Side effects and safety concerns

People who take kratom believe that it helps them. But kratom hasn't been shown to be safe or to treat any medical conditions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned people not to use kratom because of possible harm it can cause. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration calls kratom a drug of concern.

Poison control centers in the United States received more than 3,400 reports about use of kratom from 2014 through 2019. These included reports of death. Side effects reported included high blood pressure, confusion and seizures.

Kratom has known side effects, including:

• Weight loss.
• Dry mouth.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Constipation.
• Liver damage.
• Muscle pain.
• High blood pressure.

Kratom also affects the mind and nervous system. It causes:

• Dizziness.
• Drowsiness.
• Smells, tastes, sights, touches or sounds that seem real but aren't, called hallucinations.
• False beliefs, called delusions.
• Depression.
• Trouble breathing.
• Confusion, tremors and seizures.

Kratom products have been linked to a small number of deaths. That's small compared with deaths from other drugs. Nearly all deaths from kratom also involved other drugs or substances that might have been harmful.

Many of the problems linked to pain medicines happen when people take them at high doses or for a long time. Experts don't know what level of kratom can cause those problems. People can overdose with kratom, but it's rare.