Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a tropical evergreen tree from the coffee family (Rubiaceae) native to Indonesia, Papa New Guinea, Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia. The kratom tree produces leaves containing psychoactive compounds, and when ingested, these compounds are capable of eliciting opioidergic and/or stimulatory effects. Although it is estimated that kratom leaves contain …
Gabapentin is rumored to have been synthesized by chemists in the 1970s in attempt to develop an antispasmodic agent. After its synthesis, rights to gabapentin were acquired by Parke-Davis (a subsidiary of Pfizer) whereafter it underwent clinical trials that evaluated its safety and anticonvulsant efficacy in the treatment of seizures. Clinical trial data indicated that …
Kybella (Deoxycholic acid) is an injectable medication engineered by Kythera Biopharmaceuticals and approved by the FDA in April 2015 for the management of moderate-to-severe submental fat (fat beneath the chin) in adults. Reducing the appearance of a protruding “double chin” with Kybella entails visiting a medical professional to receive a series of subcutaneous [deoxycholic acid] …
Gabapentin is a drug that was formally approved in 1993 for the treatment of epilepsy. It is still commonly used as an anticonvulsant drug, generally as an adjunct. Roughly a decade later, the drug was approved for the treatment of neuropathic pain. It is considered to function via modulation of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) in the …
Tramadol (Ultram) is an atypical opioid drug that is primarily utilized to help people manage moderate or severe pain. It is considered an “atypical” opioid due to the fact that it also prevents the reuptake of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine. It also has a very minor effect as a mu-opioid receptor agonist. This is …