So tell me about Kratom. - Harmless like valerian root or deadly like belladonna?

[Invade Canada]

I've been taking kratom for about 2 years now for chronic pain relief and have had no negative effects, gave it up for about 4 month period and worst withdrawl symptoms i had were irritably and lack of energy for a few days. It can give you a light high similar to vicodin but it lasts about half as long in my experience.

 

[Jason Wynn]

Can't you get Kratom at the gas station now? It seems even less regulated than weed.

Yeah, in my area I've seen it being sold in little convenience stores. Usually very low quality though. Best to buy it from a specialty store if you live near one, or order online from a reputable source.

 

[ketamineshovel]

I've been taking kratom daily, multiple times a day for almost 6 years now for various reasons. Depending on which color vein, it works well as an anxiolytic. Whites, greens, and yellows are more stimulating and help with motivation, but also may induce anxiety in some people depending on the dosage. Reds and yellows are the most sedating, yet yellows are energizing at the same time as previously mentioned. One thing to note, and I'm not sure if this has been posted, but a lower dose of kratom is more stimulating whereas a higher dose feels more along the lines of a traditional opiate.

Figuring out what works best for you is a bit finicky. It'll take some trial and error working with differing veins and dosages. It definitely has potential to be addictive though. The most frequent that I'd advise someone who starts out taking kratom is once every 3 days.

Eating antacids about 20-30 minutes before dosing will potentiate the effects. If you're going for recreational effects, 50mg of dextromethorphan will also potentiate it due to it having affinity for opioid receptors.

That's about all I've got off the top of my head. Also, I'll reiterate that gas station and convenience store kratom is low quality and overpriced. Find an online vendor.

 

[Blue_Snow]

I was thinking about starting it for my depression/ anxiety. However, l have some questions from users. Does it make you calmer/sleep? I have read articles from physicians saying no it doesn’t and some saying yes it does. I don’t get addictive to chemicals, so that isn’t an issue with me since most medical websites said there’s a high chance of getting addicted.

 

[Jason Wynn]

I was thinking about starting it for my depression/ anxiety. However, l have some questions from users. Does it make you calmer/sleep? I have read articles from physicians saying no it doesn’t and some saying yes it does. I don’t get addictive to chemicals, so that isn’t an issue with me since most medical websites said there’s a high chance of getting addicted.

Red kratom has properties similar to opiates. That strain would be best if you want to try it for calming/sleep purposes.

As far as addiction goes, that's a gray area. Like anything else, you go to the well too often your body will start building up an immunity and you'll need stronger doses to get the desired effect. I started out just tossing back a couple teaspoons of powder each dose and that was more than enough. I'm up to two tablespoons per dose now about twice a week.

For what it's worth, I've never had any withdrawal symptoms or started craving it constantly, but I don't have a very addictive personality (aside from tobacco) Try it a couple of times and see how it works for you is all I can say. Red Thai or Red Panda would be my suggestion.

 

[Blue_Snow]

Red kratom has properties similar to opiates. That strain would be best if you want to try it for calming/sleep purposes.

As far as addiction goes, that's a gray area. Like anything else, you go to the well too often your body will start building up an immunity and you'll need stronger doses to get the desired effect. I started out just tossing back a couple teaspoons of powder each dose and that was more than enough. I'm up to two tablespoons per dose now about twice a week.

For what it's worth, I've never had any withdrawal symptoms or started craving it constantly, but I don't have a very addictive personality (aside from tobacco) Try it a couple of times and see how it works for you is all I can say. Red Thai or Red Panda would be my suggestion.
[/QUOTE.] Thanks man

 

[TurdFondler]

It absolutely sucks as a recreational drug and anyone wanting to take it should look into cbd/thc edibles or just smoke some pot.

 

[Daisymae]

I like to take a little kratom at the end of the day to wind down. I've taken kratom for the past few years just about daily, and the best way to describe it is that it is versatile and gives you a few different positives, while not really giving you any negatives.

For one, its a good way to take the edge off at the end of the day. Once you wrap up work or whatever and you want to veg out for a few hours, you can do that, but it doesn't necessarily make you stupid or unable to function. You can still drive on it, provided you didn't take a fuckton, and you can hold a decent conversation.

Hell, it even makes you more talkative and social. I find that about 20-30 minutes after I take my nightly dose my mood changes and I go from not wanting to deal with anybody's shit to want to find some buddies to shoot the shit with. With pot, I would rather just chill by myself and watch videos or something. Kratom gives me the urge to reach out and talk.

As for pain, it seems like a double-edged sword to me. It reduces pain a bit, but I do feel like I feel more aches and pains throughout the day up to the point when I take my dose. I don't take much, I gravitate between 3-6 capsules, depending on how tolerant I am at the time (which is an odd thing, my tolerance will fluctuate like crazy, unprompted), and what I want from it.

Some people get legit opiate-type high off of it if you use the right strain at the right amount. I don't suggest using kratom for that, it will set you on a bad path and eventually you won't replicate it and you will be on to something else that will probably do you harm.

