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Abstract
Purpose of Review Kratom (mitragynine) is a commercially available herbal supplement that is gaining popularity in the United States. Kratom is associated with a variety of neurologic effects. This review will discuss kratom's association with seizure through 3 cases and highlight what neurologists should know about kratom's clinical effects and legal status.
Recent Findings Kratom is currently commercially available, unscheduled by the US Drug Enforcement Administration, and a topic of regulatory debate in the United States. Large poison center reviews have suggested that kratom use is associated with seizure. There have been limited case studies to corroborate this finding. We present 3 cases in which seizures were associated with kratom use in patients treated for epilepsy.
Summary Since 2008, kratom use is rising in prevalence in the United States aided by lack of regulation. Neurologists need to be aware of its association with seizure and other neurologic side effects.
Footnotes
Funding information and disclosures are provided at the end of the article. Full disclosure form information provided by the authors is available with the full text of this article at Neurology.org/cp.
- Received November 11, 2019.
- Accepted February 21, 2020.
- © 2020 American Academy of Neurology
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