What Is Kratom Detox?

Kratom is a drug with opioid properties. It is prepared from the leaves of a southeast Asian native evergreen tree called Mitragyna Speciosa. While it is not a common drug in the US, 11 deaths have been identified in the US due to kratom overdose between 2011 and 2017.

People often attempt using it to help with withdrawal from opiates, but it has many adverse effects. Pathfinders Recovery Centers, with locations in Arizona and Colorado, offers a special detox and rehabilitation program for those who are affected by this drug.

The usage of kratom leaves for medicinal purposes has been traced back to ancient times. It was used for pain relief in the muscles, diarrhea, deworming, as a sleep aid, suppressing appetite, and withdrawal from opiates.

However, The FDA has declared Kratom harmful and has not approved any of its supposed medical benefits.

Traditional Forms of Kratom

Kratom is derived from a tree that is indigenous to South East Asia. It has only recently been introduced as a substance in the US and is used as an unprescribed medication for the treatment of muscle pain.

It is also known to ease the withdrawal symptoms from opiate drugs. Hence, people turn to it. As it is a lesser-known drug, its adverse and harmful effects are also lesser-known. People overlook it and this might result in the consumer being more susceptible to a possible overdose.

Kratom leaves have been consumed in the following forms:

• Chewing the leaves
• Drying the leaves and smoking them
• Grinding the leaves and putting them into capsules
• Drinking the extract
• Making tea

Kratom is traditionally available in the following forms:

• Bali: One of the most desired strains of kratom, Bali kratom is said to have the most potent pain-relieving effects.
• Borneo: Originating from the island of Borneo, this kratom has red, white, and green strains. The red strain is consumed as a sedative, relaxant, and anti-anxiety. The green strains are consumed for a stimulant-like effect.
• Indo: With its high levels of 7-OH-mitragynine, this strain is famous for its mood-boosting properties.
• Red Vein Thai: This type of kratom is available in the form of a red powder that is derived by crushing the leaves and stems of the red vein Thai kratom plant. It is desired because it does not create any nausea-like side effects.
• White Vein Bali: One of the mildest strains of kratom, white vein Bali kratom is often consumed in the form of tea or mixed with other foods and drinks.
• Green Malay: The most stimulating strain of kratom.

Using Kratom for Opioid Withdrawal

In the US, Kratom has been used and encouraged as a helping drug to wean a person off opioids and other narcotics.

People encourage its intake and claim that it has the same, or in some cases, even better effects than Naloxone, Suboxone, or Tramadol for dealing with narcotic withdrawal effects. It is named a natural alternative to “artificial pharmacological drugs”.

However, as mentioned above, Kratom itself has alkaloid and opioid properties that couple with various receptors in the brain to produce the same relaxant and stimulant effects as opioid drugs at different doses.

Opioid withdrawal has the following symptoms that people try to treat using herbs like kratom:

• Irritability
• Muscle pain and spasms
• Anxiety and discomfort
• Rhinitis like symptoms
• Night sweats
• Insomnia and palpitations

Just because it is botanical, does not mean it is safe. Research has shown that due to the opioid characteristics of kratom, the feeling of well-being and euphoria is, in fact, a false sense of security as the body falls from one type of dependence into another.

In simpler terms, kratom does not help with weaning someone off narcotics, rather just makes them addicted to something else.

Maeng Da, Borneo, and Red Bali are some of the strains used in opiate withdrawal. They are taken in the form of tea, and capsules, and by mixing them in with food.

A few poorly researched studies state that Kratom binds the opiate receptors to prevent it from binding to more opiates.

What are the Concentrated Forms of Kratom?

Kratom is often stored and consumed in its concentrated forms to enhance the effects of the drug by consuming a small dose of it. These are in the form of resins, powders, oils, pastes, tinctures, and extracts.

Kratom leaves are crushed and processed to take out all the necessary alkaloids and store them for future use.

Dried kratom leaves can be crushed and brewed until the extract has been taken out. Extracts and liquids are much more potent than powders.

The potency of extracts and powders can be compared by their aroma and color. The richer the aroma and color of a Kratom extract/powder, generally the more potent it will be.

The Risks of Kratom Extracts and OPMS Liquid

OPMS (Optimized Plant Mediated Solutions) is a concentrated black liquid used to make Kratom shots. They are made by a company that specializes in making OPMS black liquid.

