Posted by Opioid use disorder affects both people who started using opioids recreationally as well as people who became dependent through using it for chronic pain. Typically, opioid addiction involves substituting it with another opioid, such as suboxone, methadone, naloxone, naltrexone, or bupremorphine. It usually requires visiting a rehab clinic or at least a doctor and may be unaffordable or inaccessible for some people. Also, the substitute opioid is often just as addictive as the original the patient desires treatment for, making the recovery process longer and more challenging than it has to be.
For such reasons, people dealing with opioid withdrawal turn to alternatives. Kratom is an alternative that is considered an opioid, but nowhere near as powerful as another alkaloid from the plant, 7-hydroxymitragynine. Mitragynine is the main alkaloid in kratom that accounts for the majority of its effects. It is also useful for pain, fatigue, depression, and anxiety. Kratom is in the coffee family and is also considered an opioid.
There is not much information on kratom being used for opioid withdrawal. That’s why we’ve taken it upon ourselves to do the research. Here, you’ll find out if and how kratom can be used to withdraw from opioids and opioid addiction, what it’s like, and pros and cons of kratom versus traditional opioid substitutes for withdrawal.
How Opioid Use Disorder Works, Chemically
Opioid use disorder or addiction is the end result after tolerance and dependence, and comes after chronic opioid use. Users in the long term find it difficult to experience pleasure naturally – including food not tasting as good like it used to – and also experience cognitive decline. Hence, their body “needs” the opioids to get the serotonin rush, whether the opioid inhibits the reuptake of serotonin to increase it or causes its release. People experience this as an antidepressant, euphoric effect.
The reward system becomes affected where the user must take more opioids to achieve the same effects. Because of this long-term altering of brain chemistry, opioid users go through severe withdrawal symptoms. They also find it very challenging to adjust back to normal life and being able to experience pleasure in a natural way. Not only does it become necessary to withdraw, but to ease oneself into non-opioid use altogether.
Kratom for Opioid Withdrawal
People who self-treat for chronic pain with kratom tend to also use it for opioid withdrawal, because doctors often prescribe opioids for pain management. Sweating, vomiting, fever, agitation, anxiety, and a flu-like feeling are all common symptoms of opioid withdrawal. Although one might think it is always cravings that lead to relapse, it is actually sleep problems that is a major cause.
Enter kratom as an aid to ease those horrible physical symptoms and be able to function in daily life. One way of using it for opioid withdrawal is by drinking small amounts. The form? Traditionally, kratom is taken as a tea by way of brewing the whole or crushed leaves. This method of low dosages and in tea form accomplishes different things:
- Low dosages minimize tolerance, dependence, and addiction. They are stimulating and energizing for emotional well-being, mental clarity, and a physical lift
- Tea form gives immediate effects, yet they last only for a few hours. Spreading out smaller doses throughout the day is better than one large dose, which can not only cause drowsiness and mental fog, but also encourage greater tolerance – something that is especially risky for someone going through opioid withdrawal.
- This method decreases the cumulative effects of kratom in the body by allowing the kratom to process in small amounts, with tea being an example of a mindfulness ritual.
There are other ways of taking kratom, too. Powders, capsules, and shots give you flexibility and convenience when you can’t or don’t want to brew tea leaves.
Kratom and 7-OH: Caveats
Kratom should not be combined with other opioids, nor with psychiatric medications, especially SSRIs. Kratom should also not be combined with other intoxicating or psychoactive substances, such as alcohol or marijuana.
7-OH is far more potent than kratom because it is a concentrated extract of the 7-hydroxymitragynine alkaloid. It is also several times more addictive than morphine. For this reason, kratom is far preferable, although users can experience tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal symptoms with kratom itself.
Real Botanicals Kratom for Pain and More
Although many options for opioid withdrawal treatment exist, they typically have the same end result: Substituting a prescription opioid for another opioid. Kratom is far easier to access than prescribed drugs for managing withdrawal symptoms. It is a common remedy for opioid withdrawal elsewhere outside the United States and by people who self-treat for chronic pain.
If you are dealing with symptoms of pain, sleeplessness, or even opioid withdrawal, kratom can help. It is an herbal substance that eases pain and stress so you can focus or relax. With Real Botanicals kratom, you can rest assured that you’re getting only the highest-quality, cleanest, consistent kratom with only a few clicks. Don’t sleep on their precisely-dosed, small-batch lab-tested kratom capsules and shots.
You might be interested in reading “Kratom’s Opioid-Like Effects.“
You might be interested in learning about Real Botanical’s Kratom Alternatives.
Here is a review of the best Kratom Alternatives.