Former Users and Families Describe Escalating Addiction From Kratom to 7-OH Concentrates

Why it matters

First-person accounts from former kratom and 7-OH users detail a progression from plant-based products to synthetic concentrates, with addiction costs reaching $150 per day and withdrawal described as harder than coming off opioid pain pills.

The big picture

As the DEA prepares to schedule 7-hydroxymitragynine as a Schedule I substance, patient and family accounts document the real-world consequences of a largely unregulated market. Experts warn that treating 7-OH as a safer alternative to opioids is a dangerous misconception, with poison control calls up 1,200% since 2015.

Key findings

• One former user spent $150 per day on 7-OH and accumulated $10,000 in credit card debt within four months
• Users report transitioning from kratom to 7-OH after smoke shop owners marketed it as a way to quit kratom
• A CDC study found kratom-related poison control calls rose 1,200% from 2015 to 2025
• Withdrawal from kratom and 7-OH is described by experts and users as comparable to or worse than opioid withdrawal
• At least one overdose death involved both kratom alkaloids and fentanyl in combination

What they say

"We've moved away from these drugs that maybe had the potential to help people in a less harmful way and could be a part of a harm-reduction strategy to something that is so potent and can actually cause fatal respiratory depression," said Dr. Shravani Durbhakula, associate professor of anesthesiology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Bottom line

Former users and addiction specialists say the shift from botanical kratom to synthetic 7-OH concentrates created a parallel opioid crisis hiding in gas stations and smoke shops.