Kratom is working for me

Here you can share your experiences with substances that are ingested, inhaled, or otherwise consumed for the purpose of relieving RLS, other than prescription medications. For example, herbal remedies, nutritional supplements, diet, kratom, and marijuana (for now) should be discussed here. Tell others of successes, failures, side effects, and any known research on these substances. [Posts on these subjects created prior to 2009 are in the Physical Treatments forum.]

Important: Posts and information in this section are based on personal experiences and recommendations; they should not be considered a substitute for the advice of a healthcare provider.
NellieK
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2014 1:38 am

Kratom is working for me

Post by NellieK »

Having suffered off and on with RLS for about 25 years now, I tried all the recommended natural supplements -- potassium, magnesium, "restful legs" (not sure what this is made of), to name a few. Sometimes they worked and sometimes they didn't. I finally told my primary care doctor about my RLS, and she put me on Requip (ropinirole). It seemed effective at first, and I experienced RLS less often. However, for about the past month, my RLS had been getting progressively worse. I started experiencing it during the day, which had never happened before. I had it just about every night as well. I also had restless legs during a medical procedure where I was consciously sedated -- they said I kicked throughout the entire procedure. That definitely had never happened to me in the past.

I went on this website to seek some answers and determined that I was probably experiencing augmentation caused by taking the ropinirole, whereby the medicine seems to work at first but then makes the RLS even worse than before I started the meds. So I am slowly tapering off it, but I definitely needed something else to get rid of my RLS symptoms.

Reading about kratom, I decided to try it. I took my first dose last night, and I felt.... NOTHING!!! Meaning that for once in a long while I did not have the excruciating itchy feeling in my shin bones. What a relief. I have always felt worse when sleeping against a warm body, leading me to get a king-sized bed and banishing my husband to the farthest side of the bed from me -- as far apart as we could possibly get (not only to make my legs feel better but also because I was likely to kick him in the middle of the night. My 8-year-old daughter also likes to cuddle with me in bed before she goes upstairs to her own bed. But I usually can only stand a few minutes of cuddling because her warm body makes my leg bones itch horribly. But last night after taking the kratom, I was able to cuddle with her for a long time, even with her draping her legs over mine, which would send my legs into kicking spasms in the past. The calm nothingness I felt in my legs last night was so different than what I usually feel. I just took my second dose an hour ago and, sure enough, my legs feel wonderful.

What works for me is the kratom that has the most relaxing, pain-relieving effect and least amount of stimulation. So far, I've tried Premium Indo and Bali. Hopefully, this stuff won't be made illegal in my state in the near future. Since we legalized marijuana, I doubt they would bother to make kratom illegal. I had a really good experience with the online seller as well -- he was really ice about my returning some Maeng da I accidentally ordered without realizing it was very stimulating. One mistake I did make last night was by taking too much -- I was going for a sedative effect but medicines often have an opposite effect on me than on other people (Benadryl and sleeping pills make me wide awake, for example). So even tophough my legs were quiet, I had trouble staying asleep. Tonight I took half as much (about a teaspoon) and feel like I could sleep.

I will keep you all posted as to whether this continues to work for me.

ViewsAskew
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Location: Los Angeles

Re: Kratom is working for me

Post by ViewsAskew »

Sounds like good news!
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

jul2873
Posts: 445
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2012 7:32 pm

Re: Kratom is working for me

Post by jul2873 »

I am so glad it's working for you. I've been using Red Leaf Borneo for over a year and a half now, and it's given me my life back. Good luck to you.

Mary

NellieK
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2014 1:38 am

Re: Kratom is working for me

Post by NellieK »

Thanks! Update: with the teaspoon (lower) dose, I slept like a baby and actually woke up earlier than usual, feeling totally refreshed.

Now, I'm going to to try to only use the Kratom when my RLS kicks up so I don't develop a tolerance or addiction. Hopefully it won't be very night!

Nellie

ViewsAskew
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Posts: 16570
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:37 am
Location: Los Angeles

Re: Kratom is working for me

Post by ViewsAskew »

Wonderful news!
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

jul2873
Posts: 445
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2012 7:32 pm

Re: Kratom is working for me

Post by jul2873 »

Hi Nellie,

That will be great if you don't need it every night. I do need it every day but I don't seem to be developing much of a tolerance to it. I take about 4-5 grams (2-3 tsp.) over the course of 24 hours, usually in half gram doses. What I've read about it--and I don't think anyone knows for sure--is that you can develop a tolerance for the amount you need to get high (which is a lot) but you don't seem to develop tolerance if you're using lower doses for something like chronic pain. That has pretty much been my experience as well

Since you don't get high on the lower doses, I don't think we'll get addicted--although I am addicted now to sleeping :). That was a very poignant story about now being able to cuddle with your daughter. I really hope this keeps working for you.

Polar Bear
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Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2006 4:34 pm
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Kratom is working for me

Post by Polar Bear »

Nellie, such good news that this works for you.

