Misc Kratom and St. John's Wort

[ivoryline]

I started taking St. John's Wort a month ago for post-addiction depression (having been clean from an IV Heroin habit for 9 months). I want to use Kratom in the near future, and was wondering if St. John's Wort would interact badly and/or decrease the kratoms effectiveness.

I know that St. John's Wort is a mild Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI). Also that Kratom is structurally related to Tryptamines but in some aspects pharmacologically related to Yohimbine (an MAOI)

Anyone have experience?

 

[Nib]

No personal experience but I highly doubt it would be a dangerous combination as I have used Kratom on true SSRI/SNRI's with no ill effects.

 

[Cane2theLeft]

I won't get too preachy but be prepared because if you get potent kratom, its more likely it'll just tease you and make you crave a full-blown opioid high rather than induce a dangerous adverse reaction due to the interaction.

 

[Nib]

True but it could also be satisfying enough cause obviously they want the opiate effects and is at least going easy about it

 

[ivoryline]

I have been away from opiates for the entire nine months. Although I will never forget the memory of sun-rising-in-my-soul feeling of Heroin (dammnniit!!) I do forget what the true feeling of an opiate is. I really just miss the motivated feeling I always had on any opiate, hence why I opted for Kratom.

Thank you for the caveat and the information. Earlier today I drank a tea of ~5 grams of Bali Kratom and it feels like what I remember of taking Vicoprofen (Hydrocodone + Ibuprofen). Mild stimulation with a nice body euphoria. AND no side effects from the SJW!

I know that I am treading deep water by ingesting it, but I feel like if I learned anything whilst being sober, it is about moderation. Early in my sobriety I went overboard with exercise, over eating, eating healthy, having sex, reading, tooo many AA meetings. But, I feel balanced now. I do not plan on using Kratom again for two weeks... until a Maps & Atlases concert.

 

[Cane2theLeft]

If you learned anything during your sobriety, it should've been the addict brain will convince you of absolutely anything to get you to use. Hopefully you'll be able to sustain this but the odds are against you.

 

[NeighborhoodThreat]

It's a strange situation, for sure, kratom is a lot like hydrocodone, and hydrocodone was the opiate that got me started on opiates. It certainly should be treated like any other opiate is, when it comes to re-starting an opiate dependency.

Just my $0.02

 

[Seattle_Stranger]

i won't get too preachy but be prepared because if you get potent kratom, its more likely it'll just tease you and make you crave a full-blown opioid high rather than induce a dangerous adverse reaction due to the interaction.

+1.

 

[Nib]

I'm telling you guys when I got out of rehab and was clean for 2 months then started Kratom it was perfectly satisfying for a long time. I did not crave any other strong opiates at all and believe it or not have actually though at times that I may enjoy it more than Oxy. Strong claim I know, but I got some wonderful highs.

I basically used it to replace my daily poppy pod habit and now take it every day and have not had highs like those in a long time. If you can truly minimize your usage to no more than twice a week you will have no worries about getting addicted to the Kratom and will still get very enjoyable highs once you find the best strain and dose for yourself.

Even if you do start noticing yourself starting to use it excessively it will take at least a month of daily high doses to really get addicted so you have time to get it back under control.

Though yes that's the problem with addicts is control but in my case anyway Kratom is worth it since I am just to weak to give up opiates completely forever.

Though be warned if you develop a serious Kratom addiction where you're taking at least an ounce a day for over a year the withdrawals are no walk in the park. You need to dose every 8 hours as well when it gets to that point for some people such as myself. In the beginning I could dose once a day and be fine for a long time. It's truly a wonderful and very beneficial plant especially for people with anxiety/depression/lack of motivation. If only I could moderate and get the full effects anymore =\