Kratom is used by individuals seeking relief from pain, sluggishness, and anxiety. Kratom enhances moods, reduces pain, and increases energy. But there are also some potential side effects of which one should be aware
It must also be said immediately that kratom is not for thrill seekers who just “want to get high”. It’s definitely not a recreational or party drug. Kratom is a medicinal plant that has specific health benefits. It should not be toyed with. You should never mix it with alcohol or other drugs, nor deliberately take a high dose, hoping to have fun or a bizarre experience. Before we take any new medicine or health supplement, we must find out how the substance could impact us, both mentally and physiologically. It’s too much of a shock to take something, then get unexpected results for which we were totally unprepared.
It’s important to note at the outset that there has been very little scientific research into the short- and Long-term effects of kratom in human beings, so much of the information available on effects is anecdotal, meaning first hand reports by kratom users.’
Kratom effects depend on many factors, so no one can guarantee exactly what you’re going to feel. It depends on white, green, or red vein kratom. The nation or region of origin has an influence on the effects. There are mild types of kratom, and there are stronger types, which are often labeled Maeng Da. There are also variations in effects profiles that are based on special fermentation and drying processes, with these types of kratom often labeled yellow, gold, or chocolate kratom. Then there are blends, extracts, and enhanced forms of kratom. So how a dose of kratom affects a person can vary significantly, but there are some general observations that can be made with reliable consistency.
Groups that want to disparage kratom, due to their interest in profiting from truly dangerous Big Pharma drugs, and who see kratom as major competition, will often claim that kratom is risky and has similar side effects as opioids, like breathing suppression, hallucinations, liver damage, nightmares, seizures, delusional thinking, comas, extreme drunkeness, and other bad results. Most of these claims have no scientific studies confirming them. When you read news reports about someone dying from kratom, be sure to notice that in the full story, the victim almost always was abusing alcohol, Xanax, Oxycodone, heroin, cocaine, Adderall, Ritalin, Zoloft, and other medicines and street dope. Never has a single person died from kratom alone, it’s always been in combination with other, very toxic drugs. If a person tries to overdose on kratom in a suicidal situation, they will vomit it up.
Contaminated kratom is a far different story. The FDA has claimed that several deaths have occurred due to salmonella being in the kratom that was taken. Again, it’s not the kratom itself, but a toxic substance in the kratom that caused the fatalities. This is why you should always insist on nothing but 3 rd party lab tested kratom, with tests being conducted on every lot, batch and strain that a vendor is selling.
So, since all studies and personal anecdotal evidence indicates kratom is far safer and more effective than many pharmaceutical medicines, there is no rational reason to fear kratom or be unwilling to give it a try. However, there are both good things, and strange things, that can occur when you take kratom. By strange is meant effects that are unpleasant or that require you to adjust your behavior in some circumstances.
If you’ve never taken kratom, you should know what can happen. For the most part, the effects of kratom are very positive. However, like with most drugs, there can be some effects that are a bit uncomfortable or can cause you to avoid certain activities.
A Washington Post article from 2016, examining online reports of kratom effects by users concluded: “within a fairly large and diverse community of drug users online, reports of negative experiences with kratom — including addiction and dependency — are relatively rare compared to other, more familiar drugs. The more rigorous deep-dive into kratom’s effects by Marc Swogger and his colleagues suggest that the supplement’s effects are generally mild and pleasant.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/09/16/what-its-like-to-be-high-on-kratom-according-to-the-people-who-use-it/
Let’s look at the positive effects of kratom first. It’s extremely rare for any users of kratom to report negatives like “bad trip”, “nightmare”, “instant addiction”, “bummer”, “downer”, “train wreck”, “psychic disaster”, “horrible experience”, or “regret doing it.”
Effects of kratom use are almost unanimously positive, with individuals being satisfied that they have finally found a legal herbal susbstance that meets their needs, without all the terrible physical, mental, and social side effects of benzos, NSAIDs, barbituates, and opioids. Kratom effects are experienced typically within the first 10 to 30 minutes after taking it, depending on such factors as dose amount, dose frequency, body chemistry, and amount of activity being conducted by the person (activity tends to cause effects to kick in more quickly).’
How long do the effects of kratom last?
