re using one addictive substance to break an addiction to another one, make sure you take great care in slowly tapering off.
- There is evidence that these alkaloids can have analgesic (pain relieving), anti-inflammatory, or muscle relaxant effects.
Once in a while, this is fine and generally won’t lead to any issues. Most kratom strains provide a euphoric boost that leaves people chatty and motivated. It’s extremely unlikely that kratom would cause kidney failure.
Talking about emotional health usually means handling stressful or emotional situations well. Emotional health is vital for people with, for example, a family or a job to worry about and those who want to stay sane and function well in their daily lives. Although it is more difficult to stop taking kratom at this point, the withdrawal is still easier than other substances — and unlikely to cause an overdose [11]. Kratom is not currently regulated in the United States, and federal agencies are taking action to combat false claims about kratom. In the meantime, your safest option is to work with your doctor to find other treatment options.
Is Kratom Legal?
These legal alternatives were actually made with harmful research chemicals that had serious long-term effects. Kratom can also interact with anxiolytics, muscle relaxants, and other sedatives, profoundly increasing their effects. This can be countered somewhat by taking natural aphrodisiac herbs such as maca root and Rhodiola. However, a decreased libido is a more serious symptom than many people might consider, and the best solution is to stop using kratom.
Some side effects, however, can emerge with as little as a single dose. For others, particularly those who take higher doses, it can function like a sedative, helping them to relax. Different people experience kratom in different ways, and the products themselves can vary.
Summary: What Are the Most Common Side Effects of Kratom?
In addition, substances that are made from kratom may be contaminated with salmonella bacteria. As of April 2018, more than 130 people in 38 states became ill with Salmonella after taking kratom. Food and Drug Administration has linked more than 35 deaths to Salmonella-tainted kratom. Salmonella contamination has no obvious signs, so the best way to avoid becoming ill is to avoid products that may contain it. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Kratom.org does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
If you’re in this situation, understand that it’s not your lack of willpower keeping you from breaking the habit. It’s the nature of using addictive substances and becoming dependent on them. Many people find that kratom ‘shortens their fuse.’ This is a common issue faced by users of all types of opioid-related substances.
The disruption of this axis occurs in aging men and results in decreased testosterone. In either case, if you’re getting constipated, you might want to reduce the amount of kratom you use. Chronic constipation can cause problems with nutrient absorption. Dizziness is most often caused by a drop in blood pressure but can also be a sign of dehydration — which is much more dangerous. For the purpose of harm reduction, it’s a good idea to always take kratom on a full stomach.
Stimulating strains tend to fade into a sort of relaxation, although many find that this is more akin to lethargy or fatigue than relaxation. Much like a caffeine crash, this is often accompanied by brain fog. If you continue to use kratom after its beneficial effects start to wane, you may develop chronic fatigue. As your adrenaline and dopamine systems burn out, your body will become less capable of producing energy on its own. Most of the times, nausea and vomiting are a sign that you’ve taken more kratom than your body can handle.
As an emotional analgesic, kratom can inhibit your ability to empathize with others. This may cause you to speak or act without thinking or to become irritated with people that would otherwise not bother you. Kratom can also cause some changes in your emotional health.
Some people say kratom can’t be dangerous — after all, it’s natural and derived directly from plants. But drugs such as morphine and codeine are products of the opium poppy, and no one today claims they’re not harmful in high doses. Some people in Western countries use kratom to try to treat pain or manage opioid withdrawal symptoms. Generally, the onset of addiction is accompanied by psychological symptoms, which may appear in the first weeks of abusing the herb. This is a mental need, not physical; it’s more of a desire for the effects — increased energy or mood, pain relief, etc. — and leads to habitually reaching for it.