They also sell kratom in the form of powders and crushed leaves. They use special technology to fully extract all the alkaloids from Kratom leaves. Previously this had not been possible. OPMS Kratom extract is a full-spectrum Kratom extract that has the most potent effects, along with a correspondingly steep withdrawal.

Kratom is marketed as a useful supplement for energy-boosting and pain relief. People often fall victim to it because of the promises of pain relief and drug withdrawal and end up entangling themselves in another case of substance use.

At Pathfinders Recovery Centers, they deal with this with the utmost empathy, care, and professionalism to help people recover and lead a life free of dependence on any substance, including Kratom.

Can You Become Dependent on Kratom?

Despite being marketed as a medicine that helps people recover from drug withdrawal, Kratom ends up making its consumers dependent on itself. Kratom has opioid properties and contains alkaloids that cause chronic dispositional tolerance.

This means that as time passes, the person has to take increased doses to achieve the same effects.

Kratom’s side effects after chronic use include hallucinations, psychosis, hypotension, anorexia, severe unintentional weight loss, paranoia, and physical symptoms like dry mouth, sweating, hypersomnia, itching, constipation, and increased urination.

Kratom overdose has been reported to cause seizures and may even lead to death in rare cases.

Individuals who require assistance from kratom withdrawal are given specialized care at both our Pathfinders Recovery Centers locations. Their specialized detox and detox aftercare program is coupled with mental health therapy to ensure the best rehabilitation results for their clients.

What Does Kratom Withdrawal Feel Like?

Going cold turkey to stop using kratom can be physically painful and difficult to achieve. Individuals who opt for the route are at risk of relapsing kratom dependence.

To withdraw from kratom effectively and easily, it is recommended to seek help from an inpatient rehabilitation center, like our team at Pathfinders Recovery Centers, where exceptional care and professional support are available.

Withdrawal symptoms differ from person to person but in general, they are generally like opioid and narcotics withdrawal symptoms, with subjective reports of more serious depression being associated with Kratom withdrawal. Only as the drug becomes more studied will more about its full spectrum of withdrawal symptoms and risks be revealed.

The Kratom Withdrawal timeline spans from 3 days to up to a week. It depends on the extent of kratom dependency and addiction. Symptoms appear around 24-48 hours and take 3 days to up to a week for them to disappear with adequate medical support.

Symptoms of Kratom withdrawal include:

• Runny nose
• Full body sweating
• Exhaustion
• Anxiety
• Muscle pain and cramps
• Nausea
• Insomnia
• Dehydration with vomiting and diarrhea
• Fever and malaise
• Seizures
• Blurred vision
• Insomnia
• Ataxia
• Mood disturbances
• Irritability

Depression And Kratom Withdrawal

The biochemical changes occurring in the brain and body during kratom withdrawal can lead to a lot of mood disturbances, irritability, pain, fear, and depression.

Depression occurs because the individual feels hopeless and lost as a result of the crushing realization of the extent of their drug dependence.

But these individuals must remember that they are not alone. Simply the act of going to rehab to get rid of their substance dependence is a huge step forward that requires immense strength.

Going through withdrawal means an individual is on the path to recovery. Another thing to keep in mind is that this depression does not last longer than a few days.

It may feel debilitating at first, but the feeling of freedom and independence once the withdrawal is done and recovery has started is better than anything else.

What Are the Benefits Of Medical Detox For Kratom?

Medical detox allows the individual to go through kratom withdrawal in a comfortable, safe, and supervised environment.

The process that the brain and body have to go through to return to their previous state of functioning without the aid or dependence of kratom can be painful.

Medical detox can help achieve that in a safe manner which helps to ease the difficult symptoms of withdrawal.

Supervision from a supportive medical team paired with adequate psychological care is a key in the detox programs at Pathfinders Recovery Centers to ease all your pains and fears.

Is Long Term Recovery from Kratom Possible?

Studies and treatments show that the opioid-like effects of kratom can be reversed by using the opioid antagonist Naloxone. Naloxone is often used in the treatment of opioid and kratom recovery.

Withdrawal symptoms of kratom subside after one week after medically supervised detox. With adequate rehabilitation, the risk of relapse is reduced to a great amount and in many cases, even eliminated.

Post rehabilitation support is also available at Pathfinders Recovery Centers to ensure long-term and effective recovery.