How Hard is Kratom on the Liver? Kratom Liver Toxicity

How Hard is Kratom on the Liver? Dangers, Health Risks, Liver Damage, Addiction, Overdose & Treatments


How Hard is Kratom on the Liver? Kratom Liver Toxicity – Kratom and the Liver

How hard is kratom on the liver, and what are its uses? Kratom is a tropical plant (Mitragyna speciosa) originally grown in Southeast Asia. Can kratom get you high? Yes. It can produce opioid- and stimulant-like effects. When abused, kratom leaves contain compounds that can induce mind-altering or psychotropic side effects.

Is kratom bad for your liver? Because kratom is legal at the federal level in the United States, many people can easily purchase it online. It’s often sold as a green powder in packets labeled as “jewelry cleaner” or “not for human consumption.” Is kratom safe for liver? Despite the belief that it’s safe because it’s technically legal, kratom liver toxicity is just one of the many side effects that users may experience due to abuse. 

How Addictive is Kratom?

When a person takes a mind-altering drug such as kratom, the brain’s natural chemistry is changed. Some chemical messengers produced in the brain and sent throughout the body may be stimulated, depressed, or not absorbed properly.

how hard is kratom on the liver
How does kratom affect the liver? Kratom is a tropical plant (Mitragyna speciosa) originally grown in Southeast Asia. Its leaves contain compounds that can produce mind-altering or psychotropic side effects when abusing Kratom.

Even though kratom is legal in some states, those who take it risk experiencing negative side effects, dependency, or substance use disorder. Kratom is a natural opioid. Thus, experts feel it has a significant potential for addiction. Additionally, given that kratom is widely available and legal, things can be difficult with the ongoing opioid crisis.

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Does kratom cause brain swelling? Opioids, and likely kratom, also fill opioid receptors in the brain and the central nervous system, creating a backlog of neurotransmitters in how a person feels pleasure. This can cause a rush of euphoria or “high.” Regular interference alters the brain’s chemistry to expect kratom’s presence. These chemical messengers may not be produced or moved throughout the central nervous system in their normal function. Drug dependence is then formed.

What is The Role of The Liver? Does Kratom Affect Your Liver?

Is kratom hard on liver? The role of the liver is to regulate chemical levels in your blood and excrete something called bile, which helps carry waste from the liver. All the blood that leaves the stomach and intestines passes through the liver. The liver then processes and breaks down this blood, balancing and creating nutrients that metabolize drugs into easier forms for the body to use.

Some other common functions of the liver include: 

  • Production of bile, which helps carry waste from your liver and break down fats in the small intestine for digestion
  • Production of proteins for blood plasma
  • Production of cholesterol and special proteins to help carry fats through your body
  • Conversion of excess glucose into glycogen for storage (glycogen can later be converted back to glucose for energy) and to balance and make glucose as needed
  • Regulation of blood levels of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins
  • Clearing drugs and other toxic substances from your blood
  • Blood clotting
  • Fighting infections by developing immunity and removing bacteria from the bloodstream

How hard is kratom on the liver, is kratom hard on the liver? When the liver is heavily impacted, other areas of the body begin to suffer. As with other drugs, kratom and liver problems go hand in hand due to long-term use.

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What is Kratom Liver Toxicity? – Kratom Side Effects Liver Toxicity (Kratom Liver Enzymes)

What does kratom do to the liver? Kratom is sold online and in smoke shops. In small doses, it acts as a stimulant, and in high doses, it produces opioid-like side effects, making it a popular substance of abuse. Among its many dangers is liver toxicity. Kratom and liver toxicity have recently become a more common topic. While there was a lot of back and forth about the risks of kratom abuse, its impact on the liver has confirmed this drug’s dangers. 

Is Kratom Bad for Kidneys? How Hard is Kratom on the Liver?

How hard is kratom on the liver? Kratom liver toxicity occurs when someone takes too much kratom to the point where their liver cannot do its job. Is kratom bad for your kidneys? Despite being a legal herbal supplement, the truth is that kratom is a toxin that can cause damage to both the liver and kidneys (kratom kidney) when taken in high doses. If you or someone you know is taking kratom, recognizing the kratom liver damage symptoms can increase the likelihood of early detection and treatment. 

Kratom Effects on the Liver – Kratom and Liver Damage

What does kratom do to your liver? One study noted that a 47-year-old male with no history of drug use experienced symptoms of lethargy, abnormal liver tests, and pruritis after drinking kratom tea for 21 days. He was ultimately diagnosed with drug-induced liver disease as a result. Effects of kratom on liver: Another study found that acute hepatitis can even be induced by drinking kratom herbal tea regularly. Kratom-induced liver toxicity usually occurs gradually in regular users, causing more serious symptoms as the person’s condition worsens. [2]

Kratom Liver Damage – How much kratom causes liver damage?

