Controlling Kratom Usage

Many, myself included, find kratom (when used wisely) to be a life enhancing pleasure. But, like coffee, tobacco, or alcohol, kratom IF USED TOO FREQUENTLY can become a habit. So the skill to learn is how to use it, without using it too often. That is what this article is about --- sensible use, using without abusing.

Not everyone who uses kratom has difficulty in limiting how often they use it, but clearly some do. Fortunately for them, a kratom habit is MUCH less harmful than is a tobacco or alcohol habit. But, while kratom is NOT a "killer drug", and unlike too much alcohol it does not lead to out of control behavior, it is best not to develop any sort of drug habit, not even a relatively safe kratom habit.

Those who unwisely use kratom every day for weeks or longer may develop varying degrees of physical and psychological dependence on it. If they then quit 'cold turkey' they may experience withdrawal symptoms. These can range from none at all, to trivial, to mild, to moderate in severity. Most people report trivial to mild withdrawal symptoms, but some have a rougher time of it. Life threatening withdrawal symptoms will not occur, but some people will get pretty uncomfortable. Kratom withdrawal symptoms often resemble those of a very mild cold, but if moderately severe may include runny nose, chilly or feverish sensations, muscle aches, watery eyes, depressed mood, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, irritability and diarrhea.

The withdrawal syndrome is self-limiting, and the worst of it is over in about 4 days. Milder symptoms may persist several more days. Kratom withdrawal is not the end of the world, but is not something one wants to go through.

So how can a kratom user avoid EVER going through this discomfort? It's really very simple to do, IF from the beginning of your kratom use, you make sure you don't take it more often than twice a week. Just remember that those who never take kratom more often than twice per week will NOT experience any symptoms of kratom withdrawal when they do without it.

For many kratom users, keeping usage to twice a week (or less often), and never using it two days in a row, is easy to do. It works painlessly for me. And there are real advantages to limiting one's use to twice a week: kratom will not lose its pleasure, you won't wind up spending all your money on kratom, and you won't become dependent on it. These are three excellent reasons for never using it more than twice in any one week.

Yet, truth be told, on the kratom lists, there are some kratom users (many of these with a history of addiction to far more damaging substances than kratom) who report they find it difficult to stick to twice a week usage. For them I recommend giving up kratom completely as the safest course of action. However, many are unwilling to do this, yet who really do wish to keep their usage within the twice a week safe limit, but find that 'somehow' they are using it more often than they intend.

The plan which follows is written for such people, those who wish to limit their use to twice a week, but who need the specific help a detailed, no-exceptions plan can provide.

Note: This is a plan for those not currently physically dependent on kratom, who wish to continue to use kratom without getting hooked. Those who are currently dependent on kratom should first come off kratom completely (either cold turkey, or through a gradual taper) and remain kratom-free for at least several weeks. Then they should carefully consider whether they really have the will-power to stick to this plan (many with a history of addictions, do not). If they are unsure, they would be best off not resuming kratom use at all. But if they wish to try the plan they must make a sincere committment to stick to it without exception, and follow it to the letter. IF FOLLOWED EXACTLY the following plan should work.

The Controlled Use Plan

Follow these five simple rules. So long as you do so, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, your kratom usage should AUTOMATICALLY remain in control. The trick is to follow these five rules without exception. No excuses for breaking these rules. If you break the rules, you simply are not following the plan. Print these rules out, and keep them handy to refer to.

1. USE A CALENDAR FOR FEEDBACK. Mark your actual (not intended but actual) days of kratom usage on a calendar, i.e., make a mark on the calendar each day when you actually take kratom. Don't fill out the calendar in advance. This way you can't fool yourself about how often you really use kratom. The calendar will provide feedback to you about how you are doing. This feedback is important. If your calendar shows that you are breaking the following rules, quit kratom IMMEDIATELY because you are starting to lose control.

2. USE ONLY ONCE ON THE WEEKEND. If you use it on Saturday you may not use it on Sunday.

3. USE ONLY ONCE DURING THE WORK-WEEK. If you use kratom on Tuesday, you may not use it again Wednesday, or Thursday or Friday.

4. ALWAYS ALLOW AT LEAST TWO KRATOM FREE DAYS BEFORE USING AGAIN. Example: if you used Saturday the next day you may use will be Tuesday because Sunday and Monday would be the two kratom free days.

5. NO OPIATES. NONE AT ALL. You must absolutely avoid opiate usage, this is because there is cross-tolerance between kratom and opiates.

If you feel a desire to take kratom sooner than this schedule permits, DON'T do it, but (if you won't be driving or using power
tools) you may take kava, or chamomile, or valerian instead. These are not the same as kratom of course, but they will relax you, and will help control feelings of anxiety or irritability. Avoid kava though if you are drinking, using Tylenol(acetaminophen), or have a history of liver disease.

Herbal Explorer