You briefly mention Benadryl. Just to note that generally, Benadryl is a big problem to a sufferer and can really ramp up our symptoms.
Betty
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation

erika13
Posts: 30
Joined: Sat Apr 06, 2013 4:54 pm
Location: Tokyo, Japan

Re: Kratom is working for me

Post by erika13 »

Hi Nellie,
I'm so happy to hear that the Kratom seems to be working well for you.
Like Mary, I have been taking Kratom for about a year and a half now and I haven't increased my dosage over that time.
I also take the Red Vein Borneo strain which has the highest pain-killing and sedating properties. I take about a teaspoon with some juice and water an hour or so before bed (or earlier if need be) and then I usually wake up once at night with symptoms and take another half a teaspoon or a teaspoon .. I have to wait about 40 minutes before it kicks in.
I really hope it continues to work .. it really has been life-changing for me too!

NellieK
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2014 1:38 am

UPDATE

Post by NellieK »

I have used kratom for almost 6 months now. It still works wonders, and I have not had to increase my dosage. I ended up taking about 2 tsp each night and have stuck with that for at least 4 months. I prefer a half-and-half mixture of Primo Indo and Premium Bali -- the Indo is better-tasting (less bitter) and goes down easier, but the Bali seems to have more of a sedative effect. I didn't take any for 4 nights in a row when I had the flu, and I didn't have any withdrawal symptoms that I noticed (other than typical flue symptoms, which may have been partly due to withdrawal). I did not crave the kratom when I wasn't taking it, though.

The only downside I have noticed is that I tend to sleep longer -- I typically would sleep 9 hours/night comfortably, and now that has turned into 10-12 hours/night. It's tough to judge exactly how much sleep I get, though, because I typically have a difficult time getting to sleep at night. I may lay down at 11pm, but I probably don't fall asleep until after 1pm. So, that would be about 10 hours of sleep.

The best case scenario would be if I only took kratom when my restless legs kicked up -- maybe a few times per week, rather than every night. I've gotten to really enjoy the sedative and mood-enhancing properties of kratom, though, so I tend to take it every night. I am going to try to kick that habit within the next couple of months. I am also concerned about facial hyperpigmentation, where the cheeks turn dark. I have noticed a couple brown spots on my cheeks but am not sure if they have always been there or are simply due to older age (I am almost 49). I will keep track of those, though.

I still recommend it, with the above caveats!

ViewsAskew
Moderator
Posts: 16570
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:37 am
Location: Los Angeles

Re: Kratom is working for me

Post by ViewsAskew »

Love to hear stories like this!
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

jul2873
Posts: 445
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2012 7:32 pm

Re: Kratom is working for me

Post by jul2873 »

Hi NellieK,

Nice to get the update. I've taken kratom for two years now for my WED,and it is still working fine. I have to take some every day, however, as my WED never gives me a day off. That's great that you don't have too.

I wouldn't worry about feeling a little mellow sometimes. I figure, with this lousy disease, maybe it all evens out. The disease makes us feel depressed; kratom makes us feel a little happy. That's only fair.

I did read that natives in Southeast Asia who have used large amounts of kratom for years sometimes do get some pigmentation. But I haven't heard of that happening any other time. I certainly have no sign on it.

Thanks again for the update.

erika13
Posts: 30
Joined: Sat Apr 06, 2013 4:54 pm
Location: Tokyo, Japan

Re: Kratom is working for me

Post by erika13 »

Hi Nellie,

I'm so happy to hear that Kratom is still working for you.
I've now been taking it for almost 2 years and it still is incredibly effective at relieving RLS.
I am taking the "red vein Borneo" strain and really haven't needed to increase the dose, but I can't go a night without it now ..
Regarding the facial hyperpigmentation, I did read that somewhere however, I haven't noticed any pigmentation and I have naturally fair and quite freckly skin.

The only impact may be on hormones, particularly testosterone .. but this applies to all the opioids. Even though it it not an opioid, it does work on opioid receptors.
A lack of sleep though in itself has a profound impact on hormone levels and testosterone.

I really hope it continues to work well!

pinkynose
Posts: 77
Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2015 10:58 pm

Re: Kratom is working for me

Post by pinkynose »

This is a very interesting and hopeful thread for me as new person. I have a question if someone wouldn't mind answering:
I'm assuming you order the powder form. If so what do you mix it with. If not is there a different form you use?
Thank you for your help.

lhoff12085
Posts: 69
Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2015 1:04 pm
Location: Sarasota, FL

Re: Kratom is working for me

Post by lhoff12085 »

I have never heard of this but it seems worth a try. Are you allowed to say where you buy it? I'm afraid of mail ordering from just any place on the web. Also, can you give approx cost and how much to order at a time? Thanks...

jul2873
Posts: 445
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2012 7:32 pm

Re: Kratom is working for me

Post by jul2873 »

I get it from Velvet Soul, but to see it on their site you have to use the search box and type in the kind of kratom you want. I like the Red Leaf Borneo, as it is both sedating and good for pain relief. It seems to do the best with my RLS symptoms. I usually order 4 oz. of the crushed leaf Red Leaf Borneo (about 50 dollars). When it comes, I transfer it to a plastic food container, and measure out six 1/2 tsp. doses, which I put into six of those little plastic jello cups with lids. Then I add orange juice to each little cup, and put all of them in the refrigerator, along with the container of the rest of the kratom. The orange juice helps dissolve the kratom, which is not water soluable, but does dissolve in the acid in orange juice. I drink a little cup when I start to get symptoms. I drink usually 5-6 cups in a 24 hour period.

Good luck. I hope it works for you.

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