How hard is kratom on the liver? Can kratom cause kidney stones and other complications? Yes. Kratom’s most common adverse acute cardiovascular effects include tachycardia and hypertension. Kratom and blood pressure problems are common in those who abuse the substance. Kratom is primarily metabolized in the liver, causing damage to the organ. Is kratom bad for liver? Using kratom is associated with acute intrahepatic cholestasis liver injury that can predispose to the risk of progressive hepatic decompensation and liver failure. Therefore, caution is warranted, and kratom must be avoided until well-designed studies can be conducted. [3]

how hard is kratom on the liver
How addictive is kratom? It is addictive & risky to use, with kratom-induced liver toxicity usually occurring gradually in regular users, causing more serious symptoms as the person’s condition worsens.

Kratom vs Alcohol on Liver

Is kratom bad for the liver? Some people like to combine kratom and alcohol. Drinking alcohol while taking kratom. They claim that mixing even a small supplement dose with any amount from one glass (or beer) will give them an intense high. Still, it’s important not to do so because if you mix both at once, your body could end up having more than enough stimulants, which can cancel out their depressant effects on brain temperature regulation, causing someone to find themselves in danger due to possible dangerous side effects such as alcohol poisoning. Thus, kratom and alcohol addiction is risky behavior that should be avoided.

Does kratom damage your liver? Some are using kratom for alcohol withdrawal. People who gradually switch from alcohol to kratom can often avoid the pain of withdrawals by stimulating these endorphin centers with kratom instead of alcohol. However, note that kratom has similar effects to narcotics like opioids and carries similar risks of abuse.

Can Kratom Cause Kidney Stones?

A study based on anecdotal evidence determined that the use of kratom in healthy individuals did not hurt the kidneys with regard to the effect of kratom on our kidneys. But keep in mind that this is not a scientific investigation; in fact, there hasn’t been any research on the effects of kratom on people; the only studies that have been done so far have been on animals.

On the other hand, the certain data point to kratom’s potential role as a diuretic. In other words, kratom may cause users to urinate more frequently. Users who routinely use kratom (daily or even many times per day) could be at risk for this because diuretics cause fluid loss, which could eventually lead to dehydration.

Kidney stones are linked to dehydration. Kidney stones are more likely to form if kratom is used too frequently without adequate hydration. This occurs as a result of the compounds that can produce stones not being able to be removed from the kidneys, urinary system, bladder, or ureter.

Kratom Liver Recovery – Kratom Hurt My Liver

Does kratom cause liver damage, can kratom cause liver damage? Yes. Luckily, kratom effects on liver are treatable in early detection. Patients who present with acute liver injury due to kratom usually recover once it is discontinued. One of the most important causes of liver dysfunction is drug-induced liver injury (DILI) which can lead to a wide spectrum of symptoms ranging from mild non-specific symptoms like asymptomatic transaminitis, acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, and cholestasis to liver failure. According to a 2021 article, drug-induced liver injury is usually reversible and resolves 3–12 months after a person ends their exposure to the toxin. [4]

Kratom Side Effects on the Liver

Does kratom hurt your liver? The most common kratom liver effects include dark urine, toxicity, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes). Toxicity occurs when the liver is flooded with more drugs than it can metabolize, causing it to shut down. When kratom liver failure occurs, the person may experience symptoms like jaundice, abdominal swelling, pain, fever, nausea, vomiting, and more. These symptoms can reappear if the person takes kratom again after stopping. Those who experience negative kratom liver effects should avoid it at all costs. 

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Does Kratom Liver Toxicity Go Away?

Yes, kratom liver toxicity does go away when the person stops taking kratom. However, those who experience liver problems from taking kratom should not take it again after they’ve stopped. In the first study we discussed earlier, the man experienced the same symptoms immediately after he started taking kratom. If you’ve suffered from liver problems due to this herbal supplement, we advise that you stop taking it directly (if you haven’t already) and avoid it in the future. 

There is still so much to learn about kratom and its impact on the body, making it a concern supplement. Because it produces side effects similar to other addictive drugs – such as cocaine and opioids – those who begin abusing kratom are also likely to develop an addiction. There’s also no telling what kratom can do to your mental health. If you’ve started using kratom and find yourself struggling to quit, We Level Up rehab & detox treatment center can help. We offer dual diagnosis treatment and other services to assist individuals with drug and alcohol use disorders to recover from addiction’s physical and mental impact. 

How Much Kratom Causes Liver Damage?

There are no FDA-approved uses for kratom, and the agency has received concerning reports about the safety of kratom. [5] No specific amount of the substance can secure your safety from the side effects. While it is unregulated in many U.S. states (such as kratom Carlsbad), the substance does have the potential to cause both uncomfortable side effects and withdrawal symptoms. Find out more about super elephant kratom effects and kratom withdrawal timeline.

Kratom has a half-life of 23-24 hours. This means you’d eliminate half of the kratom from your body within one day. The other 50 percent of the kratom will be more slowly eliminated. In other words, you can’t take a drug test two to three days after using kratom and expect to pass.

