Where do I buy Kratom and is it safe?

[Donna D]

All, I am new to this board and have spent a lot of time reading topics/posts. My rls has progressed to the point that I get no more than 3-4 hours of sleep a night and most of that is interrupted. I want to avoid prescription meds if possible and am considering Kratom, but I don't know where to buy it to make sure it's good quality. we have a lot of pot shops where I live, is that a good option if they have it? Also, is it safe to take? The only thing I've seem as something to watch for is constipation. Is this correct? I appreciate all the input and advice you can give me. Thank you in Advance.

[stjohnh]

Kratom appears fairly safe, I use it and there are other people on this forum that do. The FDA doesn't list it as an approved supplement, so when you buy it, it will frequently be labled "not for ingestion" or some such warning. It has been used in SE Asia for centuries without apparent widespread problems. Is it safe? Well, probably, but there is not a lot of research on it. It is outlawed in some countries, and the FDA periodically starts to get it classified for them to regulate/outlaw it, but so far is legal in most states in USA.

Where to buy it? I bought a bunch (about 3kg) several years ago when there was a greater effort by the FDA to get it banned, and still have a lot, so haven't purchased any recently. Of the vendors I have used, authentickratom.com is still in business. You can do a web search and find other vendors, or maybe one of our members will post vendor information.

[Polar Bear]

I also use/have used Kratom. I don't now use it regularly as I'm not always sure that it helps a great deal with sleep but that's just me. If I'm having a very bad time I will take it as an extra to my usual medication and then I'm uncertain if it is the Kratom that has helped, or the walking off, or my regular medication finally kicking in. If you are not taking any medication for your RLS then I'd suggest that it is certainly worth a try.

I live in the UK and I order my supply from Amsterdam. It comes labelled as Organic Tea. I buy 250 grams at a time at a cost of about £70 including postage. My understanding is that the red ones are best for sleep, I think that in my case a lower dose helps with RLS symptoms and the urge to move, and that it takes a higher dose for it to have a sedative effect. I am reluctant to quote a suitable dosage for anyone else but I have on occasion taken anything from 2mg to 5 mg.

This is only my opinion, I'd suggest going to a pot shop and having a chat with the Vendor. See what the Vendor knows and suggests. One shop may be more informative than another, I don't know as I've never been in a pot shop. Also by going to a shop perhaps you could buy a smallish quantity to see if it helps before laying out for something that does not work for you. It might take trying a few different strains to find the best one for you. Some strains are alerting, others are considered more beneficial for rest/sleep.

[stjohnh]

Well, there have been quite a few reports of "corner smokeshop" vendors selling very low quality kratom. I don't know about a pot shop, but probably their reputation is built on pot, not kratom. I would use one of the established online kratom vendors. They all sell small quantities, some sell "sample packs" with small amounts of several varieties to try. I have mostly used Red vein borneo, the few other strains I have tried seem to work well also,

Kratom seems to help mostly with urge-to-move, less help with sleep. THC is my go to sleep promoter.

[Eternityroad]

I have had good results with kratom use. Currently I am combining its use with hydrocodone. I get from Kat's Botanicals and Mystic Island. I used the Red Vein Borneo type for many years with good success. Lately I have been using Green Malay which I also like.

Ken

[jul2873]

I’ve been using kratom for almost 9 years. Is it safe? I think it’s safer than any of the Rx drugs available. I used mostly red for years but now use a variety of strains.