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BadSneakers 08-27-2014 02:51 PM

Kratom Addiction is no Joke
 
Hello all,

I started off using powdered kratom in what I thought was a responsible manner about 2 1/2 years ago. About a year later I found myself using almost every day - sometimes every day. I still felt like I had some control over things. Any WDs I got were very mild, doable.

Early this year I made the stupid decision to switch to something called kratom Full Spectrum Tincture with the hopes that it would be easier on me than chugging down multiple piles of plant matter each go. Little did I know this would be such a painful mistake. Despite my attempts to use it responsibly (ha!), tolerance shot up like a rocket and I found that I was experiencing strong, opiate like WDs if I did not get a dose every 3 hours or so. I soon realized I was a slave to this stuff, but I was too scared of the WDs to quit.

Eventually I decided I needed to simply pay the piper if I wanted to live. I truly believe this stuff was not only ruining my life but literally slowly killing me. I took a prolonged leave from work and decided to go cold turkey when my mom was visiting to help with some home renovations. I didn't want to be alone.

The first 4 days were a nightmare - violent restless legs/arms, insomnia mixed in with brief periods of bizarre waking dreams, body aches from head to toe, chills, diarrhea, anxiety. I rubbed my inner knees raw from jerking my legs around so much. The body aches, coldness, and RLS hung around for about 10 days. I am now at day 13 and most of the physical stuff has passed, but the severe, crippling anxiety as well as insomnia is lingering. I know this too will pass as my brain repairs itself - but it is rough.

Anyhow, I know I went on too long but I just want to send my support to anyone out there going through kratom addiction, withdrawal, or recovery. It's not a joke, please don't let anyone minimize the suffering you are going through. Please do tough it out, though. You are worth it. Thanks for listening.

Hope2014 08-27-2014 04:38 PM

Hi I am glad you are getting better. What is Kratom?

BadSneakers 08-27-2014 04:50 PM

Thank you for the welcome.

I'm not botanist, so please bear with me. ;)

Kratom is a plant from southeast Asia which has a number of alkaloids present that work on humans in a variety of ways. The main alkaloid(s) have been shown to work on the mu opioid receptor, thus potentially mimicking classic opiates in experience, addiction and withdrawal.

Many people have been able to use kratom responsibly, unfortunately some have encountered the pitfalls of addiction, and it is no joke for certain. While I was using the classic powder for the first two years of use, when I moved on to the full spectrum tincture I sealed my fate. I truly don't believe that kratom tinctures can be used by most people in a responsible manner. I was astonished at how fast my tolerance shot up.

I was a slave and could no longer even enjoy kratom - powder or otherwise - any longer. I was on a strict schedule of dosing just to keep from feeling progressively worse. I knew the magic was gone, I knew I wanted off - so I jumped off cold turkey. It was excruciating, but worth it. I still struggle with sometimes crippling anxiety, but I realize that slowly but surely my mind and body is recovering from what I have put it through.

songthread 08-27-2014 04:55 PM

Welcome BadSneakers! They just made kratom illegal where I live. Very interesting story and post - glad you were able to get through the withdrawals and that you are doing better!

Tonymblue 08-27-2014 07:01 PM

Is that the stuff from Captain Phillips?

grubby 08-27-2014 07:30 PM


Originally Posted by Tonymblue
Is that the stuff from Captain Phillips?

Kratom is very popular on the internet, there is a certain self-improvement site that promotes the stuff heavily.

I first heard of it myself sometime in 2013, but i looked at it, saw the prices, and just had no interest.......... thank god.

Alcohol was hard enough to quit, i can't imagine having to deal with another substance withdrawal on top of that. Apparently it is used as an alcohol replacement and nootropic/focus-booster, but has withdrawal symptoms similar to anti-depressants - i.e. not pretty.

Apparently, another reason for it's popularity is how it is a largely unknown drug in western countries and thus mostly legal/un-regulated.

autumn2 08-27-2014 10:29 PM

Grubby,just curious to how much it was when you seen it online?

Badsneakers,I'm so sorry you are going through these terrible withdrawals. I hope how soon your life gets back to normal.

I had never heard of it. What was the initial appeal? Was it something to help you focus,or to get a buzz?

Soberwolf 08-28-2014 01:29 AM

Good luck in recovery

BadSneakers 08-28-2014 04:20 AM

The stuff used in Captain Phillips was khat - a stimulant that has widespread use in the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, etc). Unlike kratom it is illegal in the US on the federal level.

Kratom does have a mildly stimulating side, but feels much more like an opiate. Again, it does work on the mu opioid receptor in the brain - so it has effects, addictive potential, and withdrawal potential similar to traditional opiates. On top of that there are alkaloids that haven't been studied in this plant, so we really don't know how else it works on the brain.

There are a lot of fanboys and sellers online working overtime to promote this stuff as completely harmless. Again - there are many people who can use it responsibly. But it is what it is, you need to be very cautious. And the highly concentrated tinctures that I was using are just bad news all around.

Stay safe everyone and thanks for the welcomes.


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