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Medical experts at Berkeley County town hall warn of kratom risks, especially powerful synthetic derivatives
Summary
Emergency physicians and prevention specialists described kratom’s pharmacology and clinical harms, saying lab‑made derivatives like 7‑hydroxy mitragynine can be far more potent and unpredictable than the plant’s native alkaloids and can require clinical treatment similar to opioid withdrawal.
Medical and prevention experts at a Berkeley County town hall described kratom’s pharmacology, clinical harms and complications in treatment, and urged clinicians and the public to treat suspected overdoses with caution.
Dr. Kelly Young, an emergency physician at Roper Saint Francis, said kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) can have stimulant effects at low doses and opioid‑like sedative effects at higher doses because its alkaloids act on mu opioid receptors. She listed adverse effects including nausea, hepatotoxicity, seizures and, in some cases, psychotic symptoms and said there are no FDA‑approved uses for kratom.
Alan Easler, a prevention…
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