At the end of my last post, “Why NSAIDs Suck for Floxies (and Probably Everyone Else Too),” I mentioned some alternatives to NSAIDs that can be used as painkillers. I forgot one that a Floxie friend specifically asked me to mention, so it’s getting its own post.
The painkiller is called Kratom. It is reported to have helped several Floxies with pain management. I have not personally tried it, nor have I done extensive research on it. I highly recommend that you research it yourself before trying it. I’m not a doctor and this isn’t a medical recommendation. Kratom is a supplement/herbal drug and it should be considered as carefully as any other supplement/herb/drug. Like all treatments for Floxies, what works well for one person, may not work well for another.
Now that I have put that disclaimer out there, I’ll mention some things that I read about it on the internet:
“Kratom is a tree native to Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar [Burma], and elsewhere). Its botanical name is Mitragyna speciosa. Kratom is in the same family as the coffee tree (Rubiaceae). The leaves of kratom have been used as an herbal drug from time immemorial by peoples of Southeast Asia. It is used in folk medicine as a stimulant (at low doses), sedative (at high doses), recreational drug, pain killer, medicine for diarrhea, and treatment for opiate addiction.” http://www.sagewisdom.org/kratomguide.html
“Several Kratom supporters who commented and wrote to me said that the substance had helped them kick addictions to opiates–in some cases after many years of taking the drugs for tremendous pain. Others said it helped them get off anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications. Some said that taking Kratom provides steady energy without increased anxiety. In general, supporters credited Kratom with remarkable benefits without side-effects.” http://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2013/02/15/the-kratom-experiment-begins/
“The herb Kratom — Mitragyna speciosa — has become surprisingly popular for a growing number of Americans with various conditions that the pharmaceutical industry has poorly served and often ignored. Fibromyalgia, depression, diabetes, PTSD, anxiety, and chronic pain due to arthritis and injuries are some of the conditions where patients are turning to kratom out of frustration with pharmaceutical drug side-effects and lack of benefit.” http://paulkemp.hubpages.com/hub/Kratom-Why-Big-Pharma-Hates-It-People-Love-It
“So far, there have been only a handful of scientific studies on kratom’s effects on mammals. What is known is that there are more than 25 naturally occurring alkaloids in kratom leaves, and the two believed to be most active on opium receptors in the human brain are mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. A study by Doctor K.L.R. Jansen and Professor C.J. Prast, published in 1988 in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, reports that kratom showed opiate-like effects (such as analgesia and cough suppression) in animals. These effects were confirmed by recent research at the Universiti Sains Malaysia and the December 2010 report published by the DEA.” http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2011-08-04/news/kratom-some-say-the-latest-legal-drug-is-a-harmless-herbal-tonic-the-dea-says-it-s-far-more-sinister/
I would think (this isn’t a very educated guess – as I said, I haven’t looked into it much) that anything that affects opiod receptors could be addictive. That is something to consider.
Kratom is legal in 49 of the 50 states. The one state that it is illegal in is Indiana.
My basic impression is that Kratom is a painkiller that has fewer adverse effects than most of the painkillers (both legal and illegal) that are on the market. It is reported to have helped some Floxies. Very little research has been done on it so exactly how safe it is, is to be determined. And, if you want to try it, you should try it now before the DEA gets too uptight about it. Again, I’m not recommending it based off of any personal experience and you should always be careful and do your own research. It is something that those suffering from chronic pain may benefit from though.
POST SCRIPT NOTE –
I had originally had the following on this post –
“Kratom can get you high. The fact that it can get you high leads me to a couple of thoughts. First, it’s being looked into as a controlled substance by the DEA. There is too little research on it for them to be saying that they want to crack down on it because it’s dangerous. But the DEA does have a history of cracking down on fairly safe drugs just because they get you high (marijuana being the main example). As long as a drug doesn’t get you high, it can be horribly dangerous and still be encouraged by the government agencies. The second it gets someone high though, panties get in a wad. Blame our Puritan ancestors for that.
Second, the fact that Kratom can get you high may have some product safety and quality control implications. If the kids are getting high off it, there is going to be a market for it. If there is a market, there is going to be money and people may want to be shady with it (by “shady” I mean that they may lace it or otherwise tamper with it in order to gain more profits or customers). So, please, be careful with your source and make sure that quality control measures are in place if you decide to try it.”
I HAVE BEEN CORRECTED, KRATOM DOES NOT GET YOU HIGH.
If it did get you high, I don’t, personally, think that’s a bad thing, but, it does NOT GET YOU HIGH.
Please see Linda’s comment below.
Also, in conversing about painkillers on facebook, both Noni juice and corydalis were mentioned as painkillers that have worked for Floxies.
Thanks Lisa for posting about Kratom…I have found great pain relief from taking Kratom….I think it is misleading to say it gets you high as it does not…it is nothing like cannabis…I find it very relaxing but also with avery clear mind and no druggy feeling like pain meds can give you…There has been a lot of demonizing about it by the media ….which is very unfortunate as this natural herb is so helpful and beneficial for chronic pain….along with helping many with anxiety and depression….
It does get you high! Also beware the withdrawal from it is terrible.. just like with opiates
I take kratom for pain and it’s never gotten me high at all and I’ve never had withdrawals from it. It’s a mild plant leaf with great pain relieving properties and it will help you get out of a bad mood but high? Nope, doesn’t happen. Narcotics have killed many people and here we have a much safer alternative that you cannot overdose on and we get some goofball who wants to smear kratom and why? I don’t know their motives but kratom can help so many people that we need to pull together, get the word out, start a movement that will change so many lives in a positive way. We can stop so many people from hurting but we need to stick with real facts and not play games with something this serious and life changing.
Anything can be addictive, including Kratom. Although I think for something like Kratom it is on the level of a pot addiction.
It gets you high those, lets get real. (coming from a user of 5 years +) Why else would it be such a recreational product?
There is a definite head change/effect when using kratom. The effects can very well be considered a high depending on who you’re talking to and how prude they are. The high/effect differs depending on the type of kratom being used and for what purpose.
No matter what you call it, the effects that are experienced when using kratom are not to be denied. Kratom can and does get you high but the effects are more subtle than opiates, marijuana or even caffeine. Some strains let you down gently while others can leave you feeling anxious or irritable after the effects wear off.
Yes, I am a seasoned user of kratom. Yes, I am a floxie.
Kratom is illegal in THREE states and parts of Florida, last I checked.
There is nothing wrong with getting high, but I understand that just as we experienced backlash with the medicinal marijuana movement, not wanting to appear as addicts trying to get a fix, we can and do experience backlash from naysayers and general ignoramases concerning kratom and in an attempt to avoid this some kratom users will jump down your throat proclaiming that there is no head change. They are being dishonest which helps nobody.
We want to refrain from encouraging anyone from using kratom for the sole intent of recreation since we do not want to experience it’s prohibition. Anyone attempting to use it for that purpose is, frankly, going to be disappointed. But the fact is that this medicine does cause a head change or we wouldn’t use it. Plain and simple.
Just ordered some White Vein Borneo- can’t wait to try it. 🙂
I forgot to clarify that as far as dependency/addiction goes, you cannot overdose on kratom. Your body will reject it before that happens.
The effects of kratom decrease with consistent use. It is not advised to use kratom daily. It can be habit forming, but to have a full blown addiction to kratom would likely be impossible as tolerance builds very quickly and as I mentioned in my first paragraph, to ingest large doses of kratom to achieve an effect would result in rejection.