Self-Treatment of Opioid Withdrawal Using Kratom (Mitragynia speciosa korth)

Kratom was recently discussed in a peer reviewed journal. The paper is available here and is embedded below.

Self-Treatment of Opioid Withdrawal Using Kratom - Upload a Document to Scribd

Regarding Kratom

Kratom is the leaf of a tree from Southeast Asia. It is both a stimulant and an opiate, often consumed as a tea. As an opiate, it is about as strong as hydrocodone or vicodin. It is delicious when sweetened with ample sugar and it is good for your health just like green tea because 8 ounces of properly prepared kratom contains an ungodly amount of anti-oxidants [1]. The FDA classifies kratom as neither a food, drug, or herbal supplement which puts it in a weird legal no mans land. This is why most vendors sell it as an incense strictly "not for human consumption." One of the active alkaloids of kratom, 7-hydroxymitragynine, is an incredibly strong opiate, 17 times as strong as morphine by weight [2]. Kratom has been further tested as a drug on your average variety of small mammals. In this study on guinea pigs and mice, they didn't get the 17x stronger than morphine number but they did conclude that 7-hydroxy-mitragynine is a dose dependant antinociceptive that is stronger than morphine [3]. They do a follow up study demonstrating cross tolerance with morphine. [4]

Cheap 7-hydroxy-mitragyine could certainly be a public health problem on the order of heroin but it is unlikely to become available on the street in pure form and the plant form is not a dangerous narcotic because it is impossible to ingest it in large volumes. Erowid [5] is the authoritative list of studies [6] on the subject of kratom. You can read more than 50 personal experiences with kratom, mostly with regards to it as a recreational drug though some individuals there use it as a substitute for traditional opiates or to potentiate other drugs. Most of the negative experiences can be attributed to people incorrectly consuming kratom [7]. Kratom is properly consumed as a tea with lots of sugar or other sweetener and the extra kratom powder filtered out with a french press.

Kratom is completely legal everywhere except some of its native Southeast Asia: Thailand, Burma, and Malaysia, and Australia [8].

[1] See the alkaloids of Cats Claw and kratom

[2] Indole Alkaloids of a Thai Medicinal Herb, Mitragyna speciosa, that has Opioid Agonistic Effect in Guinea-Pig Ileum

[3] Antinociceptive effect of 7-hydroxymitragynine in mice: Discovery of an orally active opioid analgesic from the Thai medicinal herb Mitragyna speciosa

[4] Antinociception, tolerance and withdrawal symptoms induced by 7-hydroxymitragynine, an alkaloid from the Thai medicinal herb Mitragyna speciosa

[5] Erowid Kratom Vault

[6] Kratom References

[7] Kratom Experiences

[8] DEA: Drugs and chemicals of concern (Kratom)

What is Kratom?

Kratom is a strong medicinal herb. It is the leaf of the Kratom tree, which is indigenous to Thailand. Unfortunately, Kratom is illegal in its native land but it is completely legal in the United States.

In small doses, it is stimulating like caffeine, though with none of the negative side effects such as tension and headache. In high doses, Kratom crosses over into the brain to the mu-opiate receptors and functions as a potent painkiller and narcotic. It is comparable in strength to hydrocodone, the active ingredient in vicodin.

Kratom is commonly used to help individuals that suffer from chronic pain. Many prefer a natural solution over pharmaceuticals and for those without prescription drug coverage Kratom can be much more affordable.

Kratom also is a blessing for those dealing with opiate withdrawal. Kratom is of great help to individuals trying to taper off opiate usage.

If Kratom sounds like something that might work for you, Get Kratom is a high quality vendor selling premium powdered Kratom at a great price.

Even though Kratom is completely legal, it is not a registered supplement with the FDA. Because of this, sites like Get Kratom sell Kratom as an incense not intended for human consumption. Fortunately, individuals in the USA have the right to make their own choices about what they put in their body.

How do I consume Kratom?

Kratom is generally consumed as a tea, though it can also be smoked or eaten alone. To prepare kratom tea, boil water in a saucepot. Once the water is at a roaring boil, turn it down to low heat and stir the kratom in. Then, turn the heat off and add a lot of sugar or other sweetener. Stir a little and let it sit for about 10 minutes to let the kratom settle to the bottom. Then, pour your kratom into a pitcher, taking care to leave the powder at the bottom of the pot. Then, you can add more water and boil again up to two more times.

Kratom can also be prepared in a french press, which will filter out all the extra powder.

For someone inexperienced with kratom, I would recommend about 1 tablespoon of kratom, or 5.75 grams. This is a good dose for gauging how kratom works for you. Up to 14 grams is a common dose, but this may cause some nausea for some individuals. Some people have been known to take up to one ounce of kratom at a time but this is not recommended for the uninitiated.

Legality

Kratom is currently legal in all 50 States. It is illegal in Thailand, Myanmar, and Australia. Will Kratom ever become illegal in the USA?

It is all about the political climate. If there is no anti-Kratom hysteria, it will never happen. I just don't understand where the hysteria would come from. The DEA knows about Kratom but there is no push because there is no problem. I would hope that our elected leaders realize that there never will be a problem.

Kratom

Have you heard about Kratom?

It's a fine incense. Some believe it to be the finest incense ever created. You can read more about Kratom at the Kratom Wikipedia entry.

If you are interested in purchasing Kratom, you can buy it from Get Kratom. GetKratom.com features the cheapest price for Kratom on the internet.