Intrahepatic Cholestasis Following Abuse of Powdered Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa)

Introduction Kratom ( Mitragyna speciosa ) is a common medical plant in Thailand and is known to contain mitragynine as the main alkaloid. According to an increase in published reports and calls at German poison control centers, it has been used more frequently as a drug of abuse in the western hemi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of medical toxicology 2011-09, Vol.7 (3), p.227-231
Main Authors: Kapp, Friedrich G., Maurer, Hans H., Auwärter, Volker, Winkelmann, Martin, Hermanns-Clausen, Maren
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Administration, Oral
Adult
Alkaloids
Alkaloids - urine
Bilirubin - blood
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Cholestasis
Cholestasis, Intrahepatic - etiology
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
Drug abuse
Drug Overdose
Humans
Jaundice
Liver Function Tests
Male
Mitragyna - chemistry
Mitragyna speciosa
Pharmacology/Toxicology
Poison control centers
Powders
Pruritus
Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids - blood
Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids - urine
Side effects
Substance-Related Disorders - complications
Toxicity
Toxicology
Toxicology Observation
Western hemisphere
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Summary:Introduction Kratom ( Mitragyna speciosa ) is a common medical plant in Thailand and is known to contain mitragynine as the main alkaloid. According to an increase in published reports and calls at German poison control centers, it has been used more frequently as a drug of abuse in the western hemisphere during the last couple of years. Despite this increase, reports of severe toxicity are rare within the literature. Case report We describe a case of a young man who presented with jaundice and pruritus after intake of kratom for 2 weeks in the absence of any other causative agent. Alkaloids of M. speciosa were detected in the urine. Conclusion While M. speciosa is gaining in popularity among illicit drug users, its adverse effects remain poorly understood. This is the first published case of intrahepatic cholestasis after kratom abuse.
ISSN:1556-9039
1937-6995
DOI:10.1007/s13181-011-0155-5