Kratom is a tree native to
Southeast Asia that is widely known as ‘nature’s
vicodin’. The leaves of the tree can be chewed, made
into a tea, or dried and added to capsules that cure
anxiety, depression, migraines and many types of chronic
pain. The plant acts as both a mild sedative when used
sparingly; and in large doses, as a stimulant. It can
also be used to wean patients off opiate addictions such
as heroin and morphine. The plant is from the same
family as the coffee tree, and Thai people have used
Kratom leaves as a form of medicine for centuries to
treat conditions such as diarrhea, nervousness and
opiate withdrawal. Many long-term users of Kratom claim
that it is more effective at managing pain than many
powerful painkillers such as morphine and vicodin, and
is far less addictive than chemical narcotics. The DEA
has placed Kratom onto their Drugs and Chemicals of
Concern list in the past, and it is illegal in
Australia, Thailand, Malaysia and Burma. It is available
over-the-counter in powder form, dried leaves, capsules
and as an extract, and there have been no reported cases
of overdose or serious side-effects.
History
of Kratom
The first documented cases about
Kratom comes from the early 19th century after a Dutch
Botanist named Pieter Korthals commented on how the
leaves of the tree reminded him of a Bishops mitre and
named the tree Mitragyna. There is not much evidence
available on the use of Kratom before Europe’s
colonisation of Asia, but it is generally believed that
Asian people have used this herb for hundreds of years.
Farmworkers would often chew the leaves as a pick me up
in the morning in the same way as many people now rely
on coffee. In 1943, the Thai government passed a new law
banning the use of kratom citing it as a dangerous drug,
although many people believe the move was to protect the
government’s investment in the booming opiate business.
Despite the ban, kratom use continues in Thailand even
though the government imposes strong penalties on those
caught with the herb.
Kratom
as a Painkiller
Kratom is perfectly legal in the
United States and many advocates of the herb claim it
has similar pain relieving properties as marijuana. The
web is filled with misinformation about this wonderful
herb, and the DEA and many different mainstream news
sources try to categorize it with the latest harmful
drug trends such as bath salts. According to its users,
taking a small amount of kratom extract everyday will
benefit those suffering from all forms of pain including
past injuries, nerve damage, headaches and arthritis.
Kratom contains two compounds known as mitragynine and
7-hydroxymitragynine which have been found to have
mildly sedative effects when used on rats. Kratom is
reported to be mildly psychoactive, and users have noted
that they can experience feelings of extreme well being
and blissfulness.
Other
Uses
As well as pain relief, kratom
can be used to combat fatigue, social anxiety, stress
and is said to provide sexual enhancement for men. Many
people also use it as a substitute for coffee as it
provides a more level burst of energy without the
inevitable caffeine crash after a few hours.
Possible
Side-Effects or Drug Interactions
Due to its sedative effects,
kratom should never be mixed with any other type of
substance especially alcohol. A study performed at the
Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and
Health Sciences in Malaysia found that giving a mixture
of mitragynine and morphine to rats in the laboratory
reduced the amount of tolerance the rats built up to the
morphine over time. There needs to be further research
performed into the pain-relieving properties of kratom
as according to users’ testimonies it could provide a
safe and non-addictive alternative to strong pain
medication such as morphine, vicodin and oxycontin.
