Doctors report now seeing pregnant patients using kratom, and newborns in withdrawal from the drug.
Albany, N.Y. (WNYT) – As lawmakers take action to limit or ban kratom, doctors working with patients in crisis are now seeing pregnant patients using kratom and newborns in withdrawal from the drug.
Dr. Angad Madan is the medical director of St. Peter’s Addiction Recovery Center.
Early on, he was sounding the alarm about what he was seeing first-hand with patients hooked on kratom and its effects.
Newschannel 13 featured him in a series on kratom in June.
Since then, it seems lawmakers have been listening.
Albany county, for example, where officials say one person has died this year from kratom, declared kratom a danger to life and health with a ban through an emergency public health order recently.
Experts say it’s almost an introductory opioid, but one that you can find at your corner store.
Its nickname is “gas station heroin.”
In Mechanicville, the four children who were killed by their mother and grandmother were given substances including kratom to make them sick, and they were even sent to the hospital two years ago because of their overdose, according to their father’s lawsuit.
Dr. Madan would like to see Governor Hochul sign the ban on the concentrated form of 7OH. That ban has already passed both the NYS Assembly and Senate.
He says the response to his advocacy on this problem has been tremendous, but he’s still seeing kratom affect the lives of his patients.
“My main concern is opiod overdoses caused by kratom, which is a full agonist opioid that is at least 13 times the potency of morphine,” he said. “I have also started seeing pregnant patients using kratom at St. Peter’s. I’ve seen post-partum kratom withdrawal. We’ve seen cases of neo-natal abstinence syndrome where the newborn is also withdrawing from this dangerous opioid.”
If you or someone you know is concerned about drinking, drug use, or overuse of opiate pain medications,
St. Peter’s Addiction Recovery Center can help. SPARC offers detox, outpatient addiction services, inpatient rehabilitation, mental health services, and more. To learn more, their 24/7 access line is 1-833-688-3480, or https://www.sphp.com/services/addiction/st-peters-addiction-recovery-center