Here are the blog author’s personal reflections on kratom, after using it for a total of 4 years now.
ONE At first, I was frankly a bit scared of kratom. A friend told me about it, I bought a bottle of kratom capsules at a local head shop, and the bottle sat there in my kitchen cupboard for 30 days. I had read weird accounts online of what kratom was like. I was thinking it was something like mescaline or even heroin. I was not enthusiastic, but willing to try it sometime.
TWO My early days of taking kratom were marvelous. It hit me pretty hard, even at low doses. I was no longer afraid, but I did use caution regarding how much and how often to take kratom. I worked it out to be 8 to 12 grams per dose, one dose per day, with few exceptions. I also skip days and rotate strains to avoid developing a tolerance to a specific alkaloid profile.
THREE Rotating strains! This is super important. I find that I do the same thing with cannabis, always buying the highest THC strains, and varying the strains I use. Luckily, in Illinois, cannabis is legal and I have a variety of strains to choose from. With kratom, it’s very important to rotate which strains you use. You’ll figure out how often to switch strains. I generally have 4 different strains, stored in dark glass canning jars with air tight rubber seals, tucked away in a cupboard.
FOUR Don’t over-indulge or mix with alcohol. Too much of a good thing becomes a bad thing. I almost never go beyond my 8 to 12 grams per dose, one dose per day. As far as mixing kratom with other substances, this can be deadly in some cases. This is my personal choice, to not take kratom and drink beer or other liquors. I found that having a few beers, after taking my usual kratom dose, was not horrible, but was a bit too much. I felt too woozy and dizzy. Not a good feeling at all, especially since I was walking around downtown at the time.
FIVE Finding a good, reputable, trustworthy kratom vendor is essential. Once you find one, stick with that vendor, though it’s okay to get kratom from multiple sources, as long as their products are fresh and 3rd party lab tested.
SIX Don’t tell any medical professionals, not even your family physician, about your kratom use. Doctors and nurses tend to be unduly influenced by Big Pharma propaganda. They also frown upon you using anything they did not prescribe or recommend. Your kratom use may be designated “exhibits drug seeking behavior” which is something you do NOT want on your chart forever. Don’t try to educate your medical providers about kratom. They will not be receptive in most cases.
SEVEN Hot Tea Method has recently become the primary way I take kratom, plus capsules or extracts once in a while. Put your dose of powder in a coffee cup. Pour simmering NOT boiling water on it. Add fresh squeezed lemon juice and organic honey. Stir. Let the sludge settle to the bottom. Drink the liquid, discard the sludge.
EIGHT Kratom and high THC cannabis are nice together, my only exception to my personal rule to not mix substances. What’s kind of amazing is that kratom (green vein especially) and no THC, high CBD marihuana gives me effects similar to high THC cannabis. Again, moderation is key. Going hog wild with kratom, like it’s some recreational party drug is a huge mistake.
NINE I can’t seem to give free samples of kratom to those who have pain and anxiety. I’ve tried, but nobody takes me up on it. Is it brainwashing by lame stream media and Big Pharma propaganda? I don’t know exactly. It’s a mystery. But I always have a small sample package on hand to give to anyone who is curious and wants to try it.
TEN Kratom makes me more talkative, which is not something my wife likes very much, but I am more outgoing and sociable than her in most cases. So if I take my dose, then we go to some meeting or shopping or whatever, I have to control my tongue, try not to be too extroverted. I use to be shy, withdrawn, and paranoid a bit. Not anymore! I feel great unity with nature and humanity when I take kratom.
