Central Florida doctor unveils kratom research findings, potential dangers

ALERT AND FOCUSING ON A SUBSTANCE CALLED KRATOM. ACCORDING TO THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, THE FDA HERE SAYS THIS SUPPLEMENT IS TYPICALLY MARKETED AS AN ENERGY BOOSTER, MOOD LIFTER, PAIN RELIEVER, AND OPIOID WITHDRAWAL REMEDY. IT’S FOUND AT DISPENSARIES, EVEN RESTAURANTS, SOMETIMES INFUSED WITH DRINKS. AND DESPITE ITS GROWING POPULARITY, THERE ARE MANY QUESTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO THE SUBSTANCE. SO HERE TO GIVE US ANSWERS AND SHARE RESEARCH AND FINDINGS, WE HAVE EMERGENCY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN AND TOXICOLOGIST AT ORLANDO REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, DOCTOR JOSEPH DUNHILL. GREAT TO SEE YOU, DOCTOR. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. OKAY, SO YOU’VE DONE THE WORK HERE. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE’VE HEARD A GOOD BIT ABOUT LATELY. THE KRATOM PRODUCTS. WHAT ARE YOUR FINDINGS IN TERMS OF LOOKING INTO THIS SUBSTANCE THAT IS REALLY WIDELY POPULAR AND WIDELY AVAILABLE? YEAH. AS A BACKGROUND, THERE’S A FEW CONCERNS THAT HAVE COME UP. NUMBER ONE, IT’S VERY UNREGULATED. THERE’S ABOUT 40 DIFFERENT CHEMICAL ALKALOIDS IN THIS. THE SECOND IS THAT WE KNOW IT’S ADDICTIVE. SOME OF THE REPORTS FROM PEOPLE IS THAT IT’S COMPULSIVELY ADDICTIVE. PEOPLE SPENDING HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS A DAY TO GET SORT OF A FIX WITH IT. THE OTHER THING WE KNOW IS THAT IT INTERACTS WITH EXISTING MEDICATIONS THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE ON. WE DON’T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THOSE INTERACTIONS ARE. AND THEN THE FINAL THING, EVEN BEFORE I GOT INTO THIS RESEARCH, IS THAT WE KNOW THAT THERE’S NO PROVEN MEDICAL BENEFITS. SO PEOPLE ARE USING THIS WITH THE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE HELPING, BUT WE DON’T KNOW THAT IT’S HELPING THEM WITH ANYTHING. AND YOU WORKED WITH A LOT OF MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS TO PUT THIS TOGETHER. MORE THAN TWO DOZEN, I BELIEVE. YEAH. WE WORKED ACTUALLY. IT WAS A GROUP OF US PHYSICIANS. WE ESSENTIALLY REACHED OUT TO 25 MEDICAL EXAMINERS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. REALLY TO TRY TO ANSWER THE QUESTION IS, ARE PEOPLE DYING FROM KRATOM? AND WE FOUND SOME VERY INTERESTING THINGS. WE ACTUALLY HAD THE MEDICAL EXAMINER SEND US ANY REPORTED DEATHS, AND WE FOUND ALMOST 40 DEATHS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA OVER A PERIOD OF ABOUT FIVE YEARS. OKAY. AND WAS THIS TIED TO ANYTHING SPECIFIC? THE SUBSTANCE AND OPIOIDS OR ANYTHING ALONG THOSE LINES? NO, THESE ARE DEATHS IN THE ABSENCE OF OPIOIDS. NOW, WE KNOW THAT THE CHEMICAL STRUCTURE RESEMBLES OPIOIDS. AND THAT’S WHAT GAVE US THIS CONCERN THAT IT COULD CAUSE DEATH. AND WE STILL ARE LEFT WITH NOT KNOWING EXACTLY WHY SOME PEOPLE DIE AND SOME PEOPLE DON’T. BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS IT STILL HAS SOME SIGNIFICANT DANGERS WITH IT. RIGHT. AND, YOU KNOW, AS A PHYSICIAN, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO SOMEONE WHO’S, YOU KNOW, THERE’S SOMETHING THAT MAY CAUSE SOMETHING AS SEVERE AS DEATH? WHAT WHAT ARE YOU ADVISING PEOPLE? I WOULD ADVISE TREMENDOUS CAUTION. IT IS UNREGULATED. MOST OF THESE PRODUCTS DON’T HAVE ANY DOSING LISTED ON IT. WE KNOW IT INTERACTS WITH MEDICATIONS. YOU KNOW, MY TYPICAL ADVICE WOULD BE TALK TO YOUR PHYSICIAN ABOUT IT. BUT WHAT I’M FINDING IN THE COMMUNITY IS THIS THERE’S ENOUGH UNKNOWNS ABOUT THE SUBSTANCE THAT EVEN YOUR PHYSICIAN MAY NOT KNOW WHAT ALL THE INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER SUBSTANCES ARE. SO MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT THEY ARE. AND AT THE MOMENT, I PERSONALLY WOULD ADVOCATE FOR SAFETY. BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL WITH THIS BECAUSE WE KNOW THERE IS HARM. WE KNOW THERE’S ADDICTION. ANYTIME THERE’S A POTENTIAL FOR ADDICTION AND ESCALATING USE, WE NOW KNOW THAT IT CAN ALSO CAUSE DEATH. YEAH. WHAT ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS YOU’RE SEEING WHEN IT COMES TO THE SUBSTANCE? YEAH. FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH STANDPOINT, WE ALWAYS THINK ABOUT VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN TERMS OF WHO MIGHT BE AT RISK. SO PEOPLE WHO ALREADY SUFFER FROM ADDICTION BECAUSE THEY MAY BE LOOKING FOR ANYTHING TO HELP THEM GET OFF OF SUBSTANCE USE. I ALWAYS AM CONCERNED ABOUT ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS. FOR THIS REASON, PEOPLE WHO ARE ON OTHER MEDICATIONS BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL TO INTERACT. AND SO THAT INCLUDES NOT ONLY YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE ON MEDICINES, BUT ESPECIALLY PEOPLE WHO ARE OLDER AND THE ELDERLY. THOSE ARE SOME OF THE HIGHEST RISK GROUPS THAT WE GET CONCERNED ABOUT. YEAH, WELL, THIS IS REALLY AMAZING FINDINGS AND GREAT RESEARCH THAT YOU AND ALL THESE OTHER PHYSICIANS AND MEDICAL EXAMINERS HAVE WORKED ON COLLECTIVELY. WE’RE GOING TO POST SOME MORE INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE SO YOU CAN FIND OUT AND HELP NAVIGATE YOUR JOURNEY. IF YOU IF YOU HAV