For USA TODAY NETWORK - Wisconsin

Kratom is advertised on the Internet as a “non-addictive” herbal alternative to opioids for pain management.

But as more information about kratom becomes available, the herb’s potential for addiction and associated withdrawal syndrome may be linked to more harmful health effects, according to a case report by David Galbis-Reig, M.D., published in the current issue of Wisconsin Medical Journal.

The report cited a case in which a patient in southeastern Wisconsin became addicted to kratom, and as a result, experienced symptoms of severe opioid-like withdrawal syndrome.

The patient’s kratom withdrawal was managed successfully through the opioid withdrawal protocol, but kratom is still relatively unknown by physicians in the United States.

According to the report, kratom is an herb indigenous to countries in Southeast Asia and has been used for hundreds of years by the people living there for fatigue, pain, opioid withdrawal and cough. However, it has been illegal in Thailand since 1943 and is the most abused drug there among illicit users.

The patient in this case purchased kratom online.

In the U.S., the Drug Enforcement Administration placed kratom on its “Drugs and Chemicals of Concern” list, but it is not scheduled by the DEA. It is, however, illegal in Wisconsin.

In 2013, the state classified kratom as a Schedule 1 Controlled Dangerous Substance for its psychoactive properties, which include stimulant and opioid-like effects. Meanwhile, its popularity is spreading.

Published by the Wisconsin Medical Society, Wisconsin Medical Journal is a peer-reviewed publication available in print and electronic format.