DOSE:

repeated

oral

Kratom

(tar / resin)

BODY WEIGHT:

140 lb

First, I would like to say that of all the substances I have tried, kratom is probably my favorite, and I take it semi-regularly… usually every other weekday evening and not at all on weekends. The “super” variety I generally find preferable to the others. I personally like to put each teaspoon in a shot glass full of honey: I put in the kratom first, and then pour the honey on top, stir with the handle of a fork or spoon, and drink as much as I can, scraping/licking the residue. It is harder to swallow in water (feels sharp and grimy) and simply tastes nasty in applesauce. Thus, it is easier to prepare than “commercial” grade kratom, with which one generally must make a tea. I find the commercial grade also more likely to induce nausea, and to in general have a larger side-effect/desired-effect ratio. The super enhanced leaf is generally only about twice as strong, but also more expensive per dose, and resin extracts are harder to consume than they might appear. Plus, the super variety seems to have a more physical effect, whereas the other varieties (particularly the super enhanced and even more so the resin extracts) seem to have more “trippy”/mental effects. Anyway, long story short, for the remainder of this experience report when I am referring to kratom, I am referring to the super powdered type, 6-9 grams (2-3 teaspoonfuls) consumed in honey.

My typical kratom experience, if the kratom is consumed on a relatively empty stomach (ate a normal amount a few hours prior), begins about 15 to 20 minutes after consuming the plant material. It begins with a little excitation, and I begin to feel like I’m on a large dose of caffeine, only less jittery. Stimulant-like euphoria increases form here, and at around the 45 minute mark, I am completely absorbed in wave after wave of euphoria, though the stimulant properties tend to wear off and I begin to feel… not quite sleepy, nor drowsy – sedated or calm is probably the best word. If I take as much as 9 grams, I tend to nod off and remain only tenuously connected to consensus reality, unless I choose to come out of this state (eg, to talk to someone). Generally, though, it is just this that I look for, and I gradually slip into luscious velvety ecstasy, only to soon fall into pleasant semi-lucid dreaming for the rest of the night. Sometimes, however, especially if my dose is closer to the 6 gram mark, the effects begin to fade significantly at around the 1.5 or 2 hour mark. At this point, I sometimes take additional kratom (say an extra teaspoon), and this usually bumps me above where the effects had peaked. Also, if one wants to conserve kratom (and I often do), other substances can serve this same, or a similar, purpose.

A quick word of warning: I have found that both alcohol and kava kava (both of which work through a similar pathway in the brain) actually detract from the effects of kratom.

Good potentiators, of course, are the opiates. Cannabis also works, though in a different way, and almost brings back the stimulant-like euphoria in the earlier phase, only more powerfully. I have given up smoking cannabis, though (for a number of reasons, including the pain which had begun to punctuate my every breath), and besides, I find the opiates serve a better purpose (especially since it is the narcotic properties of kratom which appeal to me). I find that a Tylenol 3 (30 mg codeine) works quite well, if taken as the kratom begins to wear off, and boosts the effects to the nod/lucid dream level. Hydrocodone (Vicodin… I usually take half of a 7.5 mg pill or so), really kicks up the kratom experience, and vice versa (I have tried vicodin on its own, of course, and a quarter as much hydrocodone results in more powerful effects in conjunction with kratom than on its own). When combined with hydrocodone, there is the added pleasant effect of my body feeling like it is melting into the bed, even into itself. However, I once combined a full 7.5 mg pill with a high dose of kratom (9 g) and found I had quite a difficult time of breathing for a while.

I notice that if I take hydrocodone before the kratom, the kratom extends the hydrocodone’s effects and adds only a little of its own, but in the reverse order the opposite is true, and this is the order I by far prefer (kratom offers a greater euphoria than hydrocodone, if not as much analgesia).

As for context, I find kratom is best not for partying, or even “chilling” (though it is no doubt good for this), but that it is put to its best use when listening to calm music or watching a favorite movie, preferably right before bed. Maybe with a friend or two, but in general I find having people around when I’m on kratom to be distracting, if anything.

There is no doubt that I developed a tolerance to kratom, and I would say this happened rather quickly (within weeks after starting semi-regular use). Something I found interesting, though, is that tolerance to kratom, like most other drugs (particularly the narcotics), is situation specific. The other night, I took just 6 grams in a friend’s room (I usually consume it in my own), and the effects were more like those from consumption of 9 grams.

I notice a subtle but distinct withdrawal if I do not take kratom semi-regularly during the week. This usually consists of sluggishness during the day and sleeplessness at night, and a general clouding of my mind at all times. This, though, generally wears off after a day or two. Of course, it is only shortly after such time that I psychologically desire to take it again. I have certainly found that if I *plan* to take kratom one night, it is nearly impossible not to take it. I have even found myself, though only occasionally, stuck in the middle of preparing kratom for myself on autopilot. In other words, watch out, kratom is addictive, and like many addictions it does not hit you full force all at once, but creeps up on you slowly and flanks you.

Exp Year: 2005	ExpID: 47037
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Oct 20, 2005	Views: 62,037
[ View PDF (to print) ] [ View LaTeX (for geeks) ] [ Swap Dark/Light ]
Kratom (203) : Unknown Context (20), Combinations (3), General (1)