It seems there is a lot of contradictory information coming out of the kratom community when it comes to withdrawals. Some people report crippling withdrawals from kratom use, while others report that they were able to get off of kratom without any withdrawals whatsoever.
In this post, we will break down why some users are having differing experiences, and why much of the information you read about kratom withdrawals can be totally misleading.
The first important thing to understand, is that kratom can be used as a scapegoat by opiate addicts. Many transition to kratom from years of opioid use, and then when they get off of kratom, they attribute all of their withdrawal symptoms to kratom. If they avoided opioid withdrawals by switching to kratom, then they are experiencing both opioid and kratom withdrawals when they come off of kratom, with opioids likely causing the more severe symptoms. Rehab facilities are full of people who come in and blame this new, mysterious product known as kratom, while concealing the fact that they were addicted to opiates beforehand. It is also common for people to tell their families and loved ones that they got addicted to kratom, while hiding their opioid use. When we hear stories of people checking into rehab facilities for kratom, we tend to think there is an underlying addiction being hidden.
Another factor to consider is the type of kratom product that users are coming off of. If you are taking liquid shots and extract, you are going to find the withdrawal symptoms more severe. Especially considering the extract industry can be tainted with synthetic products. This is why we feel that it is in every users best interests to use pure leaf powder.
With that said, that is not to say that kratom withdrawals only occur in those with a prior history of opiate use or those who use extract. If you use kratom powder daily, you might feel a runny nose coming on after just 12-18 hours of not using kratom. This is just the nature of the product, but it doesn’t mean that you are in for hellish withdrawals. In fact, for those who don’t have a history of opiate use, and solely use kratom powder, avoiding withdrawals and getting off of kratom can be quite easy.
I was able to get off of kratom after 7 years of daily use and did not experience any withdrawals. How? By tapering.
I was someone who had no prior history of opiate use and solely used kratom powder. In the final days, I switched from powder to capsules. I feel this allowed me to make a behavioral change, but still was getting my “fix”. When it was time to come off kratom completely, I did not experience any withdrawals and found it to be rather easy to get off.
You might have read a horror story online about how crippling kratom withdrawals are. In most cases, these people are concealing a prior history of opiate use. This explains why there are so many contradictory stories in regards to kratom withdrawals, and why some people claim to have gotten off a daily habit without any withdrawal symptoms.
