Actually, I have never had any issues with constipation although it’s possible that others experience it. I can’t really answer your question about using it as a substitution for heroin due to my limited experience with opiates although I’ve heard of people using it for that purpose. I’m kind of curious about your last question though as I have, in fact, had at least three or four cavities in the past few years, which is more than usual for me. Is this common among opiate users? If anything, I’d say it is probably because kratom seems to increase my cravings for sugar for some reason as I never used to care much for sweets before. But I do take very good care of my teeth otherwise and I try to use sugar substitutes now.
Also, I would like to credit kratom with helping me quit smoking. I smoked nearly two packs of cigarettes per day for over 10 years until I quit abruptly almost three years ago and haven’t had any cravings since.
Tooth decay is pretty common among opiate users. Partially because of the sugar cravings, but also because they tend to cause dry mouth, which creates a better environment for the bacteria in your mouth. I have also read in one of my textbooks that opiates also leach calcium from your bones and teeth, making one more predisposed over time to not only dental problems (tooth decay, easier chipping, etch) but also an increased likelihood of broken bones, spinal problems and other such things.
If I get it, I’m getting the whole leaves, not the powdered form or extract. But after reading some of the Erowid experiences, I’m having doubts about whether to try it or not because many people apparently report stomach trouble as one of the side effects and I don’t want to deal with that. I may just try a very small amount.
I can tell you it’s pretty much thought of as sort of a poor man’s marijuana over here, except you don’t smoke it. (At least, I don’t think you do.) I think it’s official classification is something like “low-level narcotic” by the local drug agency. Not sure of the exact wording, but it’s something like that.
Part of my paycheck comes from this wonderful herb.
I am a manager at a medicinal herbs and tea shop in the mid-west. About four years ago people started to come into my store asking about kratom.
So we did some research and started to sell it.
We were a little apprehensive about it. We sell over 450 herbs historically used for medicine. We had read a lot of different things about Kratom. Positive and Negative. Kratom being lumped into legal highs, such as salvia, san pedro, and mimosa (DMT containing root bark), we had our concerns. It was a big departure from echinacea , goldenseal, ginseng, raspberry leaf, and pau d’arco.
After researching it more, we found that it’s related to the coffee plant, it is high in EGCG (the same antioxidant that is praised in Green Tea). It is an immune booster. It is a good plant medicine for diarrhea. It contains a chemical very related to Yohimbine, a chemical used for Erectile Dysfunction.
We slowly noticed a pattern. The people purchasing the Kratom from us were not teenage kids (Although, We do not sell to those under 18, we don’t have many asking) They are adults, who have had a previous addiction to serious opiates. I have met a heroin addict , a liquid morphine addict, an oxycontin addict and a serious hydrocodone addict. All have kicked the heavier stuff, using Kratom. Apparently, the withdrawal from Kratom is nil compared to heavier opiates.
In small doses, it acts a stimulant. In larger doses, a weird combo of stimulant and opioid. Heavy doses, or double dosing will cause a nasty hangover. A kin to feeling like you are stuck on a small craft in a choppy ocean after drinking a lot of whiskey. Hungover and sea sick is not a good feeling. How ever, sticking to a 3-7 gram dose of most strains I have tried is not a bad feeling.
How is this different from changing addictions…or is it? Someone upthread described it as “highly addictive”. Is the difference merely that this is legal and other opiates may or may not be (depending on whether they are prescribed for legitimate reasons)?
Since this thread I have tried it twice, searching for an answer to my chronic fatigue.
It *seems *to give me more energy… I am not sure though if I am able to concentrate any better. Energy without the concentration won’t be enough. But I will try it again.
It tastes nasty and I have to find a better way to ingest it. I am thinking about putting it into gelatin capsules.
I found it enjoyable at low doses (≤ 1 gram). Higher doses (≥ 3 grams) made me feel dopey, lethargic, anxious, and constipated. The 1 gram dose was quite pleasant, though—nice energized clearheaded feeling.
I don’t think the standard 5 panel will detect this. I imagine there are methods to detect it, but they would be expensive. At any rate it’s not illegal, even in the hick state I live in.
It may be from Thailand, but it’s certainly not legal there—neither now nor when this thread was first posted. In fact, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, it has been illegal to cultivate the herb there since 1943. I’m not sure where the OP is from, but many jurisdictions have similar prohibitions on cultivation, sale, and/or possession.
Thanks for that. Is that happening by you Siam? I found the article amusing for two reasons.
The whole “hey, I thought that was just a pretty indigenous tree in my yard, but now you say I can get high off it too?” angle.
There is some concern that people will turn the krathom into 4x100, but the buried lead is that 4x100 also has cough syrup in it. So which is contributing the offending active ingredient? Also, the mild description of the withdrawal effects was amusing.
I’m wondering if the article was tongue in cheek. Or if the situation is more like a bunch of people not really caring but wondering if they are supposed to care.