Kratom addiction Roswell GA

Hidden Risks of Kratom

The Hidden Risks of Kratom: What You Need to Know

If you have been inside a gas station or grocery market recently, chances are you have seen small bottles, supplement pills, or canned drinks that advertise “Natural Energy! Kratom!” In recent years, kratom has quietly moved from a niche herbal supplement to a widely available substance found in smoke shops, gas stations, and online marketplaces across the United States. Often marketed as a “natural” solution for pain, anxiety, or even opioid withdrawal, kratom is frequently perceived as safe, natural, and helpful for people who are struggling to stay awake and alert throughout their day. But that perception is misleading—and in some cases, incredibly dangerous.

Understanding what kratom does to the body, how addiction develops, and why its use is rising is critical for clinicians, families, and individuals navigating recovery. There are many hidden risks of kratom use. With its rise in popularity and availability to consumers as young as 16, we can’t afford to ignore those risks any longer.

What Is Kratom?

Kratom is a tropical plant native to Southeast Asia. Its leaves contain compounds that interact with opioid receptors in the brain. At low doses, kratom can act as a stimulant, increasing energy and alertness, which is why many products are marketed as an energy drink. At higher doses, it produces sedative, pain-relieving, and euphoric effects similar to opioids.

This dual-action profile is part of what makes kratom appealing, but also risky. Users may initially take it for energy or mood enhancement, then gradually increase their use to chase its calming or pain-relieving effects. 

Physical Risks of Kratom

Kratom is not a benign substance. Its effects span multiple systems in the body, and adverse reactions are more common than many realize. The use of kratom includes short-term physical effects, but also longer, more serious health risks are possible with prolonged use. 

Short-Term Effects

Users may experience:

  • Increased energy (low doses)

  • Sedation or euphoria (higher doses)

  • Nausea, vomiting, and constipation

  • Dry mouth and loss of appetite

Long-Term Effects

More concerning are the potentially severe and life-threatening effects:

  • Liver toxicity

  • Seizures

  • Cardiovascular complications

  • Respiratory depression

  • Psychiatric symptoms (including hallucinations and agitation)

Some reports suggest that up to one-third of users experience negative side effects, including serious complications like cardiac arrest or seizures.

Additionally, kratom products are not regulated by the FDA. This means they may be contaminated with heavy metals, bacteria like Salmonella, or adulterated with other substances—further increasing risk. Without regulation, kratom products have been found to contain 500% higher 7-OH concentrations than natural leaf content, often with inconsistent, unsafe dosing.

For a clinical overview of kratom risks, see the FDA’s public health warning on kratom.

How Kratom Addiction Develops

One of the most dangerous misconceptions about kratom is that it is safe, natural, and “non-addictive.” In reality, kratom can lead to both physical dependence and substance use disorder. Some studies suggest that about one-quarter of this treatment-seeking population has used kratom. Its use as an opioid substitute was rather common, with just under 70% reporting kratom use to help cut back or quit opioid use. 

The Mechanism of Addiction

Kratom’s active compounds bind to opioid receptors in the brain. This produces effects similar, though typically weaker, to opioids like morphine or heroin. Over time, the brain adapts:

  • Tolerance develops (needing more to feel the same effect)

  • Dependence forms (the body requires the substance to function normally)

  • Withdrawal symptoms emerge when use stops

The FDA has documented cases where individuals:

  • Used more than intended

  • Experienced cravings

  • Continued use despite harm

  • Developed withdrawal symptoms upon stopping

This pattern is the hallmark of substance use disorder—not casual or harmless use.

Withdrawal Symptoms

Kratom withdrawal can resemble mild-to-moderate opioid withdrawal and may include:

  • Irritability and anxiety

  • Muscle aches

  • Insomnia

  • Nausea

  • Depression

These symptoms often drive continued use, reinforcing the addiction cycle, just as with most other major substances that patients report addiction or use disorders. 

