# Kratom **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 21, 2016, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kratom/763475 "2016-08-21T02:55:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2016, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kratom/763475/41 "2016-09-01T13:58:02Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > I tried it once on recommendation of friends. > > We made tea. It was the worst thing I’ve ever tasted; we got a 30-minute Vicodin-like buzz then threw up our guts for three hours. > > Granted, I may have had the recipe wrong, but it makes me gag to even think about that day. If it tasted like grass clippings squeezed through a colostomy bag, you probably got it right. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2016, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kratom/763475/42 "2016-09-01T20:56:53Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > You have very strange substance reactions, since kratom is a relative of the coffee plant and in addition to the opioid effects, has some stimulant effects as well. Err… I’m gonna just quote from the wikipedia article here: > [@](#): > > Kratom behaves as a μ-opioid receptor agonist, similar to opiates like morphine, although its effects differ significantly from those of opiates.[5] Granted, Kratom isn’t morphine, and there’s a lot we don’t know about it. But to quote Tom Jones, it’s not unusual for a μ-opioid agonist to cause sedative effects, so I’m not sure where you’re getting that strong statement from. > [@](#): > > Drinking alcohol, however, which is something I know you are quite famous for doing, tends to make me instantly and massively tired. How strange bodies are. Rather than making a joke at my expense, you could have just asked if I mixed it with alcohol (I haven’t). Fair question, poor form. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2016, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kratom/763475/43 "2016-09-01T21:24:58Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > What’s the other drug I’m thinking of? It’s an orange fruit from west Africa and when people take it they have a trip and afterwards they don’t feel like being addicted anymore. > > Anyone remember? Ibogaine… already named, but 2 points of clarification:[ul] [li]The fruit does nothing… the alkaloids are in the inner root bark[/li][li]Treatment doesn’t necessarily involve “tripping”, and patients do occasionally relapse as they do with other treatments.[/li][/ul] Ibogaine only eliminates the desire to use opioids. That’s no small feat, but it doesn’t deal with the factors that caused someone to use them in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kratom/763475/44 "2016-09-02T05:01:38Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > Err… I’m gonna just quote from the wikipedia article here: > > Granted, Kratom isn’t morphine, and there’s a lot we don’t know about it. But to quote Tom Jones, it’s not unusual for a μ-opioid agonist to cause sedative effects, so I’m not sure where you’re getting that strong statement from. [Pharmacology of Kratom: An Emerging Botanical Agent With Stimulant, Analgesic and Opioid-Like Effects](http://jaoa.org/article.aspx?articleid=2094342) > [@](#): > > Kratom leaves produce complex stimulant and opioid-like analgesic effects. > > Low to moderate doses (1-5 g) of the leaves reportedly produce mild stimulant effects that enable workers to stave off fatigue. > > As noted previously, kratom produces an unusual combination of stimulant- and opioid-like effects. These effects are highly dependent on the dose of kratom and can vary markedly from one individual to another. Low to moderate doses (1-5 g of raw leaves) usually produce a mild stimulant effect that most individuals perceive as pleasant but not as intense as those of amphetamine-like drugs. It’s also been consistent with my experience. Though again, I only ever bought the “white” strains, which are supposed to be the most stimulating (if strains even matter at all, which is something I’ve never necessarily bought into such as with cannabis). > [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > Rather than making a joke at my expense, you could have just asked if I mixed it with alcohol (I haven’t). Fair question, poor form. Was not a joke at all (or a question) - I was just remarking that I found it interesting that you say kratom will put you to sleep (and I know you drink alcohol), but in my personal experience kratom helps me stay awake and fight fatigue whereas alcohol _does_ put me to sleep. So my own body’s reaction is apparently the complete opposite of yours. And that happens sometimes with substances. It’s just a weird little oddity and I was only reflecting upon that. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2016, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kratom/763475/45 "2016-09-02T18:36:25Z")
> [@Hill\_Billy](#): > > Has anyone here tried **Kratom**? I love it I don’t drink, smoke, or use drugs so this stuff is perfect for me. Don’t kid yourself, if you’re taking kratom you are using drugs. Sure, you’ll still pass a drug test but you can get addicted and it can be a nasty habit to kick. It’s not as bad as some drugs but don’t be fooled into thinking that because it is a botanical that it is harmless or somehow not a drug. > [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > Ibogaine… already named, but 2 points of clarification:[ul] > [li]The fruit does nothing… the alkaloids are in the inner root bark[/li][li]Treatment doesn’t necessarily involve “tripping”, and patients do occasionally relapse as they do with other treatments.[/li][/ul] > Ibogaine only eliminates the desire to use opioids. That’s no small feat, but it doesn’t deal with the factors that caused someone to use them in the first place. There are iboga message boards. I’m not going to post a link but they are easy enough to find,check them out sometime. Patients not only occasionally relapse but they do so with alarming frequency. People on one board frequently talk about the 4th time being the charm. There is a metabolite of iboga that attaches to some opiate receptors, it is stored in fat so it sticks around awhile which is why it can help initially but it’s not the miracle it’s been made out to be. And a lot of people that take it later report neurological problems, if the initial flood treatment doesn’t kill them first. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2016, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kratom/763475/46 "2016-09-07T01:39:27Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > There are iboga message boards. I’m not going to post a link but they are easy enough to find,check them out sometime. Patients not only occasionally relapse but they do so with alarming frequency. People on one board frequently talk about the 4th time being the charm. If someone has an established relationship with a reputable therapist, then one treatment should be sufficient. The trouble is there are vanishing few reputable mental health professionals who will work in conjunction with iboga therapy. So when you hear about people doing it 4 times, you’re hearing about self-treating addicts who have no external support. It isn’t more effective than other treatments… just much faster, when administered properly. > [@](#): > > There is a metabolite of iboga that attaches to some opiate receptors, it is stored in fat so it sticks around awhile which is why it can help initially but it’s not the miracle it’s been made out to be. > > And a lot of people that take it later report neurological problems, if the initial flood treatment doesn’t kill them first. This is basically uninformed gibberish. It’s true there are health risks, but these arise from disregarding pre-existing conditions, many of which addicts already suffer (heart and liver to name a couple). Unfortunately, due to its quasi-legal status, ibogaine is often administered by people motivated by self-interest at the expense of those seeking help. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2016, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kratom/763475/47 "2016-09-07T01:39:30Z")
[The DEA is going to list Kratom as a schedule one drug as of September 30.](http://kxan.com/2016/09/06/kratom-advocates-petition-to-keep-drug-on-shelves/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kratom/763475.md?page=2)