In late July, news outlets reported that an Arizona woman had been hospitalized and placed on life support after taking kratom gummies for about a week to manage persistent leg pain. Her family said she purchased the gummies at a gas station and was later found unresponsive. She experienced heart failure but has since improved and no longer requires a heart transplant.
Online commenters expressed sympathy for the woman and her family, with many describing the incident as a warning about purchasing kratom products from gas stations. Some called for kratom to be removed from stores or banned, sharing personal experiences with dependence, withdrawal, and other health effects. Others questioned whether ordinary kratom caused the medical emergency, suggesting the gummies may have contained concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), contaminants, or other undisclosed ingredients. Some longtime users defended kratom for pain management or opioid withdrawal and argued that too little is known about the woman’s health or the product she used to draw conclusions.
Recommendation
The case may increase concern and confusion about the safety of kratom products. Health communicators may explain that kratom has not been approved by the FDA to treat pain, opioid withdrawal, or any other medical condition and that products marketed as kratom can vary in their ingredients and potency. Messaging may distinguish traditional kratom products from those containing added or concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), which can have opioid-like effects and may cause serious harm.
Communicators may note that serious health effects have been reported among people using kratom, although available information does not establish what caused the Arizona woman’s medical emergency. Messaging may encourage people to consult a health care provider before using kratom for pain or opioid withdrawal and to seek emergency care for symptoms such as difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, or seizures.
Fact-checking sources: Public Good News, VCU Health
Communication resources: Use these social media graphics on kratom and tianeptine
