California Poison Control System (CPCS) is warning consumers about increasingly potent synthetic kratom products, including compounds found in products marketed as kava and cat\u2019s claw, that have been linked to overdoses, addiction, and a recent death under investigation.<\/p>\n
At this time, the products identified are from the Buzzers and Homiez brands, but there may be others. In fact, in Utah there are ongoing investigations regarding a recent death and several severe health incidents associated with Buzzers Cat\u2019s Claw tablets, which were found to contain illegal kratom alkaloids.<\/p>\n
Kratom is a tree native to Southeast Asia whose leaves have been used by locals for centuries for their mild stimulant effects. However, more kratom derivatives have emerged that are far more potent than botanical kratom\u2014and, more dangerous and addictive\u2014including synthetic 7-OH and its lab-modified compounds MGM-15 and MGM-16. The concentrated 7-OH is a significantly different composition from regular kratom and 10 times more potent than morphine.<\/p>\n
Increasingly, products marketed as kratom contain concentrated 7-OH or other laboratory-modified compounds instead of traditional whole-leaf kratom. Sold as gummies, tablets, liquid extracts and powders, these products are often labeled as \u201cbotanical extracts\u201d or \u201cmood boosters,\u201d making it difficult for consumers to distinguish them from natural kratom.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause these products are sold online and in retail stores, many people assume they\u2019re safe,\u201d says Dr. Rais Vohra, Medical Director for the Fresno\/Madera Division of CPCS. \u201cBut natural does not mean harmless. Neither kratom nor its derivatives are approved by the FDA, and synthetic compounds like 7-OH carry a much greater risk of addiction, overdose, and other serious health consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n
Recently, lab testing found that certain products marketed as kava, an herbal remedy said to promote sleep and relaxation, and cat\u2019s claw, a dietary supplement commonly used for wellness, were adulterated with kratom alkaloids, including 7-OH, MGM-15, and MGM-16. Yet these substances are not listed on the product labels. In some cases, the labels even claim the products contain no kratom or 7-OH. These misleading labels can lead to life-threatening opioid overdose, dependence, or withdrawal.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn California, harmful kratom-related incidents are affecting every segment of the population, from infants to seniors,\u201d advises Dr. Vohra. \u201cIn fact, calls to CPCS about kratom have mirrored national trends, rising from 2 in 2015 to 233 in 2025, and we\u2019ve already exceeded that number as of July 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kratom withdrawal symptoms and treatment availability<\/p>\n
Calls to CPCS about withdrawal symptoms have also increased significantly. Kratom withdrawal can cause both physical and psychological symptoms and mirror opioid withdrawal. Symptoms typically begin 12\u201324 hours after the last use of kratom and can persist for weeks.<\/p>\n
Although many people think plant-based kratom is a safe way to self-treat their pain, it would be safer and better to talk to a doctor. They can help by providing a way to treat the pain with less danger or risk of addiction.<\/p>\n
Physical withdrawal symptoms commonly include:<\/p>\n
Muscle aches and spasmsGastrointestinal distress, including nausea, diarrhea, and vomitingSweating and feverPsychological withdrawal symptoms can include:Anxiety and irritabilityCraving for kratomInsomnia<\/p>\n
Withdrawal treatment:<\/p>\n
Naloxone (Narcan\u00ae) can reverse opioid-type toxicityBuprenorphine has shown promise for managing withdrawal and kratom use disorder in clinical settings<\/p>\n
Kratom overdoses can be a life-threatening emergency so call 911 or go to an emergency department for immediate medical attention. If you or someone you know has any questions about kratom, 7-OH, or any substance exposure, call the California Poison Control System\u2019s free, confidential hotline at 1-800-222-1222.<\/p>\n
Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 (number is the same in all states) for questions about poison encounters. Trained pharmacists, nurses and other providers are available to help 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The service is free, confidential and interpreters are available. Follow CPCS on Facebook, on YouTube @californiapoisoncontrol, and on X @poisoninfo. Sign up for The California Poison Safety Post, California Poison Control System\u2019s quarterly electronic newsletter, by visiting calpoison.org\/newsletters<\/a>. CPCS is part of the University of California San Francisco School of Pharmacy and is responsible to the California Emergency Medical Services Authority.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"California Poison Control System (CPCS) is warning consumers about increasingly potent synthetic kratom products, including compounds found in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21021,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[101,103,102,104,106,105],"class_list":["post-423455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-francisco","tag-san-francisco","tag-san-francisco-headlines","tag-san-francisco-news","tag-sf","tag-sf-headlines","tag-sf-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423455","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=423455"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423455\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21021"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=423455"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=423455"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=423455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}