What Are the Effects of Kratom?

Short-Term Effects

The effects of Kratom vary by dose. In smaller doses in this range, Kratom has stimulant effects, similar to those of coffee because the two plants are in the same family. Users report alertness, greater physical energy, and in some cases, elevated mood and increased talkativeness.

In more moderate dosages, Kratom exhibits opioid-like properties, allowing for temporary relief from pain and symptoms of opioid withdrawals. In addition to analgesic effects, users also report euphoria at these doses, but in a more subdued form than that provoked by takin opioids.

Dosages greater than 15 grams are considered dangerous, and can produce life-threatening effects, especially in naïve, or inexperienced, Kratom users. Side effects more accurately mimic those of an opioid high, with users experiencing stupor, nausea, sweating, dissociation, and in more extreme cases, respiratory depression and seizures.

Long-Term Effects

The long-term effects of kratom are not yet fully understood. According to NIDA, some experts report that users can experience a wide range of rare, but dangerous, effects associated with Kratom exposure—including mental and neurological symptoms (confusion, tremors and seizures), heart and lung problems (high blood pressure and slow breathing), gastrointestinal problems (nausea and vomiting) and liver problems.

Side Effects of Kratom Use

Kratom can be taken as a pill or additive powder, brewed into a tea, or even concentrated into an extract. The psychoactive plant has many side effects, some of which can be life-threatening:

• Increased urination

• Constipation

• Itching

• Sweating

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Drowsiness

• Loss of appetite

• Weight loss

• Anorexia

• Insomnia

• Hepatotoxicity (liver damage)

• Tachycardia (heart rate over 100 beats per minute)

• Hallucinations

• Seizure

• Death