Kratom?

[leela]

Can't "like" your last post, @AaroninOregon
But thanks for letting us know.
Right on the heels of proclaiming there's "no evidence" of medical use for cannabis.
Please consider joining us in the 21st Century, DEA.

 

[panckage]

Its sad news @AaroninOregon kratom is by far the best thing I have found to treat cfs/me. It makes me 80-90% normal

 

[Tunguska]

It was a matter of time. Too bad, I can attest it was great for pain relief. I went through all the strains, it worked, but had to quit from severe nausea. And developed a knee jerk aversion to the taste of the powder, one day randomly I started gagging as soon as it hit my throat and it never stopped (drastic tastebud change overnight, never happened with anything else in my life). Also wondered about metals and contamination (but it's never alone in that concern).

 

[leela]

Welp, now we know why:
http://arstechnica.com/science/2016...ithout-being-addictive-or-deadly-in-primates/

 

[panckage]

The Journal of American Osteopathic Association published an article about kratom yesterday
Here are a couple quotes:

"Based on all of the evidence, it is clear that kratom and its mitragynine constituents are not opioids and that they should not be classified as such."

"After evaluating the literature, I can reach no other conclusion than, in pure herbal form, when taken at moderate doses of less than 10 to 15 g, pure leaf kratom appears to be relatively benign in the vast majority of users."

http://jaoa.org/article.aspx?articleid=2588524

 

[maddietod]

I've just started researching kratom, and would love to hear about what works for those of you taking it. I don't have any pain syndromes. I do have multiple-waking insomnia not associated with anxiety or stress, and very low daytime energy/motivation that keeps me mostly homebound.

I've sent for sample packs of greens and reds to play with. I'm avoiding whites until I can get enough sleep to support increased activity.

Anybody got ideas for me?

 

[belize44]

Well, after being refused medications for my severe pain, I decided to give Kratom a try. I started out with the Red Vein variety and found that I can feel the effects on very little but this doesn't surprise me because I am that way on most things. I took less then one half of one gram at first and didn't feel much of anything, so I gradually increased to 1 gram of the red vein and found that it relieved pain about 50%, as well as improved my mood. And the effects, for me, can last over one day! Next I tried the White Vein Kratom and it gave a stronger feeling of euphoria and fantastic pain relief. I either take it on an empty stomach after my GERD medication, or three hours after a meal.

The effects are self limiting, though. If I take it twice a day, and the dose is over a gram, I start to feel nauseous. I like this because it can not be abused! It is controlling my pain admirably and other unexpected benefits are better regulated blood pressure (dysautonomia), not having cold hands and feet, and better sleep. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will continue to work!

 

[panckage]

Glad you find it's helping @belize44. I'm coming up on 2 years of usage and have no negatives to report. I use it an average of 4 days a week and have never had issues with tolerance or withdrawal. It is still the most helpful treatment for ME I have found. It helps to smooth everything out.

I find phenibut (GABA activity) goes along well with it too but there are tolerance issues so I just take a 1g once every 3 days. I take it at 10:30am in the morning. It helps me during the day and gives me amazing sleep that night and an afterglow the next day until 10am or so

 

[belize44]

I hadn't heard of phenibut so I looked it up. I don't think it is something I require right now, but it is nice to know it is out there in case I do somewhere down the line.

 

[bjl218]

Are most folks just mixing the powdered Kratom in water/juice and drinking it or are you making up pills?

 

[helen1]

Just a warning about that. I had terrible stomach aches with the kratom powder mixed with water. Apparently not uncommon.

Are most folks just mixing the powdered Kratom in water/juice and drinking it or are you making up pills?

The solution is to make a tea of the powder and strain it twice (I used a paper coffee filter). No stomach ache. You need to boil /simmer the tea for 20-30 mins.

