Title : 7-OH (7-hydroxymitragynine) – An emerging health threat
Abstract:
While kratom has been used for various recreational reasons for many years, a new concentrate derived from kratom named 7-OH is on the rise. The 7-OH concentrates are often marketed alongside kratom and is sold online or in local convenience stores 7-OH. Both kratom and 7-OH are federally not regulated substances and were first seen in 2024 and expanded since. 7-OH is a metabolite of the kratom and naturally constitutes less than 2% alkaloids in the kratom’s leaves and products. However, 7-OH can be synthesized by converting mitragynine by chemical oxidation to a potent and high-concentrated product. Available forms are sublingual tablets, gummies, sirups, sprays, injections, or nasal sprays. The current high concentrated formulation is much different from the original form of kratom going back centuries. Stemming from south-east Asia originally, people consumed kratom leaves fresh or ground in teas for natural remedies or to prevent exhaustion while working in the fields in hot and humid climate.
7- OH is much more potent, acting like an opioid and therefore causing intoxication and withdrawal symptoms that are similar to opioid withdrawal often requiring professional, medically monitored detoxification treatments when discontinued. Patients presenting for medical detoxification treatment differ from illicit opioids users in that they are often not aware that the drug they used and abused would cause sickening and impairing withdrawal symptoms when stopped due to the false perception that easily available substances are safe. This presentation is a systematic review about 7-OH, pointing out the pharmacology, toxicology, and legal background of 7-OH highlighting the current trend.
