The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Office of Diversion Control lists kratom as a "Drug and Chemical of Concern" and says there's no legitimate medical use for kratom in the United States. A DEA report issued in December 2010 says pharmacology studies show that kratom has "opioid-like activity in animals," reducing pain, producing "sedative and euphoric effects," and a host of side effects including nausea, constipation, loss of appetite, and even "psychotic symptoms" in "kratom addicts," including "hallucinations, delusion, and confusion."
Dr. Frank LoVecchio, co-medical director of the Banner Good Samaritan Poison & Drug Information Center based here in Arizona, says he's treated five patients who used kratom and hasn't seen any terrible side effects.
"For every one or two patients I see that come in, there are probably dozens who do it and don't get into trouble," LoVecchio says. "In the few cases I've seen, it doesn't cause crazy symptoms. People get a little sleepy. I'm not sure what would happen if somebody OD'd." (To date, there's never been a reported fatal overdose of kratom.)