How to avoid kratom withdrawl ??!

[Aga85]

Hi guys , ive been using kratom dose 4g twice a day for past 4months. It helped me to come off codeine and it works with anxiety. But ive noticed I dont get usual buzz from it anymore and it irritates my gastritis so I want to quit kratom. What can I do to make it easier, how to do it? Thank you for your replies?

 

[LopLover]

Hi Aga85, I have some experience with kratom. Four months isn't that long, so you should be able to taper off it without too many problems. What I do when I'm tapering off any opioid (or anything that acts like one, like kratom) is I experiment a little to see what's the biggest drop I can stand without more withdrawals than I can live with. With kratom if I remember right it was about half. So I dropped the dose in half and then stayed on that for a few days--maybe a week, then did it again. I did that over and over until my dose was low enough I could jump completely off. Got off with few withdrawals.

Since kratom is short-acting, even a cold-turkey taper is only going to last 2 or 3 days. I haven't kicked kratom cold-turkey, but have with plenty of other short-acting opiates. Plan on being sick for about three days--it won't be the horrible withdrawal you get from heroin or Oxycontin, but it will be unpleasant. Stay hydrated! Drink water or herbal tea or Gatorade to keep your electrolytes up. Take Immodium or Lomotil to control diarrhea, clonidine (blood pressure med) to help general symptoms, and if you can sleep, it will be over before you know it, so if you can get a benzoe like xanax or klonipin, or a sleeper like Ambien, you'll be right as rain.

Hope that info helps. I'm sure you'll get info from other posters that probably have more experience than me. Best of luck to you!

Thanks to whoever found this thread a new home where it belonged. I don't know how to do that, and don't expect the mods would want me to anyway...

 

[Aga85]

Hi thank you for your reply. It actually helped me calm down and im not so nervous about it anymore. Im gonna tapper it, and see how it goes. Starting today ??????wish me luck. Ive done it with xanax i will do it with kratom??

 

[simco]

LopLover's advice is spot on.

I'd add to that a couple things. One fortunate thing about your situation is that your kratom use has been relatively short-lived, and your dose isn't too high. This in no way means you aren't facing a challenge. But it does mean that the physical symptoms of WD are likely to be shorter and less intense than they would be if you'd been using it for years and/or at higher doses.

If you find that tapering is difficult, one option is to buy a batch of kratom stem/vein (as opposed to powdered leaf). Due to the lower alkyloid content of stem/vein, many people find it easier to use for tapering than powdered leaf.

From my own experience with kratom (full disclosure--I still use it but only a couple times a week now) one thing I'd advise is to think a bit about the psychological aspect of leaving it behind. I found that the physical symptoms when I was quitting were fairly minor. But the psychological part of the game was much harder for me to deal with. I had the best luck by engaging in other kinds of busy-ness and habits during the times of day that I associated with kratom use.

Keep us posted on how it goes!

 

[Aga85]

Thank you guys im starting from today. Cutting down 2g. What kind of psychological withdrawl should I expect ? Heard that main problem might be depression. Will it pass eventually ?

 

[cj]

Depression and anxiety are usually the main withdrawal symptoms.

 

[Aga85]

Will it eventually pass ?

 

[simco]

Will it eventually pass ?

Yes. As in any withdrawal, some symptoms will abate more quickly than others. And of course many of us have depressive/anxious feelings regardless of our drug use...it can sometimes be startling to re-encounter those once we're sober.

 

[Aga85]

It just makes me wonder if kratom is responsible for my anxiety and depression. At first I thought it was helping me with anxiety, but now I think it was the cause of it in first place. Never suffered with anxiety, then started using kratom and got anxiety. Then had a break from kratom, was fine. Started drinking kratom and again anxiety cripping and slight depression. Maybe been using it for too long and too often. Tapered down 3g today added some supplements 5htp, maca, vitamins b,d,e,a and c. Fingers crossed.xx

 

[simco]

It's totally plausible to me that kratom could be contributing to your anxiety. Kratom's stimulant properties can veer into edginess pretty easily, in my experience. Of course, the whole prospect of tapering/quitting always makes me anxious on its own, too.

