Kapp, Maurer, Auwärter, Winkelmann, and Hermanns-Clausen (2011) describe a case of a 25-year-old male who developed jaundice and pruritus after ceasing to ingest Kratom. The patient had been using Kratom acquired “via the Internet (www.thai-kratom)” for two weeks (Kapp et al., 2011, para. 3). On the second day after having quit taking the Kratom powder the man began experiencing subjective fever and chills. Restlessness and insomnia was also reported by the patient, possibly signalling dependence and withdrawal. On day five he developed mild abdominal pains. These pains grew in intensity on day eight, accompanied by a brown discoloration of his urine. Upon admittance to the hospital, no signs of infection were observed. Laboratory tests ruled out viral hepatitis and autoimmune diseases. “The pathologist identified a drug-induced cholestatic injury without hepato-cellular damage (so-called pure cholestasis) with bile precipitations in hepatocytes and in fat vacuoles of single steatotic hepatocytes” (Kapp et al., 2011, para. 3). No medical treatment was administered and all symptoms disappeared by the time the patient returned for his follow-up forty-seven
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The authors believe that the possible link between Kratom and intrahepatic cholestasis as a form of hepatic toxicity is intriguing and suggest that further research on M. speciosa’s metabolism in humans and its adverse effects needs
The authors believe that the possible link between Kratom and intrahepatic cholestasis as a form of hepatic toxicity is intriguing and suggest that further research on M. speciosa’s metabolism in humans and its adverse effects needs