This is an aspect that can vary greatly. Kratom effects can last from a few hours to as much as 24 hours, with some residual effects continuing longer, and not noticeably tapering off until 48 hours have elapsed. In general though, you can expect to feel the effects of kratom for at least 3 to 8 hours. Potentiators (substances like grapefruit juice that speed up the action of a drug) also have an impact on how quickly and intensely kratom effects are felt.
Positive kratom effects consist of three basic types:
(1) Pain relief.
While all types and vein colors of kratom provide relief from pain, users tend to choose red vein kratom when they want exceptionally strong and long-lasting pain relief. Red vein can also be sedating, so many pain sufferers go with green vein, which is not as strong in pain relief, but has less of a sedating effect, and can increase motivation.
White vein kratom, which is less pain-killing and more energizing, is sometimes mixed in with red vein kratom to give good pain relief, while also helping a person be productive and active.
(2) Mood boost.
Kratom provides a sense of well-being, a generalized warmth that often is described as an inner hug or a psyche massage. Users say they feel relaxed, delighted, and enjoy more such activities as listening to music, doing routine work, or conversing with friends and family. It’s somewhat similar to the feelings generated by cannabis, but without the spacey, dreamy euphoric buzz. These positive sensations have helped opioid addicts get off the heroin, Oxycontin, or Fentanyl, without a severe set of nightmarish withdrawal symptoms.
Shortly after taking kratom, a person tends to start feeling happy and contented, without knowing why. This pleasant feeling just starts spreading throughout the person, making him or her want to get things done, or go be with people. Talkativeness is also a result of kratom usage, as individuals feel less pain, experience a better mood, and have an urge to speak in a joyful, delighted manner.
(3) Energy increase.
Many users of kratom report a surge in motivation, both mentally and physically. Kratom has been used in Southeast Asia as a traditional way to boost stamina and endurance when working at hard physical labor.
Some people use kratom, especially white vein kratom, as a substitute fro coffee in the morning. While kratom is a member of the coffee family of plants, it contains no caffeine, so the caffeine jitters typically do not occur. Along with an increase in energy, stamina, and endurace is a nootropic effect, which means improving cognitive functioning. In other words, your mind may seem sharper and even smarter to some degree. You may experience a distinct increase in mental focus and clarity.
For this reason, kratom is good for both physical labor and mental exertion, but be careful around heavy machinery. Driving a car, doing roofing work, or other potentially dangerous duties should not be engaged in until you're sure how you act and think on kratom, which might take a few months of
experience with the drug.
Negative effects of kratom can consist of:
(1) Dehydration.
It’s important to drink a lot of water and other liquids when taking kratom, because kratom can absorb moisture in your system and dry you out from within. This advice applies to basically every person taking kratom, with no exceptions.
(2) Constipation.
This is related to the dehydration that kratom causes. The best and safest laxative for most people is simply water. Be sure to drink lots of water, juice, tea, and other fluids, and also eat things like bananas, licorice, prunes, and other things that can help your digestive system and bowel movements.
(3) Itchy scalp and nose.
Kratom can cause a person to be very itchy, especially on the head and the nose. This reaction is reported by some, but not all, individuals who take kratom. A boar bristle brush, which can be found at Walmart, Walgreens, and other health and beauty supply shops, can be a perfect tool for scratching those itchy parts of your body.
(4) Irritability.
Kratom use can sometimes result in a “get off of my cloud” type effect, where a user feels a bit crabby or annoyed around others. Even though kratom has helped people be more sociable and outgoing, there can be instances where certain types of conversation or behavior may rub you the wrong way. This may be related to wanting to enjoy the good feelings brought on by kratom. Or it may be due to the nootropic effects of mind enhancement, where foolish, silly, and irrelevant talk is not as tolerable as they once were.
(5) Dependency.
Kratom use can be habit-forming. It’s good to use the lowest possible dose for the effects you seek to achieve and to take a break from using kratom. Rotating the kratom types you use, varying the vein color, region of origin, vendor, and other factors can help you avoid developing a tolerance to a specific alkaloid profile. Even though a person can form a dependency on kratom, there are no reports of severe withdrawal symptoms or complicated health problems resulting from an abrupt or gradual stop in kratom dosing.
In conclusion, the effects of kratom are overwhelming positive, making it one of the safest and most effective health supplements and pain medications available.
