Transient Sensorineural Hearing Loss and Rhabdomyolysis, Associated With Chronic Kratom Use

Kratom is a colloquial name for products derived from the mitragyna plant species originating in Southeast Asia and now widely available in the United States as a dietary supplement. Kratom is used primarily for self-management of pain, anxiety, and opioid withdrawal due to its partial agonist activity on mu opioid receptors, as well as other neurotransmitter pathways. We present a case of a 32-year-old male who presented with septic shock requiring vasopressors and unilateral acute hearing loss. He was found to have acute kidney injury secondary to rhabdomyolysis and auriculitis. He required emergent hemodialysis for severe electrolyte abnormalities and treatment with antibiotics and steroids for auriculitis. He spontaneously recovered hearing during his hospital admission, and his kidney function improved. This case underscores the potential complications associated with kratom use and its sedating effects and the need for further characterization of kratom toxicity to distinguish it from other toxidromes.