A mother named Julie Taylor Domres took to her Facebook to reveal her healthy 29-year-old runner son Danny Domres died from a sudden kratom overdose and begs everyone to spread the word about this dangerous “natural” supplement sold in gas stations.
She started her post saying that many of you might’ve wondered exactly what happened to him but didn’t feel to ask.
Julie continued:
But it is just human nature to want to know, especially when someone so young and healthy passes so suddenly, so we want to share.
Julie
For weeks the family had been waiting on the toxicology report after his sudden death on September 11 before they could make an official ruling.
Now they know, and they want the word to get out and make everyone aware.
Danny Domres was 29, a runner from Maple Grove who lived for the sport.
He had a great physique; tall, strong, always training, always smiling in his race photos. On the outside he was the picture of health.
Nonetheless, on September 11 his heart just stopped. The autopsy showed his heart was a little bigger than average, but the doctor said that’s completely normal for someone who ran as hard and as often as Danny did.
It wasn’t the problem at all for distance runners grow stronger hearts the same way weightlifters grow bigger biceps wasn’t the problem.
Turns out the real reason behind his untimely demise was acute mitragynine toxicity and mitragynine is the main active thing in kratom.
Most people, Julie included, had never even heard the word kratom until the doctor said it.
It’s a “natural” supplement that is sold as an energy booster, performance enhancer, mood enhancer and pain reliever. But it apparently works on the same neural receptors as opioids and is HIGHLY addictive.
Julie
The labels make it sound harmless, 100% organic, no chemicals, all that, but kratom hits the same receptors in the brain as opioids.
It can slow breathing the same way and can throw the heart’s rhythm completely off. And because nobody regulates it, you never really know how strong any bag or bottle is.
The doctor who did the autopsy reveald Danny took what he thought was his normal amount, maybe for energy or to take the edge off soreness. And most likely he passed out, stopped breathing and then his heart stopped.
His mother Julie said that Danny didn’t suffer much which brings her a lot of comfort to know.
Likewise, the doctor told Julie that Danny didn’t sit down and swallow a huge dose on purpose.
She said that the level in his system 190 was enough to kill him, but the numbers bounce all over the place from one lab to the next.
Some people have died with levels as low as 20 while others survived way higher. There’s no safe cutoff because nobody has figured out how to measure it properly yet.
Kratom is legal in most states. You can buy it at the corner store next to the energy drinks. There’s a big lobby fighting to keep it that way, calling it a safe herb.
Meanwhile parents like Julie are finding each other online, trading stories of kids in their twenties and thirties who dropped dead exactly like Danny did.
Julie wrote:
It is a very dangerous and completely unregulated “natural” substance. Talk to your kids about it… talk to EVERYONE about it! There seems to be two camps relating to Kratom out there – those who think it is a natural supplement that is completely safe and miraculous, and those who know it is not
Julie
Julie says she and her husband are going to spend the rest of their lives making sure people hear the truth. She wrote:
We are going to be very transparent about this. People need to know the truth and Danny would want to help in any way that he can. He was a strong advocate for those struggling with addiction and we will continue what he started.
Julie
“PLEASE spread the word about this! We want you to share Danny’s story. If it can happen to someone as healthy and health-conscious as he was, it can happen to anyone,” she added.
Julie concluded the post, “Thank you all for your continued love, prayers and support. We are moving forward, putting one foot in front of the other and doing the best we can right now.”
