Using Kratom For Opioid Withdrawal: Is It Safe?

As with other natural substances, Kratom has been falsely marketed as a “safe” alternative to opioids or a supplement to help manage opioid withdrawal symptoms. Ironically, many opioids are derived from the poppy plant, and though they could be considered natural, they are certainly not safe.

Nonetheless, some people report using Kratom to self-manage opioid withdrawal symptoms outside of a medical setting. As Kratom use has grown, substance use treatment programs have seen an increase in people who enter treatment with Kratom dependence. This requires an approach similar to treatment for opioid use disorder, given the overlapping receptor mechanisms involved.

Kratom’s legal status is changing rapidly. At the federal level, Kratom remains legal and is not scheduled under the Controlled Substances Act, though the FDA does not approve it as a drug, dietary supplement, or food additive and has issued repeated safety warnings.

As of early 2026, Kratom is fully banned in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Louisiana (effective August 1, 2025). Rhode Island, which previously banned Kratom, passed a Kratom Consumer Protection Act in 2025, making it the first state in U.S. history to reverse a ban. That law takes effect April 1, 2026.

More than 20 other states regulate Kratom through Kratom Consumer Protection Acts (KCPAs), which set minimum purchase ages (typically 21), require product labeling and testing, and prohibit adulterated or synthetic products. Because this landscape changes frequently, verify current laws in your state before purchasing or using Kratom.

What Is Kratom?

Kratom is an herbal extract from the leaves of an evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia (Mitragyna speciosa), used for medicinal and recreational purposes. It is reported that Kratom has both stimulant and opioid-like effects for those who take Kratom.

Historically, Kratom has been used as a substitute for opium replacement, a stimulant to increase work effort, relieve fatigue, diabetes, diarrhea, pain, and fever.

People typically ingest Kratom orally, which used to be available as teas or raw leaves, is now available in capsules, concentrated extracts, tablets, and dried leaves. Dosages vary based on the type of Kratom, but it seems that 3 to 5 grams per dose, up to three times per day, is standard.

However, Kratom is unregulated, and therefore, a person can never know for sure how much Kratom is actually in what they are ingesting. As with other substances that are not regulated, Kratom has been mixed with a variety of substances, including other opioids and synthetic compounds.

Is Kratom An Opioid?

Kratom has not been classified as an opioid; however, scientists have established several factors that make the answer to this question very complex.

For example:

• Kratom contains an opioid agonist. Opioids are opioid agonists
• People have become dependent on Kratom, and people become dependent on opioids
• Kratom is addictive, opioids are addictive
• Kratom has similar withdrawal symptoms to opioid withdrawal
• Kratom overdoses can be reversed with Narcan, which does the same for opioids
• Pregnant women who have used Kratom have had babies that were born with neonatal abstinence syndrome, like those babies born to women with heroin addiction
• Concentrated Kratom products containing elevated levels of 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) have been linked to overdose deaths and respiratory depression at rates significantly higher than traditional Kratom leaf

The DEA attempted to place Kratom in Schedule I in 2016 but withdrew the proposal following significant public backlash. In July 2025, the FDA recommended to the DEA that concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH)—a potent synthetic Kratom derivative—be scheduled as a Schedule I controlled substance. Natural Kratom leaf products remain federally unscheduled as of early 2026.

Kratom is not currently labeled as an opioid or controlled substance.

Kratom For Opioid Withdrawal

Ingesting Kratom while experiencing opioid withdrawal may ease some of the withdrawal symptoms, but it is not without consequence. Kratom similarly acts on opioid receptors like opioids. In essence, it is more of a replacement than an alternative.

Kratom is addictive, and there is a risk of overdose as well.

The FDA’s adverse event database has linked Kratom to at least 91 reported deaths, though in most of these cases, multiple other substances  (most commonly fentanyl, heroin, or benzodiazepines) were also present. Separately, health agencies across 40 states have documented over 2,000 deaths linked to concentrated synthetic 7-OH products since 2021.

A CDC analysis of overdose deaths in 27 states found fentanyl was listed as a cause of death in 65% of kratom-positive decedents. While the death toll from Kratom alone is substantially lower than that of prescription opioids or illicit fentanyl, the risk is real.

The symptoms of Kratom withdrawal eerily mirror the withdrawal symptoms of opioid withdrawal, including:

• anxiety
• nausea
• no appetite
• hallucinations
• seizures

Although many distributors of Kratom support its use as a detox for opioids, these claims are not supported by researchers.

Research has found that Kratom has interactions with other drugs. This can be especially dangerous when a person is trying to detox at home from opioids. It is always ill-advised to mix substances, but it is never a good idea to do so during opioid withdrawal without supervision.

Supervised Opioid Detox

Detoxing from opioids is typically a very uncomfortable experience, but participating in a medically supervised detox that offers treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) will help.

These programs allow the participant to receive medications and approved medication-assisted treatments (MATs) to help ease the discomfort associated with opioid withdrawal.

For people with Kratom dependence specifically, buprenorphine and methadone (standard medications for OUD) have shown effectiveness, since Kratom and opioids act on the same receptor pathways. Patients using Kratom or 7-OH products to manage opioid withdrawal often benefit from transitioning to these FDA-approved, evidence-based medications under medical supervision.

When a person attends a certified OUD treatment facility, they also have access to substance abuse treatment that is individually tailored to each person, which may include vocational or educational training, substance abuse treatment, case management, health care, and many other services.

Treatment For Opioid And Kratom Addiction

Browse our directory or reach out to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for more information about addiction recovery.

Written by the Addiction Resource Editorial Staff