Is kratom for opioid withdrawal effective? Safe? Right for you? Reports are mixed, so it’s important to learn the facts behind the rumors. Discover how kratom affects the body, what risks are involved in kratom use, and what alternatives could prove more helpful than kratom for treating opioid withdrawal.
Some people have turned to kratom when seeking relief from opioid withdrawal, due to its accessibility.
The chemical compounds in kratom interact with opioid receptors and may blunt withdrawal symptoms—or make them worse.
Individual online reports of the effectiveness of kratom withdrawal are not supported by research.
Taking kratom for opioid withdrawal involves multiple risks.
A safer solution is to seek professional support through evidence-based care.
What Does Opioid Withdrawal Feel Like?
Opioid withdrawal resembles a severe case of the flu. Your body aches, your stomach is upset, you experience chills and headaches, and you have trouble sleeping. You may also have a runny nose, watery eyes, and tremors.
Beyond these acute flu-like symptoms, which typically last up to two weeks, you may also experience Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS). These longer-term psychological and emotional symptoms can include cravings for opioids, anxiety, irritability, and fatigue.
Why Do People Turn to Kratom?
Some people view kratom as easier to obtain than FDA-approved prescriptions for opioid use disorder or they see it as a cheaper alternative. They attempt to use kratom as a “bridge” to taper off opioids, but without a true recovery plan. The mindset in these cases is that short-term symptom relief is the priority, rather than treatment for opioid use disorder.
In some cases, this may be due to barriers to treatment, such as cost, or fear of stigma if the person pursues treatment.
Kratom may blunt some opioid withdrawal symptoms, but these results vary and come with great risk. Here’s the science behind what’s going on.
Kratom contains two alkaloids (organic compounds that contain nitrogen). These compounds, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), interact with opioid receptors and other body systems. Because they affect opioid receptors, they can lessen withdrawal symptoms when a person stops taking opioids and those receptors crave the missing drug.
But…this receptor activity can also create dependence on kratom instead of opioids. As you continue to take kratom, you become tolerant, which means you need more and more of it to feel the same impact. Then, if you try to stop taking kratom, you experience withdrawal from this substance, as you did from opioids.
It’s also important to note that various products contain different potencies of these alkaloids. Some offer highly concentrated amounts, which pose even higher risks for side effects. And since kratom products aren’t FDA-approved or regulated, users don’t really know how potent the products are before they take them.
If you consume kratom, you may feel an energy boost or a calming effect. This depends on the dose you take. At lower doses, kratom acts as a stimulant. In larger doses, kratom can have opioid-like sedative effects.
The dose (and its potency) can also impact side effects such as nausea and agitation.
To achieve the desired effects of kratom, individuals may resort to online searches such as “kratom dosage for opioid withdrawal” but this is a dangerous path.
As mentioned, the potency of each batch of kratom can differ, so the same dose from two separate batches can have different effects. Plus, some products include blends or mislabeled extracts that change the potency and effects of the kratom.
Individual tolerance also differs, based on many factors, such as opioid tolerance, liver metabolism, other substance use, and hydration. As a result, the same dose can pose a much higher risk for one person than another.
This type of self-medicating with kratom, with guesswork on dosing, can lead to escalation. More and more kratom is taken in an effort to chase relief, more is needed for daily functioning, and the result is dependence or addiction.
Medical guidance and monitoring help you avoid these dosing traps. Rather than using internet searches to guide dosing, look for proven opioid use disorder treatment that offers safe withdrawal methods and long-term support.
The short answer? Not really.
Evidence that kratom helps with opioid withdrawal is limited, and it is anecdotal. This means some people have reported in surveys or individual case studies that they have experienced some opioid withdrawal relief from kratom use, but there is no solid research to back up these claims.
These self-reports also include mixed results. Some people say kratom helped reduce cravings and withdrawal aches, but others report that kratom use worsened their symptoms.
There’s also a lack of evidence for positive long-term outcomes, and there is concern for safety. Due to the risk of side effects such as liver damage, seizures, and substance use disorder, the FDA warns consumers not to use kratom.
Other questions about kratom’s effectiveness include the lack of standardized products. Since these products aren’t regulated, batches vary, and it’s impossible to compare apples to apples to determine effectiveness.
