Kratom has been associated with serious adverse effects including seizures and deaths, and the US FDA has warned consumers against using it.

Is it true that Kratom has been associated with serious adverse effects including seizures and deaths, and the US FDA has warned consumers against using it?

Yes. The FDA's own page warns consumers not to use kratom because of serious adverse events including seizures, and notes rare deaths have been associated with kratom use; a clinical review likewise reports 36 deaths attributed to kratom and an FDA public health warning. Other sources associate kratom with seizures and deaths, though one case-report review finds insufficient evidence that kratom alone causes severe acute harms.

Verdict: SUPPORTED · 5 sources for, 1 against · Last checked 2 Oct 2026

The private library was unavailable for some searches in this check. Missing library results are not evidence against the claim.

T, T., G, A., M, H., & D, P. (2025). Reported associations between kratom and seizures: a systematic review.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2025.1632835

S, S., S, L., G, A., S, K., & D, P. (2025). The acute adverse health effects of kratom: an evaluation of case reports.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2025.1620601

FDA and Kratom | FDA. (n.d.). fda.gov. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-and-kratom

M, A., R, L., & J, S. (2016). Notes from the Field: Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) Exposures Reported to Poison Centers - United States, 2010-2015.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6529a4

CM, W. (2018). Pharmacologic and clinical assessment of kratom.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.2146/ajhp161035

Nacional, C. d. I. d. M. d. l. U., Johanna, A., & Carolina, Z. D. (2025). Naturally Dangerous: Kratom: Marketed without registration, risky for health. zenodo.org. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14867185