From NPR · · 4m
Kratom and 7-OH: miracle cure or addiction trap
Highly concentrated 7-OH products derived from kratom are fueling addiction, but some users say they've been life-changing. Federal restrictions could arrive as soon as Friday.
In brief
Highly concentrated 7-OH products derived from kratom are fueling addiction, but some users say they've been life-changing. Federal restrictions could arrive as soon as Friday. The DEA plans to restrict highly concentrated 7-OH and related products by November thirteen, twenty twenty-six, after poison control calls…
Tyler's decade of recovery
Tyler used kratom leaf powders to ease opioid withdrawal symptoms in his early twenties. Now thirty-eight, he credits kratom with helping him stay off opioids for a decade.
A new product at the gas station
In early twenty twenty-five, Tyler saw seven OH tablets at a gas station, advertised as kratom products. He tried them because kratom powders made him feel hard on his stomach.
A feeling like opioids
Seven OH gave Tyler a feeling of euphoria similar to opioids. He described the experience as feeling like a kind of a miracle.
“felt like a kind of a miracle”
Rapid detox in Michigan
Nearly a year and a half later, Tyler was in a rapid detox program in Michigan, sedated to sleep through withdrawals when he tried to stop taking seven OH.
What is 7-OH exactly
Seven OH, or seven hydroxymitragynine, is one of the major psychoactive ingredients in kratom, which comes from a tree in the coffee family. It appears naturally in kratom in very small amounts.
Concentrated products everywhere
In recent years, highly concentrated seven OH products have appeared online and at smoke shops, liquor stores and gas stations. They come as tablets, gummies, tonics and chocolate.
How many people use these products
Estimates of kratom and seven OH use in the U.S.are wide-ranging.Some suggest over five million people have used kratom in their lifetime.David Epstein at NIDA has seen estimates as high as fifteen million.
Years of failed restrictions
In the last decade, the U.S. government attempted to restrict kratom and seven OH products. Strong opposition from the public and advocacy groups kept them federally legal until recently.
The DEA's August crackdown
In August, the Drug Enforcement Administration restricted three semi-synthetic opioids derived from seven OH: MGM-fifteen, MGM-sixteen and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, or MGPI. They were listed alongside heroin and LSD.
Kratom advocates fight back
The American Kratom Association filed a federal lawsuit on August twenty-sixth against the DEA. It asked the DEA to ensure natural kratom products with traces of MGPI would remain legal.
A narrower restriction emerges
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a new recommendation on October ninth. The DEA changed course to restrict only higher concentration seven OH and MGPI products, not natural kratom.
Poison control calls surge
A report from fifty-three U.S. poison control centers shows calls related to kratom increased about twelve hundred percent between twenty fifteen and twenty twenty-five. The report included two hundred thirty-three deaths during that period.
Angela Wilson's chronic pain relief
Angela Wilson, forty-four, from Delaware, said seven OH has helped her manage excruciating chronic pain from endometriosis and depression symptoms since her teenage years. She takes thirty-two to forty milligrams daily, split into three doses.
Wilson fears losing access
Wilson has no health insurance and said losing access to seven OH under new restrictions would be devastating for her and her family. She said kratom powders made her feel anxious and shaky.
“It's been truly life-changing for my family situation, my personal life”
Tyler's escalating doses
Tyler began taking around three hundred to four hundred milligrams of seven OH daily, about ten times Angela Wilson's dose. He made several attempts to stop but experienced debilitating withdrawals.
Brian's descent into addiction
Brian, forty-one, quit opioids in twenty sixteen but found kratom at a gas station in twenty twenty-two.He later discovered seven OH tablets at a smoke shop.
Brian's moment of recognition
When Brian took seven OH tablets, he realized he felt exactly like he did when taking opioids. He said it felt like finding a legal, healthy opiate with no consequences because of its legality.
“It was game over”
Brian's withdrawal nightmare
Brian stopped taking seven OH in April twenty twenty-six by quitting cold turkey.He experienced more debilitating withdrawals than from quitting opioids, including fear, anxiety and gastrointestinal issues.He lost the desire to leave his house.
“It was a nightmare”
Tyler's long recovery journey
Tyler hasn't used seven OH or kratom since traveling to the Michigan detox program in March.He said recovery has taken months, much longer than when he stopped opioids.
“There's no chance. It's just too addictive and too accessible.”
At a glance
The DEA plans to restrict highly concentrated 7-OH and related products by November thirteen, twenty twenty-six, after poison control calls surged twelve hundred percent since twenty fifteen.