Long-term symptoms and relapse
While some people may experience a lessening of acute opioid withdrawal symptoms, cravings and PAWS often outlast these short-term symptoms. With no other supports in place to treat opioid use disorder, individuals may experience relapse.
Underlying OUD drivers
Kratom use for opioid withdrawal doesn’t address the conditions that are driving opioid use. Challenges such as triggers, mental health disorders, and environmental factors still need to be addressed.
Substitution
Taking kratom for opioid withdrawal runs the risk of substituting opioid dependence with kratom dependence, which also causes withdrawal.
Side Effects and Overdose Risk
Common issues from kratom use include nausea/vomiting, heart palpitations, constipation, dizziness, and sweating. There is a higher risk for these and other complications when combined with opioids, sleep medications, alcohol, or benzos.
Overdose from kratom use is possible. Seek urgent care if you or someone you know experiences chest pain, trouble breathing, fainting, seizures, or severe confusion.
Drug Interactions and Medical Situations
If you’re taking CNS depressants, kratom can cause unpredictable effects or cause over-sedation.
Blood pressure and heart rhythm medications should not be mixed with kratom.
If you are pregnant, have a heart condition or liver disease, or are in your senior years, kratom use poses a higher risk and requires extra caution.
Practical Limitations
As part of an unregulated market, kratom products may be contaminated or not as advertised. Further, they offer inconsistent potency, so they can be far stronger (and more dangerous) than expected.
Legality of kratom products also varies, making kratom use risky for workplace/drug testing concerns and for traveling with the substance.
If you’re experiencing uncontrolled vomiting/diarrhea or suicidal thoughts during opioid withdrawal, it’s time to get help. Don’t try to power through these serious, dehydrating or life-threatening situations.
If you’re in a high-risk scenario, it’s also crucial to get support. These scenarios include pregnancy, severe psychiatric symptoms, and exposure to fentanyl.
Supervised withdrawal is available. This support provides withdrawal symptom relief and creates a bridge to ongoing care.
While it may be tempting to self-medicate with kratom, evidence-based opioid use disorder medications offer several advantages over kratom.
| Kratom | Evidence-based Medications | |
|---|---|---|
| Overdose | Does not reduce risk | Reduces overdose risk |
| Long-term recovery | Less likely to lead to long-term recovery | Improves retention |
| Oversight | No safety net in place to prevent health risks | Clinical monitoring to prevent complications |
| Dosing | Unregulated, batches differ in potency, appropriate dosing unknown | Prescribed by clinicians at appropriate doses |
| Supplemental treatment | Not provided | Comfort meds & therapy provided for comprehensive treatment |
| FDA-approval | Not FDA-approved; warnings against use | FDA-approved |
| Regulation | Not regulated; no standardization for products | Regulated for consistency |
You can still switch to a safer method of withdrawal. Talk to a treatment provider:
Explain what you’ve used, how often, when you last used it, and any other substances you’ve used.
Ask about the appropriate timing for transitioning to approved medications to avoid painful withdrawal or complications.
Work together to build a plan for tapering and relapse-prevention.
Some people have reported that kratom has helped with their opioid withdrawal, but these anecdotal claims are not supported by research. Due to the many factors involved in its effectiveness, it’s hard to predict whether a kratom product will relieve symptoms or pose serious health risks. In other words, just because “it worked for someone online” doesn’t predict safety outcomes for you.
Yes. The body can become dependent on kratom, which causes withdrawal symptoms when kratom is no longer consumed. Symptoms are similar to opioid withdrawal.
7-OH is an alkaloid found in the kratom plant. Some products contain 7-OH in concentrated forms that significantly increase the potency of the substance. This increases the risk for overdose, dependence, and withdrawal.
Mixing these substances increases unpredictability of results and can increase the risk of overdose. A safer next step is to consult a clinician before combining or switching substances.
There’s no need to go through opioid withdrawal alone. At Boca Recovery Center, we treat a variety of addiction, mental health, and co-occurring substance use disorders using evidence-based methods that offer proven, safe results. Our accredited treatment programs have helped more than 13,000 patients, with an average 4.8-star rating across our facilities.
Contact us today to learn more about your treatment options.
