Can kratom help you get off Vicodin safely?
Graham Lomeli (Guest User)
Asked: 2018-12-27 19:09:10
I've been on Vicodin for awhile now and I've been hearing that kratom helps with the withdrawal sickness. Are there any drawbacks to using kratom to get off opioids?
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Layla Wahler (Guest User)
Answered: 2019-01-07 20:40:33
The only drawback is that kratom itself is an opioid! While that may be helpful for temporary abstinence from Vicodin, an opioid addiction can be comfortably and safely managed without unsupervised use of another opioid. Plus, you really need to do the treatment after. Detox from opioids does not overcome the addiction mentally. Only physically if you're not using another opioid to get off it. If you're serious about getting off Vicodin, get professional help. It's worth it and you deserve to live a happy life without opioids.
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Dr. Andrew O\'Relly M.D (Guest User)
Answered: 2019-01-23 22:40:33
Way to go Graham for asking a hard question. Short answer NO! To get to this answer we have to work backwards. Currently you are taking Vicodin. Vicodin is an opiate and this opiate has been refined and turned into a pill to standardize the amount taken each time someone swallows a pill. Now take Kratom; Kratom is an herbal extract from the leaves of an evergreen tree (Mitragyna speciosa) that grows in Southeast Asia. This substance has not been purified, nor is the amount of Mitragynine purified to guarantee the ' right' amount to overcome withdrawals from Vicodin. With Kratom, you may not get what you need and may still experience some withdrawal symptoms because it is herbal-based. So problems may arise like you did not seep the leaves long enough, or not enough leaves in the first place. What i am trying to get at is Kratom has a lot of variables and when you are coming down from something like Vicodin, you may not have the patience to get it right when the withdrawals are too intense. Then there is always the fact that Kratom does evoke feelings of euphoria. The reality of the situation is Vicodin is an opiate and opiates create euphoric feelings. So are you trading one addiction for another at this point? Due to Kratom having the potential to ease withdrawal symptoms, researchers have studied it as a potential treatment. The evidence suggests that rather than treating addiction and withdrawal, the use of Kratom may cause an addiction. Let's talk about research for a moment. " There are no FDA-approved uses for Kratom, and the agency has received concerning reports about the safety of Kratom." That is a direct quote from the FDA.gov website and there are numerous articles going over Kratom and dangers of the substance. In one study conducted, those who took Kratom for more than 6 months did indeed experienced withdrawal symptoms similar to those that of opiates. With that in mind, people who use Kratom may develop cravings for it. You must remember that Kratom has not had years of testing with the FDA, determine utilization for withdrawals from opioids, or treatment for depression. But it does cause euphoria. This should be a red flag for you Graham. Let's make one more point really quick. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH), "In 2017, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began issuing a series of warnings about Kratom and now identifies at least 44 deaths related to its use, with at least one case being investigated as possible use of pure kratom." It is possible to overdose on Kratom. The treatment for Kratom overdose is similar to that for opioid overdose. Rolling the dice on seeping 20 leave vs 50 leaves to alleviate your opiate withdrawals may be dangerous. Although many may enjoy the euphoria that Kratom can cause, Kratom has no proof that it can help you with opioid withdrawal.
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Rob Stewart (Guest User)
Answered: 2019-02-12 23:21:23