Spoiler: hippie-sounding bullshit

Euphoria is great, and kratom can facilitate you, to a point, getting there. But at the risk of sounding like a hippie retard, you can maximize your euphoria if you also learn to meditate well and incorporate that with your routine in addition to kratom. I find fasting for a few hours beforehand works good, and if I eat well and exercise during the day its more effective. I find that when I rely on substances alone for euphoria, eventually problems arise. In addition, it becomes shittier over time. Kratom should be more of icing on the cake than the whole cake.

I highly suggest at least experimenting with it for a few days. The risk of overdose is really insignificant. When I pushed my limits I basically just puked like crazy. I have gotten abdomen pains a few times (really like 2-3 times), and I have been using just about daily for years.

 

[The Dude]

I used to take Kratom back when I couldn't get opiate painkillers before I got clean. A lot of the stuff you find in your local headshops is pretty garbage and you've got to take a lot to feel anything (especially when you're used to taking 90mg of Oxycodone to just feel the effects. There was one shop in my area who carried higher quality stuff, including a Kratom tincture. That tincture was the only time I took Kratom and felt it. I would take that stuff when I was really desperate, but it was the nastiest shit I've ever tasted. And it would always make me vomit at some point. One time I bought some, got to my car, psyched myself up to drink the nasty-ass stuff, and the second it hit the back of my throat I projectile vomited all over my car door. That was the last time I ever tried it. I got hooked on the pills because of a compressed disk in my lumbar and because all the cartilage under my right knee cap is scar tissue (looks like cottage cheese in x-rays) from disjointing my knee when I was 15. Eventually got addicted and it nearly ruined my life. I got on Suboxone therapy and I've been clean for a little over five years now.

Be glad your employee is trying to use relatively safe and legal means to deal with his pain. I agree with others here that you should keep encouraging him to get surgery for his injury. That's the ideal solution to his problem.

 

[Karl der Grosse]

I forgot about this thread. Okay, my guy's fine. He's been getting nerve blockers every couple of months now for a while. Last time I asked him about it he said he was doing fine. I've told him I'd pay for surgery, but he still won't consider it. I haven't asked about the kratom, I will next time I see him.

 

[John Andrews Stan]

I’m assmad that this thread isn’t more active. Kratom has helped me a lot with insomnia — specifically, sleeping through the night. (I do still wake up in the middle of the night, but can fall back asleep relatively easily.) It’s also a great appetite suppressant.

At first, I was able to “toss and wash” (throw back the powder and chug water to get it down) with good results. Then it made me nauseous as fuck. Not just because it tastes like Satan’s asshole, but because of what that method does to your stomach. So I did some research and found this dude’s video very helpful:

I do a large batch like this every few days, because no way I’m doing it daily. I use bottled lemon juice and Splenda instead of honey (the ginger didn’t do it for me).

I always take it on an empty stomach, with magnesium or turmeric curcumin/bioprene, for maximum effect. But I also eat something with protein and fat right afterward, to avoid getting sick.

As for vendors, I only buy from head shops if I’m almost out and need to tide myself over until my online order arrives. It’s just so much more expensive in shops and the people selling it know next to nothing about it. No kratom concierges working those shops, even though it’s a high-ticket item for them.

Instead, I rely on Nuwave Botanicals (not an affiliate link). They are extremely helpful in giving guidance on strains, dosage, etc. If a strain isn’t doing it for you, they’ll replace it for free and help you find something more suitable — really going above and beyond since kratom effects are so variable by individual. I hate talking on the phone but the HBIC, Amanda, is super straightforward, helpful, and knows her shit. They are a wholesaler for kratom brands and have their own in-house brand, Experience. The code Text10 is good for 10% off any order if you want to try.

As far as strains go, I wish it weren’t the case but I think you just have to experiment a lot to find something that works for you. After several months of exploration, I’m still experimenting so don’t have any must-try recommendations. (Also the strain I had the best results from has been rebranded and I’m not sure it’s even the same kratom now.)

 

[Sped Xing]

Valerian root helps me sleep on my shifting schedule, but my blood pressure has been elevated since around the time I started using it and I'm worried it's the cause.

 

[John Andrews Stan]

Valerian root helps me sleep on my shifting schedule, but my blood pressure has been elevated since around the time I started using it and I'm worried it's the cause.

Give L-theanine a try. When I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t fall back to sleep, I pop a couple of 200mg L-theanine capsules and am soon dreaming. This is my preferred brand.

 

[glow in the dark animals]

I love to take it for work. Or if I have a family function to go to. It's like coffee, but more efficient and consistent. Makes me less anxious socially and more confident. Not a high or intoxicated feeling. I recommend it to everyone, it seems like it has potential to help a lot of people. My advice is to only do it a couple times a week if you must. The less you do it, the better it works.

 

[John Andrews Stan]

One of the unfortunate side effects I’ve experienced from taking too-large doses: extreme body temperature spikes. As in sweating profusely, shaking, and feeling like I was going to pass out. I learned my lesson the hard way.