 

[Basilico]

My husband has been using Kratom off and on for more about 8 years. In the beginning it helped with sleep (though now it doesn't). After he got CFS, it seemed to stop working for a long time. Lately, it seems like it's been working enough that he's motivated to continue using it. Just recently he noticed that Kratom makes him feel much better when he's in a crash, which is a new benefit that didn't used to happen. Not sure if this will be a lasting benefit, but it definitely makes him feel better. Also provides him with a noticeable mood lift.

He has experimented with taking it a variety of ways. Right now, he's taking 2 grams of the powdered leaf+stem mixed with 2/3 of a glass of boiling water. He lets it sit for at least 20 minutes and then drinks the liquid (discards the sludgy leaf material which settles at the bottom of the glass, mostly.)



I am cutting and pasting a part of his post about Kratom from another thread:

The Kratom Forum is a wonderful place to learn about Kratom, and it also has an area with approved vendors from whom you are guaranteed to get high quality stuff at honest prices.

http://thekratomforum.com

BTW the DEA tried to ban Kratom a few months back and there was an uproar (a lot of people taking Kratom have chronic pain or are recovering addicts for whom Kratom saved their lives). Now the situation is unclear and we are waiting for a ruling. I'm saying this because if you ever hear about Kratom in the news in case an agency tries to ban it again, please consider contributing (with petitions or letters to reps) to fight whatever nonsense the agencies will come up with. There are a lot of people who, like us CFSers, suffered a lot and had no help from the medical community, and found a solution in Kratom. They deserve to not have that taken away from them!

 

[belize44]

Are most folks just mixing the powdered Kratom in water/juice and drinking it or are you making up pills?

I make pills out of mine; I bought a gram scale (very cheap on Amazon) to make sure I had a consistent amount in each capsule. I usually cap them but I also have mixed it with a little grapefruit juice and shaken it well. The grapefruit juice acts in a way that will make the Kratom will last longer.

 

[belize44]

Just thought I would share this YouTube. This problem is what made me try Kratom:

 

[valentinelynx]

I highly recommend SoCal Herbal Remedies for high quality product, really good pricing, and fast shipping. I'm not in any way associated with them, just happy with their service. The secret to the site is enter "speciosa" in the search box.

 

[leela]

Are most folks just mixing the powdered Kratom in water/juice and drinking it or are you making up pills?

I literally hold my breath (to avoid it going up my nose) and place 1/2 tsp powder in my mouth and wash it down with water.
It's very bitter, but I've gotten used to it now.

I always take it with food, which for me quashes the potential for upset stomach or nausea.

I regularly forget about it, which is silly, because it helps so much. I find @panckage 's comment about "smoothing everything out" to be a perfect description. Pain so much less, usually a gentle sparkle to my mood, and a noticeable uptick in motivation/accomplishment of tasks but with
a relaxed effortlessness.

 

[belize44]

I am not sure if I can blame Kratom or not, but lately after taking it my blood pressure spikes and I feel ill. I never go over 2 grams of it, either the powder mixed in water or juice, or capsules but I am feeling frustrated now because it I don't seem to respond to it the same way anymore. Perhaps I will try a different strain - I have been using the red vein Bali and the white vein kinds.

 

[leela]

@belize44 , are you taking it every day? I have found it does not agree w/ me on a daily basis unless I am taking 1/8 tsp or less.
I use the tiny doses for seasonal allergy management, but even then I must take breaks.

 

[belize44]

@belize44 , are you taking it every day? I have found it does not agree w/ me on a daily basis unless I am taking 1/8 tsp or less.
I use the tiny doses for seasonal allergy management, but even then I must take breaks.

This started to happen after I had taken it for two or three days in a row because of a bad pain flare up. I think you may have hit on the reason this is happening! I will have to remember not to take it more than once every few days.

 

[Basilico]

I am not sure if I can blame Kratom or not, but lately after taking it my blood pressure spikes and I feel ill.

The last time my husband took it with grapefruit juice, he felt kind of crappy, so he doesn't combine them anymore. Have you tried taking it with just water?

He also takes it on an empty stomach (5-6 hours after eating) and then eats 1 hour after taking it. If he takes it with food, it doesn't work at all.