Background And Aims: Using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), we undertook a natural experiment wherein kratom-product variability was a tool to assess kratom dose-response relationships based on product form and alkaloid level.
Methods: Between July-November 2022, 357 US kratom consumers (56.6 % male, 90.
Objectives: Despite widespread kratom use, there is a lack of knowledge regarding its effects on driving. We evaluated the self-reported driving behaviors of kratom consumers and assessed their simulated-driving performance after self-administering kratom products.
Methods: We present results from: 1) a remote, national study of US adults who regularly use kratom, and 2) an in-person substudy from which we re-recruited participants.
Importance: Kratom products, which are sold legally in most of the US, contain alkaloids with opioidergic, adrenergic, and serotonergic activity. Millions of people use kratom to relieve pain, improve mood, or self-manage substance use disorders (SUDs). Kratom use has primarily been examined via surveys, in which recall biases among satisfied users may lead to minimization of transient negative outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Use of kratom has outpaced systematic study of its effects, with most studies reliant on retrospective self-report.
Methods: We aimed to assess acute effects following kratom use in adults who use regularly, and quantify alkaloids in the products, urine, and plasma. Between July and November 2022, 10 adults came to our clinic and orally self-administered their typical kratom dose; blinding procedures were not used.
Introduction: Activity space in people with substance use disorders (SUDs) has been assessed for theoretical reasons and for detection/prevention of relapse. In this observational study, we relate passively obtained activity space measures to mental states and behaviors relevant to the success of treatment for opioid use disorder. Our long-term goal is to use such data to assess risk in real time and to recognize when SUD patients might benefit from a just-in-time intervention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSurveys and case reports have documented kratom use in the United States (US) for over a decade. However, those reports have generally not examined in depth the role kratom plays in the lives of those who use it regularly for sustained periods. Until there are controlled studies of the pharmacology and subjective effects of kratom alkaloids in humans, one of the best sources of insight on kratom-product use remains qualitative data with nuanced descriptions of kratom effects from those who use it regularly.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe botanical product commonly called "kratom" is still relatively novel to the United States. Like other natural products marketed as supplements, kratom is highly variable, both in terms of the alkaloids naturally occurring in kratom leaves and in terms of processing and formulation. Kratom products sold in the United States are not well-characterized, nor are daily use patterns among regular users.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis Letter to the Editor is a response to Broyan and colleagues who recently published a Case Report presenting data on 28 patients in the United States who identified kratom as their primary substance of use and who were subsequently induced on buprenorphine/naloxone for a reported diagnosis of kratom use disorder. We applaud the authors for helping to advance the science on kratom and recognize the difficulties in conducting kratom-related clinical assessment and research. However, a number of inconsistences and generalizations were identified in this Case Report, which also lacked some critical context.
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