What is Kratom? A Pharmacologist's Perspective

Kratom use is widespread in the United States, as it is available as a herbal supplement. In this video, I will give pharmacologists perspective of what it is and what kind of effects it produces, while briefly discussing the pharmacology of mitragynine/7-hydroxymitragynine.

I'd be happy to hear your thoughts on kratom and continue the discussion down below in the comments section.

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IG: @neuropharmacist
Twitter: @samuelkohtala

References:

Chemical composition and biological effects of kratom (Mitragyna speciosa): In vitro studies with implications for efficacy and drug interactions
D A Todd, J J Kellogg, E D Wallace, M Khin, L Flores-Bocanegra, R S Tanna, S McIntosh, H A Raja, T N Graf, S E Hemby, M F Paine, N H Oberlies, N B Cech
PMID: 33154449 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76119-w

Signaling diversity of mu- and delta- opioid receptor ligands: Re-evaluating the benefits of β-arrestin/G protein signaling bias
Graciela Pineyro, Karim Nagi

Kratom Use and Toxicities in the United States
William Eggleston , Robert Stoppacher, Kyle Suen, Jeanna M Marraffa, Lewis S Nelson
PMID: 31099038 DOI: 10.1002/phar.2280

#kratom #whatiskratom

[Neuropharmacist]

1k subs broken! Thank you so much for watching and subbing! Gives me great motivation to keep on pushing new stuff!

[bobapruginic]

10 years on heroin 7 on subotex hell in life, 6 months I use kratom red type 4 times 5 grams each, I'm living life to the fullest again with my children and wife greetings from Serbia

[sarahshanahan]

I take kratom to help me manage my chronic pain.
It helps so much to live my life. I can cook... clean... play with my children.. and work.
I make sure I take tolerance breaks

[Tuxedosandhandgrenades]

I am a decade long kratom user, I started taking it to kick a Vicodin habit, which works wonders, that being said in high dose long term use (I take about 35g daily, 7g 5 times daily) it has the exact same withdrawal symptoms, not nearly as intense but very similar in symptoms such as constant yawning, runny nose, sneezing, foggy thinking, restless legs and severe lethargy. Let me reiterate, the symptoms are not as intense as opiates but very similar in effects, kratom is definitely a life saver when it comes to kicking opiates of any kind but it is definitely a double edged sword because if left unchecked kratom abuse and addiction is a very real thing especially in long term high dose use so be careful because exchanging one addiction for another is a definite possibility with kratom if you're not careful.

[jarredmarques]

i subscribed because of your unbiased opinion on the matter. you really looked at both sides thoroughly and represented both sides equally. Great work this is what were missing in the world.

[catbakkorrel]

From personal experience: it can be pretty addictive and if you're prone to addiction think twice if and how you use it.

[eddiemedusa]

I have taken lots of kratom daily for years and I have no problem with it. But quitting is no fun. I feel really bad for like 10 days, but that is it.

[Yabani-Ra]

Kratom helped me stop drinking alcohol. It immediately stopped the cravings. To me, it was a blessing.😊

[OuterHeaven]

I fricked up my brain chemistry with heroin. Kratom helps me do stuff like play with my daughter and go to work.

[kirbyroad]

Prescribed Hydrocodone for the past 18 years. Im finding that kratom relieves my constant pain much better and lasts longer than the opiates. I take 2 capsulesin the morning and I'm absolutely pain free for 6 hours of construction work. Before kratom I took 2 hydrocodone pills a day one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The kratom has so far been much better at pain management. I'm going to treat it as an opiate and not raise the dosage.

[Atomikbomb]

I take kratom once a twice a week, and it's lovely in that frequency. I don't take much, but it does help with autoimmune issues. Like...REALLY helps. The plant is incredible.

We as a society need to educate people. We've also had enough banning of plants (and fungi). It's time to freaking learn to do better and give people choices, the scheduling of things doesn't work and only serves to bolster a larger black market. Addicts still exist, and they'll continue to use too much kratom (or whatever else). Sometimes these people have issues from being abused, or other traumas.

So we also need to grow, help health each other, and mature as a western people group.

I thoroughly believe a healthy promotion of safe use is much more motivating than a damning smear campaign against misuse.

Thank you for the objective and educational video 🥰

[kellythesequel]

This is just what I need for a presentation in my Pharmacology of Psychoactive Drugs class! Thank you for breaking down the two main alkaloids and their interaction with the mu-, delta- and kappa- receptors. I feel like I have a better understanding beyond trying to decipher studies.

[Hexsyn]

As a US Pharmacist I'm very happy for this useful summary. Thank you!

[Slip]

I've been using kratom for exactly a year this month. I take a heaping spoonful 3-4 times a day. Kratom let me kick my alcohol addiction. The moment i started kratom i didn't think of alcohol again. I didn't even realize I hadn't had alcohol until two weeks after. I've had no adverse effects so far and my quality of life has only improved. I do find myself wanting more and more kratom but I do not up my usage. It's all about self control!

[debbiewasshername]

i subed because your voice is about as professional as it can get and the accent isnt at all distracting.

[dustinwhitesell]

I’ve been using Kratom for a little over a year and a half now, if you can even put a time frame on it. I only take it for pain, and really bad pain that Tylenol couldn’t help. However sometimes I have taken it just to lighten my mood when I don’t want to smoke marijuana and be high around people who would be uncomfortable with that. I’ve never abused it, I’ve always done the research and have been wise with it, I also make sure not to use it every day, and only on days when I am in severe pain. So I agree with your video, I love the information and the way you have it put out, But I hope they’re able to study it in clinical trials before it’s outlawed.

But realistically, I think it really comes down to moderation, and being able to have the willpower to say I’m only going to take this when I need it. And then making that necessity only as a last resort

[aeon--]

Thorough video, wasn't aware that metabolism likely played such a large role in the subjective effects of kratom. Learned a bunch of new things. Thanks!

I'm looking forward to seeing more research on it - I hope kratom can prove valuable for the development of better pain medications.

[MrBlakeleyden]

The Red kind is for relaxation, the white kind is for energy, and the green kind is somewhere in between. Having tried both red and green, the red SO nice for getting a great night sleep and waking up feeling refreshed, EVEN after a night of drinking. Just make sure you have a minimum of 6 hours to sleep, but more ideally, at least 8 hours. The green kind for me does give some energy, but it is a very fine line between taking enough to feel much of anything, to then overdoing and starting to feel uneasy and anxious (much like taking too much caffeine). If you stick with the red kind and watch your tolerance so you don't start taking excessive amounts of it, it can be a great tool for getting some much needed rest and recovery from a hard day of work. I work a very physical job, and my muscles actually feel really good when I wake up in the morning. The sleep is so deep and comfortable that I think the body recovers better. That's been my experience anyways.

[DavidBorowiec]

I've used kratom for 6+ years primarily for pain management It's been a life saver since both my neurosurgeon and my PCP have told me that with my various conditions and many, many reconstructive should be bedridden. Not in a walker, not in a wheelchair, bedridden. (Hint- I usually walk without a cane)

[alexc]

I use a plant called Damiana which eradicates cravings for nicotine, cannabis, kratom and I'd love to know how it does this. I also use Damiana for mild depression and stress relief. It has been used by man for 1000's of years but now it's not so known so would be interesting to hear a pharmacologists view on this. Love this kratom video!