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  • Intrahepatic cholestasis following abuse of powdered kratom (Mitragyna speciosa).

Intrahepatic cholestasis following abuse of powdered kratom (Mitragyna speciosa).

Journal of medical toxicology : official journal of the American College of Medical Toxicology (2011-04-30)
Friedrich G Kapp, Hans H Maurer, Volker Auwärter, Martin Winkelmann, Maren Hermanns-Clausen
ABSTRACT

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. 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. 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.

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Supelco
Mitragynine solution, 100 μg/mL in methanol, ampule of 1 mL, certified reference material, Cerilliant®