What is it?
Kratom is botanical supplement which is extracted into a powder from a tropical tree that is apart of the coffee family. Kratom has had a long history of medicinal use in Southeast Asia for pain management, mood improval & opioid withdrawal.
There are 27+ active alkaloids in kratom: two of them act as opioid agonists but kratom itself is neither an opiate nor an opioid. In a recent analysis from one of the world’s leading experts on addiction and abuse potential of substances, Dr. Henningfield, PhD called kratom a non- opioid. “My team and I reviewed the medical literature to determine the potential for abuse of kratom,” Henningfield said. “It’s a natural substance, a non-opioid that provides an alerting effect in low doses and a mild opiate-like effect in higher doses. Again, the best comparison is caffeine. Some people may come to depend on it for its effects, but it doesn’t pose a real danger of addiction or other severe adverse effects.”
Why Kratom?
In 2023 people are dealing with a myriad of health issues, specifically pain management and don’t have a lot of options outside of pharmaceutical drugs to treat their pain. Kratom closed that gap in the market by providing a natural alternative for pain management whilst minimising the harmful side effects that would normally come with pharmaceutical drugs. Kratom is not intended for recreational use nor to treat mental health conditions. Kratom should be used responsibly and by adults only. It is mostly used as an alternative to pharmaceutical pain management drugs such as opioids. In addition kratom has been very effective when used to help withdraw from opiates.
Dosing and Managing Tolerance
Measuring Dosages
A scale is highly recommended for accurate dosing. This cannot be stressed enough. If you do not have a scale, one level, unpacked, measuring TEA spoon is approximately 2.5 grams. Use an actual measuring spoon, not a random spoon from your silverware drawer.
Finding a Proper Dosage
- Kratom can have a slow onset, especially when you aren’t sure what to expect. Wait 30-45 minutes to. If you want, add 0.5-1.0 grams and then wait an additional 30-45 minutes to reassess and add another 0.5-1.0 grams if need be. If after two re-doses you are not happy with results, try again on a different day beginning with 3 grams and follow the same procedure until you find what works best for you.
Remember: Start small, go slow, and listen to your body! You can always add more, but you can’t go back and take less. Too much Kratom is not a good thing, and can result in unwanted side effects.
- If you get up to around 8 grams and you still don’t feel anything then it might not be the right strain for you, right now. Or you might have to adjust your expectations. Many people report that a strain that “didn’t work” the first time ended up have positive effects when revisited at a later time.
Dose Size
The recommended beginner dose is 1-2 grams. If you tend to be sensitive to things, start low. It’s a fine line between a pleasant experience and one that can make you feel nauseous. You do not want to cross it. Dose size does not seem to be affected by body size as much as other substances.
Less Is More
There is a saying in the Kratom community, Less Is More and sometimes, even less is even more-er. There is a ceiling effect so more does not necessarily intensify effects – you will reach a point of diminishing returns. Positive desired results will be better obtained from a minimal dose.
Onset and Duration
It can take 20, sometimes even up to 60, minutes to begin to feel the effects from kratom, especially when you are not sure what to expect. Effects last from between 3 to 6 hours depending on strain and varying by person.