Doctors have warned against serious dangers of drug use, especially for those who battle mental health conditions
A 31-year-old man sliced off his penis and nose during a terrifying psychotic episode. According to doctors, the lumberjack from Czechia, who had a drug-triggered psychotic episode, got "overwhelmed" and acted on a "sudden urge" to hurt himself.
News reports said he had consumed quantities of kratom – a herbal supplement consumed via chewing, smoking, and as a tea, which has opioid-like properties and some stimulant-like after-effects. While at low doses, kratom produces stimulant effects with increased alertness, physical energy, and talkativeness, overdose can cause hallucinations.
Doctors said the unnamed man also had schizophrenia and was not taking his antipsychotic medicines days before the self-inflicted attack. He cut off both of his ears and his penis, inflicted deep wounds on his neck and chest, and nearly severed his entire left arm. "I felt completely overwhelmed and acted on a sudden urge to hurt myself," the man said in a medical report published in the journal The Frontiers of Psychiatry, as reported by The Sun.
However, the doctors managed to save his life. "I ended up severely injuring myself by cutting off parts of my body," he said.
Doctors said despite his severe injuries, the man managed to call the emergency services for help. However, when he arrived at the hospital, he was awake but confused and weak, doctors wrote in the case report. He also showed no signs of distress about what had happened and was unable to recall some of the details. According to toxicology tests, it was confirmed that traces of mitragynine – an active compound in kratom – and cannabis were found in his blood.
And even though surgeons saved his life, they could not reattach the amputated organs. He was also later taken for skin graft surgery to cover the penile stump. Doctors have warned the case highlights the serious dangers of drug use – especially for those people who battle mental health conditions. “This case raises awareness of the serious adverse effects of kratom, especially in patients with a history of mental illness,” they wrote.
What is kratom?
Kratom – linked to many deaths – is legal in some countries, banned in others, and completely unregulated in many. According to the details of the case, he had been brewing kratom leaves into tea for almost a decade with a belief that the supplement would help him with his mental health issues. While kratom is also used for withdrawal from heroin, morphine, and other opioid drugs, experts say there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses. Using kratom can also be unsafe.
According to the doctors, a combination of drug use and mental health issues can trigger a psychotic state in which a person may act under powerful delusions.
Harvard Health says kratom is addictive due to its opioid-like qualities. According to a study, more than 10 per cent of kratom users qualified as addicted. A small minority of people addicted to kratom require treatments for opioid use disorder. Others have characterised kratom addiction as comparable to caffeine addiction.