 

[psy997]

Green vein kratom when dosed either slightly too high, or taken when I'd rather not even have the thought of "I'm high, and don't want who I'm with to know", easily turns into over-stimulation and edginess for me.

 

[Mafioso]

In the past I've tapered down like LopLover mentioned. Try to go as long as possible between doses and only take enough to negate the withdrawal rather than get high. You should feel normal or leveled out when taking a dose to taper, if you feel high you are taking too much.

It's highly likely that kratom is adding to you anxiety and depression, especially the withdrawals. There is likely an underlying factor, but because of the way opioids affect the body's chemistry, the levels of chemicals that help regulate mood are fluctuating up and down. Most people start out taking a drug to feel good, then as tolerance builds and the brain adjust to increased levels, we wind up taking a drug to feel normal.

I remember being about 1-2 weeks off of opiates, starting to make it past some of the nastier withdrawal symptoms, and feeling a surge of happiness for the first time in a long time without drugs. I remember thinking "it's possible to be happy without drugs", which was a bit of a novel idea at the time. The feeling was initially fleeting, but over time your emotions start to level out. I find my emotions much easier to manage than when I was using heavily.

 

[Aga85]

Thank you Mafioso. Ive started using kratom for stress, when I look back at everything I start to think that kratom caused me anxiety and intrusive thoughts. Had to ho on AD but felt on them even worse, but had a few month break from kratom. Then as I started feeling better I started drinking kratom again and it seems like my anxiety is coming back and I cant control it. At first it was helping me but now I think it caused my anxiety in first place. Now I just drink it to avoid withdrawl , i dont even get usual buzz from it. My hubby is the same. It lost its magic lol

 

[LopLover]

Aga, glad to hear that your taper is going well. Have you ever had problems with depression before? You say that the kratom may have precipitated the anxiety, which makes perfect sense to me--it makes me a bit edgy as well--but what about depression? Often we self-medicate existing problems and then when we get clean, it turns out there's been something that was already there that we were suppressing. Of course, with PAWS (post-acute withdrawal syndrome) that can last up to a year, or at least some months, it's hard to tell right away. With your short length of using time, and relatively low dose, PAWS shouldn't last longer than a few months, and then if you still have symptoms it may be something you should address. Another thing that will help you get off kratom and help depression, if you do have it, is exercise. It doesn't have to be running marathons or anything, just mild exercise, walking or yoga or a class. Exercise is the ONLY way of making your body manufacture its' own endorphins, the opiate-like substances that make you feel good when you do something good for you. I know when I'm in withdrawal I HATE to even move--sometimes it hurts just to move--but it makes me feel better for having done it. It's also a good way to occupy time, and for many who use, filling that time up with something positive is really hard. Especially if, like me, you happen to be an insomniac...

 

[Aga85]

Aga, glad to hear that your taper is going well. Have you ever had problems with depression before? You say that the kratom may have precipitated the anxiety, which makes perfect sense to me--it makes me a bit edgy as well--but what about depression? Often we self-medicate existing problems and then when we get clean, it turns out there's been something that was already there that we were suppressing. Of course, with PAWS (post-acute withdrawal syndrome) that can last up to a year, or at least some months, it's hard to tell right away. With your short length of using time, and relatively low dose, PAWS shouldn't last longer than a few months, and then if you still have symptoms it may be something you should address. Another thing that will help you get off kratom and help depression, if you do have it, is exercise. It doesn't have to be running marathons or anything, just mild exercise, walking or yoga or a class. Exercise is the ONLY way of making your body manufacture its' own endorphins, the opiate-like substances that make you feel good when you do something good for you. I know when I'm in withdrawal I HATE to even move--sometimes it hurts just to move--but it makes me feel better for having done it. It's also a good way to occupy time, and for many who use, filling that time up with something positive is really hard. Especially if, like me, you happen to be an insomniac...

