H1: Why Gas Station Kratom is Dangerous: What You are Really Buying
I am Dr. William Conway, MD, FACP, FASAM. I treat Kratom addiction in my addiction medicine practice in Nashville, Tennessee
In my Nashville suboxone practice, I have treated multiple patients in the past year who developed dependence and addiction form Kratom purchased at gas stations.
H2: How is Kratom Sold in Gas Stations?
Kratom is sold on the shelves of gas stations in the form
- pills,
- capsules
- extracts.
- Gummies
- Liquid shots
- Enhanced
Kratom sold in the gas station is not raw plant material. The Kratom you are purchasing is a raw psychoactive drug that operates like any other opioid.
H2: Why Gas Station Kratom Feels Safe, but is not
When you purchase Kratom at the gas station, you feel safe because
- Kratom is marketed as natural
- Kratom is sold next to snacks, a false sign of safety
- No pharmacist
- No prescription
- Legal is not the same as safe
Do not let these factors lessen your judgment or vigilence
H2: What is Actually Inside of Gas Station Kratom
The Kratom formerly sold in gas stations consisted of Mitragynine. The additions of 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a far more potent compound, has significantly increased the addictive potential of modern Kratom products.
To enhance the marketability of their products, 7-OH ( 7-hydroxymitragynine) has been added. 7-OH is much more powerful,
- Enhancing the pleasure
- Accelerating the path towards dependence
- Intensifying the withdrawal
- Increasing the risk of hospitalization
Also included in the product you are purchasing are unknown additives and possible contaminants. The more pleasurable the product, the greater the danger.
H2: Why is Gas Station Kratom Unregulated?
The FDA does not regulate Kratom. Products are very inconsistent
There is no FDA oversight. There is no dose standardization. There are no manufacturing standards. Two identical bottles can produce completely different effects.
H2: Why are Kratom Shorts and Extracts So Dangerous?
Psychoactive substances are substances that have the following characteristics
- Produce pleasure
- Require ever-increasing doses for the same effect
- Produce an adaptation of the brain over time, where the brain
-
- Requires a constant supply of the substance to feel normal
-
- Produce suffering from withdrawal when there is less substance provided
All psychoactive substances have these fundamental qualities.
The marketing of psychoactive substances is designed to maintain consistent consumer loyalty. For both cannabis and Kratom, the products are made more desirable by making them more powerful.
Potency is the pharmacological concept that underpins marketing power. Potency increases as the same amount of a substance produces an increasing effect. There is more bang for the buck. Potency is a multiplier.
For example, let’s apply the analogy of potency to US money. One-dollar, five-dollar, ten-dollar, twenty-dollar, and one-hundred-dollar bills are all the same size. Each bill is the same size. However, the ranking of potency for the US currency in terms of increasing potency is
- One dollar
- Five dollar
- Ten dollars
- Twenty dollars
- One hundred dollars
Applying this concept of potency to gas station Kratom is not precise, because no one knows what is in each product.
However, in general, extracts are much easier to concentrate. Extracts can be assumed to be high potency. Extracts are the turbocharging of Kratom.
H2: What Happens to Patients Using Kratom Over Time
There is a wide range of outcomes for patients who use Kratom. No adverse effect can be predicted from Kratom if
- The use is very occasional
- The product used is of very low potency
- Extracts, liquids, and enhanced are not used
- The Person has never had an opioid use disorder
- The use is brief
The risk from Kraton certainly increases as each of the following occurs
- The use moves from very occasional to regular
- The produce used is high-potency
- Extracts are used
- The Person has another addiction, such as tobacco, alcohol
- The risk is dramatically increased if the patient has an opioid use disorder in remission
As the Person moves to daily, high-dose, high-potency use of Kratom, neuroadaptation will occur. With neuroadaptation, the following will occur
- Tolerance
- Dependence
- Withdrawal
With daily use producing neuroadaptation, Kratom addiction will occur if
- The person loses control over taking Kraton
- Financial losses occur
- Relationship, work, health losses
In some patients, hospitalization can occur from Kratom Use
H2:Kratom Withdrawal: What Patients Experience
Kratom behaves like an opioid. If neuroadaptation occurs, then a slight reduction in intake or discontinuation produces a predictable biological response we call withdrawal. Withdrawal is a form of suffering. There is a short-term phase lasting a few days, similar to the worst flu you have had. A prolonged phase of unpredictable duration follows the acute phase, characterized by fatigue and feeling unwell.
H2: How Kratom Acts Like An Opioid
Kratom is unique. Kratom does not have the chemical structure of an opioid. However, in the body, Kratom similarly activates the body as an actual opioid. Kratom is a key that activates the pain and pleasure centers of the body.
H2: What are the Safer Alternatives?
H2: When Kratom Use Becomes a Medical Problem
Seek medical help when your use of Kratom:
- Daily use
- Increasing dose
- Withdrawal Symptoms
- Failed attempts to stop
H2: Frequently Asked Questions about Gas Station Kratom
Is Kratom from gas stations safe?
No. Gas station kratom is unregulated, inconsistent in strength, and may contain contaminants. There is no reliable way to know what dose you are taking.
Can you become addicted to Kratom?
Yes. Kratom acts on opioid receptors in the brain and can cause dependence, withdrawal, and addiction over time.
Why are kratom shots and extracts more dangerous?
They are highly concentrated. A small amount can deliver a very large dose, increasing the risk of tolerance, dependence, and overdose-like effects.
What does kratom withdrawal feel like?
Patients commonly report anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, muscle aches, and low mood when they stop using Kratom.
Is Kratom safer than opioids?
Kratom is often marketed as safer, but it still acts on the same brain pathways and carries a real risk of addiction and withdrawal.
When should I seek treatment for kratom use?
Conclusion
My work is to walk with you through those decisions — quietly, steadily, and without judgment. I am Dr. William Conway, MD, FACP, FASAM, in Nashville
📞Call 615-708-0390 to begin Kratom Addiction Treatment in Nashville