How hard is kratom on the liver? Because kratom research is relatively new compared to more widely used drugs, there is little evidence to determine how kratom use may affect someone over time. Case reports show that long-term kratom use in large amounts may be associated with serious liver problems. These cases appear to occur unpredictably in a small minority of people who use kratom, and it is unclear what role other substances and underlying health conditions may play. Researchers are also still learning how often and to what extent people who use kratom experience withdrawal or substance use disorder symptoms related to kratom use.

Kratom Drug Overdose

It is possible for a person to overdose on kratom drug consumption and even die from it. There have been multiple reports of deaths in people who had ingested kratom, but most have involved other substances. A 2019 paper analyzing data from the National Poison Data System found that between 2011-2017 there were 11 deaths associated with kratom exposure. 

Nine of the 11 deaths reported in this study involved kratom plus other drugs and medicines, such as diphenhydramine (an antihistamine), alcohol, caffeine, benzodiazepines, fentanyl, and cocaine. Two deaths were reported following exposure to kratom alone with no other substances. (Post et al, 2019. Clinical Toxicology).

In 2017, the FDA identified at least 44 deaths, with at least one case investigated for the possible use of pure kratom. The FDA reports note that many kratom-associated deaths appeared to have resulted from adulterated products or taking kratom with other potent substances, including illicit drugs, opioids, benzodiazepines, alcohol, gabapentin, and over-the-counter medications, such as cough syrup. [6]

Also, some reports of kratom packaged as dietary supplements or ingredients laced with other compounds caused deaths. People should check with their health care providers about the safety of mixing kratom with other medicines.

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Are you searching for “kratom addiction treatment near me?”

Treatment begins once medical detox ends. Therapy aims to help you lead a healthy, drug-free life. Treatment may also address related health conditions, such as depression or anxiety. There are numerous treatment options available. Most of the time, people use more than one. Common treatments for Kratom Drug Addiction include therapy sessions and medications.

Therapy for Kratom Addiction

Therapy is conducted by a psychiatrist, psychologist, or addictions counselor. You can do it alone with an addiction therapist, your family, or a group. There are many different types of therapy. Behavioral therapy for addiction refers to all forms of treatment aimed at helping you identify and change self-destructive attitudes and behaviors, particularly those that lead to drug use. A therapist can work with you to help you cope with cravings, avoid drugs, and prevent relapse.

how hard is kratom on the liver
Seeking “kratom addiction treatment near me?” The We Level Up treatment center network can help. Treatment begins once detox ends. Therapy aims to help you lead a healthy, drug-free life.

Therapy can be intensive during the first weeks and months of treatment. Later, you might transition to seeing a therapist on a less frequent basis.

Psychotherapy 

Several different modalities of psychotherapy have been used in the treatment of mental health disorders along with kratom addiction, including:

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – An effective treatment that involves changing both the patterns of negative thoughts and the behavioral routines which are affecting the daily life of the depressed person for various forms of depression. Cognitive behavior therapy has been evaluated as particularly effective for treating kratom addiction and co-occurring disorders of depression and anxiety.
  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy – A comprehensive mental health and substance abuse treatment program whose ultimate goal is to aid patients in their efforts to build a life worth living. The main goal of DBT is to help a person develop what is referred to as a “clear mind.” 
  • Person-Centered Therapy – A strategy that allows and encourages clients to understand and resolve their concerns in a safe, supportive environment.
  • Solution-Focused Therapy – An approach interested in solutions that can be quickly implemented with a simple first step leading to further positive consequences.

Medication for Kratom Addiction

Research has yet to identify the best medications for kratom addiction. Dihydrocodeine and lofexidine (Lucemyra) are typically used to treat opioid withdrawal. They’ve also been used to treat kratom withdrawal. The European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) suggests that kratom withdrawal and addiction treatment can include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antidepressants, and anti-anxiety drugs.

How Hard is Kratom on the Liver? Reclaim Your Life from Kratom Addiction

How hard is kratom on the liver? Is Kratom safe or not? Kratom addiction is a condition that can cause major health, social, and economic problems that should not be taken lightly. We Level Up Treatment Center can provide you, or someone you love, the tools to recover from kratom addiction with professional and safe treatment. Feel free to call us to speak with one of our counselors. We can inform you about this condition by giving you relevant information. Our specialists know what you are going through. Please know that each call is private and confidential.

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Sources

[1] LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; 2012-. Kratom. [Updated 2020 Apr 3]. 
[2] Schimmel J, Dart RC. Kratom (Mitragyna Speciosa) Liver Injury: A Comprehensive Review. Drugs. 2020 Feb;80(3):263-283. DOI: 10.1007/s40265-019-01242-6. PMID: 31919755.
[3] Botejue M, Walia G, Shahin O, Sharma J, Zackria R. Kratom-Induced Liver Injury: A Case Series and Clinical Implications. Cureus. 2021 Apr 25;13(4):e14679. doi: 10.7759/cureus.14679. PMID: 34055525; PMCID: PMC8148389. – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8148389/
[4] Bashir A, Hoilat GJ, Sarwal P, et al. Liver Toxicity. [Updated 2021 Nov 7]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526106/
[5-6] FDA and KratomU.S. Food & Drug Administration