Is kratom a welcome respite for those with chronic pain? Or is it a different style of opioid that can be addictive?
The truth is the herbal extract has a much longer and more complicated history. David Kroll, PhD, professor and director of the Master’s Degree and Certificate programs at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, has followed closely the broader medical use of botanicals for his entire career.
“I came across many patients who were using kratom for chronic pain and depression,” Kroll said, “particularly when they got cut off from their prescriptions of hydrocodone-acetaminophen combination products. From people with chronic back pain to veterans with blast injuries, it was a lot of vulnerable populations who found kratom.”
As the leaves of this Southeast Asian tree have been at the center of several wrongful-death lawsuits receiving recent media play, Kroll provides an overview of kratom’s benefits in some patients – while noting the herbal product’s uncertainties in terms of health effects and scientific inquiry.