Kratom not a solution for chronic pain

Americans have a long history of falling for elixirs that claim to be benign but in fact are packed with addictive substances. In the 1830s, for example, there was Mcmunn’s Elixir of Opium and Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup, a morphine and alcohol concoction.

Today we have kratom, a plant with two active compounds, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, that affect the same opioid brain receptors as morphine and cause sedation, pleasure and decreased pain when taken in large enough doses. Hence, it’s potentially addictive.

The Food and Drug Administration says it’s illegal to sell as a medical remedy for pain, cancer or whatever else occurs to the vendor. They also caution that many of the kratom-associated deaths (44 to date) seem to happen when it’s combined with illicit drugs, opioids, benzodiazepines, alcohol, gabapentin and over-thecounter medications, such as cough syrup, or when it is contaminated with undeclared (and lethal) ingredients.

In addition, the heavy metals lead and nickel have been found in kratom, and there was a 2018 alert for a multistate outbreak of salmonella infections from contaminated kratom products.

So if you’re trying to manage chronic pain, see a pain management specialist, take up a stress management technique such as deep breathing or guided imagery and explore physical therapy and an anti-inflammatory diet. If you think this weed will whack some other disorder you have, think again. It can dull you to your symptoms, and then you’ll end up with a more advanced, and untreated, medical problem.

Exercise and time of day

Danish researchers recently discovered that earlyin-the-day exercise increases the ability of muscle cells to metabolize sugar and fat. That may help regulate glucose and power your body for early hour exertions. Plus, an early workout may help you exercise more energetically.

Evening exercise has benefits, too. The researchers found it revs up your metabolism for a longer period of time than exercising earlier in the day, increasing energy expenditure in the hours after exercise. That may be a boon for weight control. Plus, evening workouts are a great way to cope with a stressful day and may improve sleep.

The smart move might be to mix up your workout schedule to include both early and late bouts. Just don’t try to get both types of workouts into one day.

Email questions for Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen to youdocsdaily@sharecare. com.