What happened
Kirsty Boswell, a 50-year-old mother of three, died in February 2026 after taking kratom for anxiety. She had been prescribed Xanax but switched to kratom, which she believed was a safer, natural alternative. However, she became reliant on ever-increasing amounts of the supplement and died in her sleep.
According to the medical examiner, Boswell's death was likely caused by the long-term effects of kratom use, rather than an overdose. Her toxicology report listed pulmonary edema, a build-up of fluid in the lungs, as the cause of death.
Boswell's daughter, Lauren Lopez, said that her mother had become inadvertently addicted to kratom and was unable to stop taking it due to intense withdrawal symptoms. Lopez warned that the packaging for kratom products is often vague and does not provide adequate warnings about the risks of use.
Kratom is a herbal supplement derived from the leaves of a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. It is widely marketed as a natural way to relieve pain, ease anxiety and depression, and overcome opioid addiction. However, experts warn that kratom's ingredients can act on the same opioid receptors in the brain as powerful opioid drugs, and can have similar effects.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration has proposed emergency restrictions on some kratom products, but the substance is not currently subject to the same safety testing and warning labels as prescription drugs. Several states have banned or restricted kratom, but it remains widely available in many parts of the country.
