Kratom is a legal $13 natural high thats led to addiction and 91 deaths: Soccer moms are on it
Stay-at-home mom Bari Sinoyannis thought she was buying a natural, plant-based alternative to pain relievers when she picked up kratom powder at a North Carolina smoke shop in 2022.“The fact that it’s labeled as a natural alternative to pain medication was why I fell for it.I was like, you know what? I’m gonna try it.
And pretty much immediately I was addicted,” the 37-year-old told The Post.“I was like, oh, this is a miracle drug.
This is curing my pain.This is curing my depression.
Everything’s better now.Until it wasn’t.”What Sinoyannis didn’t know is that, even though it can be casually picked up at a convenience store, gas station, or smoke shop, kratom is a highly addictive substance that can cause severe withdrawals and catastrophic side effects.The psychoactive plant extract from Southeast Asia is sold in powder, drinks, gummies, capsules, teas and energy shots.
It is advertised for its purported pain-relieving ability and as a natural aid for depression and anxiety and it can make people feel alert, energetic, and more talkative.But it can also have catastrophic downsides.Over the course of the next several years, Sinoyannis gradually became so addicted to kratom, she needed to take doses all day and through the night just to feel normal, costing her up to $600 a week.Over time, she upgraded from kratom powder to 7-OH, a derivative compound found in the kratom plant that is highly potent and more concentrated.“If I didn’t wake up a million times throughout the night to dose, I would go through withdrawal in the morning,” she explained.Kratom can cause withdrawal symptoms, such as sweating, restlessness, nausea, anxiety, and an inability to sleep, according to Johns Hopkins.“It didn’t matter how much I took, I was still going through withdrawals.
Between doses, I would be on the floor vomiting,” Sinoyannis admitted.“My kids had to witness me going through withdrawals every few days.
My husband almost left me because of i...