My Journal: Quitting 50g / day Kratom

[Winterpain]

Hi All,

I decided to make this post mostly for me. I plan to use it as a journal, update it daily, and hope it will motivate me to stay on my tapper.

My story:
As a teen 17-18, I discovered I suffer from premature ejaculation. At times I would explode before ever even penetrating my partner. Luckily for me, I soon discovered oxycodone. Not only did I love the high, but I found this allowed me to last almost forever. Went from being shamed to attempt physical contact, to being able to go all night. Along with this also came addiction.

Fast forward several years, and I no longer have access to OCs. As soon as my opiates ran out, I'm right back to being a no-pump chump.
As the universe does, I soon found a source for methadone, and my problems were again solved.

Fast forward a few more years, and this connection is also lost. But resourceful me, I find poppy pod/seed tea, and life goes on!

I soon get married, have a family, great job, and can no longer risk my life in order to make bathtub opium water. This is where Kratom comes in.

I found Kratom did not let me last like the real opiates, but it was "good enough". I was also able to easily taper done the Poppy seed tea and switch to Kratom. I thought I'd finally found a solution to all my problems.

I've been using Kratom for almost two years. My usual dose is 10-12g 4 or 5 times daily. All seemed fine, have a great job, family life is fantastic, no issues.... but then I notice my blood pressure has been going up and up (not completely positive this is being caused by the Kratom).

I have tested my blood pressure before/after my morning dose, and I do notice it runs MUCH lower without the Kratom of a morning. I have also begun to have issues with erectile dysfunction. Seems to be willing to show up much better without the kratom, so this makes me wonder if the kratom is acting as a vascular constrictor.

So, now I find myself in a situation where I have too much to lose (wife, kids, happiness) due to my heart giving out. I'm going to try tapering off the Kratom, and see what happens. Sadly, I find very few stores where individuals have used the dose I have for the time I have... So I'm looking at this as a science project.

In previous studies, I've found I can reduce my dose down from 10g to 5-6g with little to no issues (just no nods/high, but I don't get sick).
So I have my scale, I have my doses, and here's my plan. For the first two weeks, I'll drop by dose from 12g / five times daily to 5 g / five times daily. If this works, I'll begin removing a gram per week, and see how it goes. Honestly, getting off the kratom doesn't scare me nearly as much as finding a way to deal with my premature ejaculation that will follow.


Day 1:
Cutting doses from 10+g to 5g.
First two doses for the day, weighted at 4.7g & 5.02g. Feeling fine so far (bit sweaty, but no pain/chills). Interested to see how sleep is tonight

I'll update tomorrow.

Please feel free to offer any advice, knowledge, or jokes you may wish.

Best Wishes All,
Winter

 

[Winterpain]

So far all is good on day two. Had a pretty decent nights sleep last night (granted I did drink a bottle of wine), and still feel more or less normal today.
If I continue to feel this comfortable over the weekend, I may begin reducing the taper a bit faster then I had planned.

Hope the rest of today/tonight is as smooth as yesterday.

~Winter

 

[Winterpain]

Day 3:
Still going well. Feeling more or less fine at 5g. Biggest issue so far has been the boardom.
Don't have as much energy, don't have that warm blanket, don't have the ability to balance at the edge of a nod... Time seems slower, work seems even duller. Noticed a bit of a chill, but just put on a coat and all is well.

But I'm not having RLS, I'm not shitting my pants, and I'm not hurting all over. So, really, I can't complain, can I?

**UPDATE**
Bit more restless tonight. Seems extra energy, but not the "Worms crawling through my muscles" sensations I would get when going CT off oxy/methodone. Little uncomfortable, but can't complain.

Another 3-4 days at this dose, then I plan to drop to 2.5-3g/5 times daily. See how I feel there.

Here's to day 3, Best wishes all.
~Winter

 

[Jabberwocky]

Keep up the good work!

I found the withdrawal from kratom to get more uncomfortable around day 4-5, but I also C/T like 68g/day (which I don't recommend).

How's your sleep? Daytime mood?

Gabapentin will really help if you can get it, but with your taper you might not even need anything but a good hot shower now and then.

 

[Winterpain]

68g/day CT... ouch. Ran into that issue without choice back while on OC/Methadone, first time I experienced any real WD from Kratom I was shocked how similar they felt. I guess in the end the receptors in your brain are being activated by something, to them they don't particularly care what was, only that it's gone.

So far sleep hasn't been bad at all (little NyQuil or bottle of wine). The daytime mood had been fine until today... first I was just worn out followed by anxious and a little aggressive. Not too sure what's driving that.

I also have a daily addition to 2.5g Phenibut which has remained stable (same dose last 6 months or so). Plan to work on it next, but have done so in the past with extreme ease (was shocked how painless a phenibut taper worked... I have done a 13g/day habit cold turkey (started noticing kidney pains after each dose) perviously and I don't recommend that (damn near went phychotic).

I do have about 150 Etizolam tabs which could be taken if sleep becomes that large of an issue, but so far no need.

Thanks for the kind words!
WInter

 

[Winterpain]

Day 4 & 5
Still sitting at 5g/4 times daily. Some reason I haven't felt the best the last couple days. Haven't felt "bad" just some muscle pain but have been easily tempered and aggressive.
It may just be we have all 5 kids Friday-Sunday night (Have 3 all other nights), and 1 of the additional kids is more of a handful than the other 4 put together.

The upside, I didn't kill him (or anyone) and still holding the taper.

The last few mornings I've woke up a couple hours early with lower back pain. I had honestly forgotten about this pain. This is something that used to happen each and every morning for months but went away when I was taking 10g+ before bed. I've been on that dose so long I had forgotten what waking up to back pain was like.

Not sure if it's going to be the new normal or it will go away. I'm still getting 6+ hours of sleep per night.

Anyway, best wishes all. I'll probably drop down to 3g sometime this week. We'll see how it goes.

~Winter

 

[KraziKat]

Way to go, Winter! I was never able to taper my kratom... so great to read how well you are doing it. I'd tread carefully with the alcohol though, a mistake I've made in the past when I thought I was healing by boozing in lieu of of DOC.

 

[Jaagenhagar]

Hey winter, I was following you taper because a friend of mine was dozing the exact amount as you were for about the same amount of time. What ended up happening? I hope all is well