Safety question
Is Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) safe?
Use with caution — established risks require monitoring. Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) scores 2/5. Cardiovascular, neurological, or psychiatric adverse events appear in the clinical record. Not appropriate for casual or untracked use. Coordinate with a clinician, particularly if you have any cardiovascular, hepatic, or psychiatric history.
Safety score
2 / 5
Evidence grade
C
Severe reactions on file
3
Pubmed cites
800
Key facts
- typical dose
- 1000–8000 mg
- dose frequency
- as needed
- timing
- anytime
- with food
- optional
- safety score
- 2/5
- evidence grade
- C
- class
- stimulant
- PubMed citations
- 800
- legal status (US)
- Unscheduled (legal)
- legal status (UK)
- Research-chemical category
- legal status (EU)
- Prescription-only
- legal status (AU)
- Banned
- restrictions
- AU; Thailand (since 1943, partially); Multiple US states
- primary mechanism
- Primary alkaloid mitragynine is a partial agonist at mu-opioid receptors with biased signaling — produces analgesia and mood elevation with less respiratory depression than classical opioids.
Common side effects
- Dependence with regular usesevere
- Withdrawal symptomssevere
Rare side effects
- Liver toxicity (case reports)severe
Severe reaction risks
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) has the following documented severe adverse reactions: Dependence with regular use; Withdrawal symptoms; Liver toxicity (case reports). These are rare but require immediate medical attention if they occur.
Banned or restricted in
- AU
- Thailand (since 1943, partially)
- Multiple US states
Restrictions can include outright bans, prescription-only classification, anti-doping prohibitions (WADA), or supplement-marketing restrictions. Check your local regulator before purchasing.
Who should not take Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa)
- Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals — most nootropics have not been adequately studied in pregnancy, and the precautionary principle applies.
- Anyone on a prescription medication that overlaps mechanistically (stimulants, SSRIs, MAOIs, beta-blockers, anticoagulants) — clear interactions with your prescribing clinician before adding Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa).
- Anyone with significant cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, or psychiatric disease — established conditions raise the baseline risk for any new compound.
- Minors — almost no nootropics have a paediatric safety record, and developing brains are differently sensitive.
What "safe" means here
Our safety scoring reflects (a) published clinical and observational literature on healthy-adult use at standard supplement doses, (b) the spectrum of adverse-event reports in the medical and supplement-pharmacovigilance record, and (c) the regulatory status across major jurisdictions. It does notreflect long-term outcomes in populations that haven’t been studied, and it does not substitute for clinical judgement applied to your individual situation.
A 5/5 score does not mean “no risk” — it means risk has been quantified as low in healthy adults at usual doses. Idiosyncratic and allergic reactions are possible with virtually any compound, including those we rate highest.
Full mechanism, citations, and dose guidance for Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) are on the main reference page — see Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa). For the dose-by-dose breakdown, see Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) dosage. To check stack interactions, use the interaction checker.
This page is informational. It is not medical advice and does not establish a clinician-patient relationship. Individual risk varies with genetics, medications, pre-existing conditions, and dose. Always consult a qualified clinician before starting a new compound. See our full disclaimer and terms.