The Rise of Kratom Use and Addiction

Kratom use has increased significantly over the past decade, and public health data reflects this trend.

  • Calls to U.S. poison control centers related to kratom exposure increased tenfold between 2010 and 2015.

  • The majority of exposures involved intentional use, often for self-treatment of pain, anxiety, or withdrawal.

  • Health authorities now describe kratom as an “emerging public health threat.”

Part of this rise is driven by accessibility. Kratom is widely available, often marketed as:

  • A “natural” supplement

  • A legal alternative to opioids

  • A tool for self-managing withdrawal

This creates a dangerous entry point—especially for individuals already vulnerable due to chronic pain, anxiety, or substance use history.

Kratom and Overdose Risk

While kratom alone appears less likely to cause fatal overdose compared to traditional opioids, that does not make it safe.

Data from the CDC shows:

  • Kratom has been detected in overdose deaths across the U.S.

  • In many cases, it is used alongside other substances such as fentanyl, benzodiazepines, or alcohol

Between 2016 and 2017, kratom was involved in 91 overdose deaths, with some cases involving kratom as the only detected substance.

The real risk lies in polysubstance use. Individuals using kratom alongside other depressants dramatically increase their risk of respiratory failure and death.

For ongoing overdose data, refer to the CDC overdose surveillance dashboard (SUDORS).

The Risk of Kratom in Addiction Recovery

Kratom is often used by individuals attempting to quit opioids or manage withdrawal symptoms. On the surface, this may seem like harm reduction—but clinically, it often backfires. There are several reasons why the use of kratom in this way is risky: 

1. It Reinforces the Same Neural Pathways

Kratom activates opioid receptors, meaning it continues the cycle of reward, tolerance, and dependence. You aren’t stopping an addiction, you’re simply replacing it with another one.

2. It Delays True Recovery

Instead of recalibrating the nervous system, kratom maintains reliance on an external substance for regulation. This means that even if you are “sober” from your substance of choice, true recovery hasn’t had a chance to begin in the brain and body. Your default mode network keeps those addiction pathways alive and operating.

3. It Creates a “Gray Zone” Addiction

Because it is legal and marketed as natural, individuals may not recognize their use as problematic, leading to prolonged dependence. Due to the products containing kratom not being fully regulated, users can experience wildly fluctuating levels of their “dose”, along with unsafe levels of other chemicals they weren’t expecting. 

4. It Complicates Treatment

Kratom use can interfere with medications like buprenorphine and complicate detox and stabilization. Kratom use can also affect progress in individual therapy or in outpatient recovery programs such as Centered, because the patient isn’t yet in possession of a clear and sober mind, and therefore not able to be fully present and or potentially honest with themselves, their peers, and their treatment team. 

The Bottom Line

Kratom sits in a dangerous gray area: widely available, poorly regulated, and often misunderstood. The short-term benefits do not outweigh the risks of kratom use, which include both short-term effects as well as long-term physical risks. While some individuals may use it seeking relief from pain, anxiety, or withdrawal, the risks are real and are increasingly well-documented.

Kratom can:

  • Alter brain chemistry in ways similar to opioids

  • Lead to tolerance, dependence, and addiction

  • Cause serious physical and psychiatric side effects

  • Increase overdose risk, especially when combined with other substances

And perhaps most importantly, it can quietly derail recovery under the guise of being “natural” and safe.

A More Grounded Approach

If someone is seeking relief from pain, anxiety, or substance use, there are evidence-based options that do not carry the same level of risks that kratom does. These include:

  • Medication-assisted treatment (MAT)

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

  • Mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP)

  • Nervous system regulation strategies

The goal isn’t just to replace one substance with another. It is to rebuild the brain and body’s capacity to function without dependence on any substance. If you’re ready to learn more about achieving true freedom from addiction recovery, call 800-556-2966 to speak with a member of our treatment team and find out if Centered is the right fit for you.