I think I dont have depression, just been feeling depressed lately, it might be cauze of my stupid anxiety I got from massive stress at work , and I just feel fed up. It might be my fault cause of sitting and not doing anything i will never get my life back. Now its just work home work home. I work night shifts, on days off I got no energy, my body clock is all over the place. I started taking 5htp, maca, vitamins b, c, e, k and D.And i agree with you about exercises. Its good for everything. Healthy eating is important but I dont have a choice cause Ive got gastritis and need to eat healthy. I wouldnt say it makes diffirence with it but im trying. Im scared to exercise in case I lose some more wieght. I weight 50kg which is 7st8lbs with height 5ft6 lol and I do suffer with insomnia but it got better since I make myself get up early, and stop trying to fall asleep. I always tell myself that if I fall asleep i will asleep and it helps. Heard valerian root helps, wild lettuce extract is good as well.

 

[Mafioso]

Melatonin might help as well. I've been told it will help your body/brain develop sleeping habits if taken about an hour before bedtime for a month or so. Sleep habits are pretty important. Things like staying on a schedule, getting out of your room where you sleep until it is time to sleep, turning off TV, computers, and putting the phone away so it's nice and dark will help. I've always had trouble sleeping relating to anxiety and tapering/withdrawals always made it worse, but I find emotions are much easier to manage once you make it past the acute and post acute withdrawals.

Exercise can actually give you more energy. If your worried about losing weight, you might want to make sure you are getting the right balance of macronutrients. It is possible to put on muscle weight with exercise and diet.

It's likely that the withdrawal symptoms and life habits are both contributing to feeling down or depressed. Your right though, you need to take action in order to really get better and improve your life. It sounds like you need something to break up the monotony. Going on a jog/run might be benefit you in multiple ways.

What about working is causing you stress? Is it the workload, the nature of the job, or more social, like work politics or social dynamics?

Sounds like your doing well and making some progress, keep it up!

 

[Aga85]

Melatonin might help as well. I've been told it will help your body/brain develop sleeping habits if taken about an hour before bedtime for a month or so. Sleep habits are pretty important. Things like staying on a schedule, getting out of your room where you sleep until it is time to sleep, turning off TV, computers, and putting the phone away so it's nice and dark will help. I've always had trouble sleeping relating to anxiety and tapering/withdrawals always made it worse, but I find emotions are much easier to manage once you make it past the acute and post acute withdrawals.

Exercise can actually give you more energy. If your worried about losing weight, you might want to make sure you are getting the right balance of macronutrients. It is possible to put on muscle weight with exercise and diet.

It's likely that the withdrawal symptoms and life habits are both contributing to feeling down or depressed. Your right though, you need to take action in order to really get better and improve your life. It sounds like you need something to break up the monotony. Going on a jog/run might be benefit you in multiple ways.

What about working is causing you stress? Is it the workload, the nature of the job, or more social, like work politics or social dynamics?

Sounds like your doing well and making some progress, keep it up!

Im working in mental health hospital, I think i just burnt out, dont enjoy it anymore, everything annoys me there, its very boring on night shift, the same routine, its just killing me. For the first time in my life I hate my job. It brings me down. Right now im looking for something diffirent. Change of scenery should help me.Ive tried melatonine, 5htp seems to work with my sleep pattern. But lately its like ive lost will to live. Nothing makes me happy, like nothing. Need to change that. Self pity wont help me.

 

[Mafioso]

Well hopefully you can find a way to break up the monotony... how long have you been working there? Are you just looking for a new place or considering going into a new occupation?

Even caregivers have needs and need care. Take care of yourself. It sounds like you are experiencing some symptoms of depression. I know the feelings you mention very well.. adrenaline is how I tend to manage a lack of will to live. I'm saving up to go through sky diving classes so I can do solo jumps. I love the feeling of freefall.

 

[Aga85]

Ive been working there for 10 years. Im qualified paramedic and physiotherapist. Trying to convert my qualifications from Poland over here so I can change whole carrer from beginning.

 

[Aga85]

Well hopefully you can find a way to break up the monotony... how long have you been working there? Are you just looking for a new place or considering going into a new occupation?

Even caregivers have needs and need care. Take care of yourself. It sounds like you are experiencing some symptoms of depression. I know the feelings you mention very well.. adrenaline is how I tend to manage a lack of will to live. I'm saving up to go through sky diving classes so I can do solo jumps. I love the feeling of freefall.

Skydiving ?? Eeekk you must be really brave im scared of hights lol i wont even go on rollecoaster hah