If you follow health news or browse the supplement aisle, you may have come across kratom. This herbal supplement is marketed for various purposes, including boosting energy, improving mood, relieving pain, and easing opioid withdrawal symptoms.
However, kratom’s potential benefits come with significant uncertainties, and its use has raised concerns about side effects, the risk of dependence, and its safety.
If you lost a loved one who used kratom purchased legally in a state where it was permitted, you may be eligible to pursue a kratom lawsuit.
What is kratom?
Native to Southeast Asia, kratom is an herbal extract that comes from a tropical tree called Mitragyna speciosa. The leaves produce both stimulant and sedative effects when consumed. Kratom leaves are often used to self-treat various conditions, such as:
- Pain
- Cough
- Diarrhea
- Anxiety and depression
- Opioid use disorder and opioid withdrawal
Although kratom has a long history of traditional use in Southeast Asia, its use in the United States has grown in recent years. An estimated 1.7 million Americans ages 12 and older used kratom in 2021.
Kratom’s effects can vary depending on the dose. People who use it report that lower doses can have stimulant-like effects. At higher doses, kratom may produce sedative effects and pain relief. However, research has not established kratom as safe or effective for treating medical conditions, and its use also carries a risk of dependence or addiction.
Kratom is most commonly consumed orally in the form of tablets, capsules, or extracts.
Some people use kratom to relax or feel more sociable, assuming that a plant-based product is naturally safe. However, the concentration of active compounds in kratom leaves can vary significantly, making it difficult to predict how a particular dose will affect someone.
Research has also found that some kratom products contain higher concentrations of active ingredients than naturally occur in the leaves. Inconsistent labeling can make it difficult for consumers to determine how much kratom or which active compounds a product contains.
Kratom’s effects can begin within minutes of consumption and may last for several hours.
Side effects and safety concerns with kratom
People who use kratom may believe it helps them, but research has not established kratom as safe or effective for treating any medical condition.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned against its use because of potential health risks. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) also classifies kratom as a “drug of concern.”
From 2014 through 2019, U.S. poison control centers received more than 3,400 reports involving kratom exposure, including reports of death. Reported effects included high blood pressure, confusion, and seizures.
Known side effects of kratom also include weight loss, nausea and vomiting, liver damage, and muscle pain. However, more serious side effects of kratom can include slowed breathing, coma, or even death.
Kratom can also affect the brain and nervous system, potentially causing effects like hallucinations, depression, delusions, and dizziness.
Reports of kratom injury and death
According to a 2021 FDA adverse event report, the FDA received 78 reports involving kratom products, with the most common reported complaints being dependence, convulsions, withdrawal syndrome, and death. However, as kratom grew in popularity, so did the number of cases reported to the FDA.
As of 2026, the main ingredient in kratom, 7-hydroxymitragynine, has been reported to the FDA at least 168 times, including 153 serious cases, with 20 cases of death.
This has prompted at least eight states to fully ban kratom from being sold and purchased, including:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Connecticut
- Indiana
- Louisiana
- Tennessee
- Vermont
- Wisconsin
What is the kratom lawsuit?
Although kratom use in the United States is relatively new, with the first documented use as early as 2004, concerns about its safety have continued to grow. Marketed as a natural option for pain relief, increased energy, and mood support, kratom has been associated with dependence, serious side effects, and reported deaths.
For families who have lost a loved one after kratom use, the consequences can be devastating. If your loved one purchased kratom legally in a state where it was permitted and later died, you may be eligible to pursue a kratom lawsuit.
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Woods & Woods, LLC is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or associated with the FDA or DEA.
