SUD Treatment Centers Report 100x to 225% Surge in Kratom and 7-OH Addiction Cases

Why it matters

Substance use disorder treatment providers are facing an unprecedented surge in kratom and 7-OH addiction cases, with no standardized treatment protocols, poor insurance coverage, and a patient population that may not recognize their dependency on a legal product.

The big picture

As 7-OH products remain legal in most states and are sold openly at gas stations, SUD providers are increasingly treating addiction cases that the healthcare system is not designed to handle. Insurance companies are denying or limiting coverage because they do not classify 7-OH as an opioid, even though clinicians say withdrawal and treatment requirements are equivalent to heroin or fentanyl addiction. Patients often do not self-identify as having a drug problem because the product is legal and widely marketed as a supplement.

Key findings

• Eagle Creek Ranch Recovery in Idaho saw a 225% increase in clients needing treatment for kratom or 7-OH addictions in just the past year
• Greenhouse Treatment Center in Texas reported a 100-fold increase over the last year in patients entering services specifically for 7-OH and kratom addictions
• Withdrawal symptoms are severe enough to require opioid detox protocols comparable to heroin or fentanyl — sometimes requiring Suboxone combined with Valium
• Insurance companies are denying extended detox days because they do not recognize the severity of 7-OH addiction, creating financial pressure on providers
• Patients frequently do not disclose 7-OH use at intake because they do not see it as a drug — requiring providers to show images of products to identify use at the source

What they say

"We're really struggling to get these people enough days in treatment… we're literally having to detox these people similar to an opioid detox, like heroin or fentanyl," said Todd Garlington, clinical director at Greenhouse Treatment Center. "The withdrawal is not being recognized to the level that it goes to."

Bottom line

**Treatment centers are being overwhelmed by kratom and 7-OH addiction cases requiring full opioid detox protocols — but insurance systems and regulators still do not classify them as opioid disorders.**