Health officials warn Texans to not use 7-OH, a chemical found in kratom
The Texas Department of State Health Services is warning residents not to use products containing 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, a chemical found in the kratom plant.
TDSSH said that while 7-OH is found in low levels in kratom, concentrated forms of the chemical have been popping up for sale as a liquid extract, as a powder and in gummies.
Kratom, commonly sold at gas stations and smoke shops in Texas, is sometimes marketed as a natural remedy for pain, anxiety or to help with opioid withdrawals, TDSSH said. Kratom and 7-OH are not FDA-approved and aren't proven to be safe or effective.
The Texas Poison Center Network said that so far this year, it has received 192 reports of exposures involving kratom or 7-OH.
Symptoms of 7-OH use include nausea and vomiting, agitation, confusion, sweating, rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, trouble breathing, sleepiness or loss of consciousness and seizures.
TDSSH said people should avoid all products containing 7-OH; keep kratom and 7-OH products away from children; talk to children and teens about the dangers of 7-OH and kratom products; and to talk to a health care provider or call the Poison Help Line at 1-800-222-1222 regarding concerns about 7-OH.
Ex-users say kratom is too addictive
"As you know, we're starting to put more restrictions and parameters around people being able to access THC and things like that. That generally helps with anxiety and things of that nature. I think you're going to start to see more and more people shift to utilizing substances like kratom, because they see it as a legal alternative," Youth180 President Keri Stitt told CBS News Texas in July.
Advocates said kratom is a natural herb and its history in medicine dates back centuries. The FDA said 1.7 million Americans use kratom but some ex-users say it's too addictive.
"I do think about it from time to time, but every time I think about it, I think about how my life would be if I kept taking this stuff," said a 22-year-old North Texas man, who declined to make his identity public. "That's what keeps me from taking it again."