Language
English
Publication Date
7-1-2024
Journal
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
DOI
10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111329
PMID
38788532
PMCID
PMC11493341
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
10-21-2024
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Author MSS
Abstract
Background: Kratom products are widely used in the United States, with inadequate understanding of how dosing amounts/frequencies relate to outcomes.
Methods: Between July-November 2022, we enrolled 395 active US adult kratom consumers into a remote study with a baseline survey. We examined self-reported typical dose amounts and frequencies across people and product types, and their associations with outcomes: multiple regression was used to examine whether amounts and frequencies (doses/day) were associated with acute effects, withdrawal symptoms, scores on the Subjective Opioid Withdrawal Scale (SOWS), and addiction (operationalized as DSM-5-based symptoms of kratom-use disorder, KUD).
Results: Participants were 54.9% male, aged 38.1 on average, and 81.3% White. Mean length of kratom use was 5.7 years. Most (95.9%) reported regularly using whole-leaf kratom products; 16 (4.1%) reported regular extract use. SOWS scores were mild to moderate on average (13.5, SD 11.9). KUD symptom counts were mostly in the mild/moderate range (80.7%). Withdrawal and KUD symptoms were more closely associated with dose frequency than dose amount. Men reported more acute effects, withdrawal symptoms with cessation, and KUD symptoms than women.
Conclusions: Greater dose amount and frequency were systematically related to the number of withdrawal symptoms upon cessation and to KUD symptoms; the relationship was stronger for dose frequency than amount. Men may have more acute effects and more withdrawal and KUD symptoms than women. Although kratom may be used nonproblematically by some consumers, physical dependence (tolerance, withdrawal, or use to avoid withdrawal) and KUD become more likely with increasing dose frequency.
Keywords
Humans, Male, Female, Adult, Mitragyna, Middle Aged, Substance Withdrawal Syndrome, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Substance-Related Disorders, Young Adult, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Kratom, Tolerance, Withdrawal, Addiction, Substance use disorder
Published Open-Access
yes
Recommended Citation
Rogers, Jeffrey M; Weiss, Stephanie T; Epstein, David H; et al., "Kratom Addiction per Dsm-5 Sud Criteria, and Kratom Physical Dependence: Insights From Dosing Amount Versus Frequency" (2024). Faculty, Staff and Students Publications. 8648.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/baylor_docs/8648