Drinks With Kratom Are Growing in Popularity — But Are They Safe?

Anyone who has stopped in a gas station before may be familiar with the collection of drinks that are typically sold at the register and in drink coolers. These beverages are usually geared towards people who spend a lot of time on the road, or else shift workers who may be looking for a little boost as they head to work while everyone is getting ready to settle in for the evening.

Some of these drinks contain a supplement called kratom, which has doctors sounding the alarm.

That's because drinks with kratom may be causing some people to have adverse health reactions, which can involve everything from withdrawal symptoms to seizures.

Keep reading as we break down the information we know about kratom, including what you need to do before you grab one of these beverages from a gas station near you.

The drinks are being sold as a "feel-good tonic," which has some doctors and medical professionals very concerned due to the effects that some users claim they have been having when they ingest drinks like Feel Free, the Botanic Tonics beverage that is plant-based and manufactured in Oklahoma.

According to Fox News, Feel Free — which is sold at gas stations and other retailers around the country in both a liquid and capsule form — is highly addictive.

But Feel Free isn't the only drink with kratom in it; companies like CBD Kratom, Super Speciosa, Mitra-9, and Koi Kratom also contain the botanical mix.

On a subreddit for therapists, people have been discussing kratom, which is a main ingredient in these types of drinks. One Redditor said that when they tried a kratom drink, they felt like they were doing "heroin-lite" thanks to the way the substance triggers the brain's opiate receptors.

"Heard nothing but bad things about Kratom," another person wrote. "From a few different sources, it will likely be banned in the next few years just due to its addictive nature."

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) says that kratom is the name of a Southeast Asian tree. The leaves are crushed so that they can be smoked, brewed into a tea, or added to capsules. Some of the other names kratom is known by include thom, thang, ketum, kakuam, and biak.

While it's used in some areas as a stimulant or sedative (depending on how much you consume), the U.S. has not placed any federal bans on it. However, the DEA has officially named it a Drug and Chemical of Concern.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not recommended the compound for use for dietary, mental health, or energy imbalances, especially when combined with an energy drink, which typically contains caffeine. That being said, many experts advise against combining the two because of the stimulant effect that kratom can have, which can worsen some of the negative side effects of using it.

Some of these side effects include wight loss, high blood pressure, confusion, and seizures.

In addition to those, the Mayo Clinic says that kratom has been known to have negative effects on the which include delusions, depression, confusion, and hallucinations, all of which can be exacerbated when combined with caffeine and other stimulants.