Update on moderation/thoughts welcome

[Cuttlefish]

I made a post a few months back about “quitting” or taking a long break and resuming without daily use. Curious about any others who aren’t daily users and have successfully moderated.

Yes, I know everyone always says if you were already dependent on x substance you can’t use it responsibly, I don’t believe in that. Just to get that out of the way.

After about 5 weeks off, I started buying from a headshop, that stuff sucked, so I finally reordered online.

I have been taking kratom Wednesday’s and Saturday’s, usually 8 gram across the day. Sunday I take nothing, and m t th f I take rhodiola rosea. Every now and then I’ll take a dose Tuesday night. So far I am having success with this regimen. My kratom burns are great, the rhodiola is keeping me motivated enough, I’ve dropped agmatine fully, I just take dlpa and a slew of vitamins on the m t th f days as well. The day after kratom use, in the morning, I feel “foggy” but that is all.

Curious about other people’s regimens, and if given I stick to this schedule, do you think it will become unsustainable? As of now, my off days aren’t bad. I don’t know how I used to work on kratom all those years, it now makes me feel like only using it when home for tv time, or stuff like that, not getting work done.

I feel really good, but part of me also wonders how good I would eventually feel if I quit kratom for day a year instead of 5 weeks. I am not a pain patient, ex hard drug user and use kratom for mood.

[brave777]

You will feel good not using it. If no pain and no stress, go for it, the benefits are awesome. Sensitivity and sex what most struggle when kratom is near. I mean weekdays or something is alright, just best to quit like cigarettes because it still even on week days it can lure in to everyday use. Unless you are 100% disciplined. Or use it as emergency... something happened, stress, close one died. or you broken an arm or an leg. car crash. save it only for emergency. If have too, you might end up using everyday to stay sane. so never trow it away, put it in a dark cabin, and only if you have to use it.

[BallzDeep9]

I don’t know how I used to work on kratom all those years, it now makes me feel like only using it when home for TV time, or stuff like that, not getting work done. ... I am not a pain patient, ex hard drug user and use kratom for mood.

Valid questions. IS "brain fog" a side effect of daily kratom use? Or only happens with abuse? Obviously being sedated, abusing to the point where you're very tired, can only lay on the couch zoned out... IS not ideal for getting things done. I've had to lower my serving size, way way down, in effort to keep the energy & mood lift while avoiding fog and tired-ness. I take some caffeine along with, or after, my kratom.

As everyone knows, kratom is super versatile.. Almost an All purpose supplement. We get into boxes on those Forums where ppl use kratom for totally different reasons. But I have no interest in getting sedated, nodding, bombed out, "fucked up" or whatever the chronic drug folks are after... I respect that kratom IS proven, to help those who are detoxing off opiates, or moving on from long history of hard drugs. Seems like it's helped alcoholics too! And those folks need a much larger GPD serving.

But those of us, who take for depression/ mood/ energy... Want to avoid any withdrawal or tired feeling!! I've heard it called adrenal fatigue? Is that a "syndrome" not sure .. Personally I enjoy daily kratom, but it's definitely a balancing act - imo you need to at least split dose twice a day, to 3X - due to short term nature of kratom.. which leads to careful timing of meals and snacks even. Non Daily use is definitely an option! I was able to "chip" on opioids for years, Oxy's, hydro even heroin... Having seen my friends at the Methadone Clinic and worse.. idk whether I had sheer will power, or what but I lived with rules like 2 Days per week. So it can be done!!

[RubberToes]

Definitely a balancing act - for me, I prefer it equally spaced daily OR my "inner dialog" plays non-stop that i am missing something and that "voice" seems more detrimental than the abstinence. The balance is finding just the right daily helping that is beneficial with minimal detriments and for me that is under 10g a day. I never indulge in the evening so I always have a 12 to 14 hour daily break, though i do experience teary eyes within an hour of waking.
I just finished a casual 2 month taper to 4g a day and still have the teary eyes in the morning, not sure that a complete break would relieve this as I choose to use Kratom daily as my life has benefited tremendously (as long as I have the control)
BTW - Took me a while to find my balance as I definitely got punished in the beginning!

[Drifting]

I'm not asking anyone in particular this question I'm simply asking in general, but it fits with this thread - Until you know how much is too much how can you adequately even address the dosing part of it? I mean if your goal (like mine) is pain relief, and 5 grams isn't doing it for you then shouldn't you increase until you find the "sweet" spot? Since no 2 people seem to react the same to Kratom it seems like there isn't even a consensus on what constitutes a large dose, and that is what is the most confusing....For me anyways....Thoughts?

[BallzDeep9]

.... shouldn't you increase until you find the "sweet" spot? Since no 2 people seem to react the same to Kratom it seems like there isn't even a consensus on what constitutes a large dose,

Good questions. Increasing dose chasing the elusive sweet spot - Is how people get in trouble with kratom? And wind up on r/quitting complaining of horrible side-effect, brain fog, fatigue, withdrawals, night sweats, hair falling out, RLS, et cetera.. Have you checked out that sub? I disagree about consensus, there is a ball-park consensus depending on your reasons for using kratom... You're in the Chronic Pain group? OK how much pain? Lights out Cancer pain? Then you need a Fent patch Rx from a doctor.. sorry but kratom ain't gonna be strong enough, no matter how much U abuse it.... Kratom is kratom!

I do think it's reasonable to experiment - But at the point where you're getting less effects from a higher dose, compared to the week before? From 10, to 30, gpd? Even big money $ extracts, Kratom is kratom. Be honest with yourself that's all.... Lot of folks looking for something, stronger than kratom?

Chronic Pain is a big problem. Kratom helps some... But it's clearly NOT as strong as opiates! I hear those using Agmatine and magnesium, and possibly ULDN? Memantine? could help pain relief? (while taking away some Mood Lift).. there are large groups on Facebook for LDN. Its gotta be frustrating.

[RubberToes]

I'm not asking anyone in particular this question I'm simply asking in general, but it fits with this thread - Until you know how much is too much how can you adequately even address the dosing part of it? I mean if your goal (like mine) is pain relief, and 5 grams isn't doing it for you then shouldn't you increase until you find the "sweet" spot? Since no 2 people seem to react the same to Kratom it seems like there isn't even a consensus on what constitutes a large dose, and that is what is the most confusing....For me anyways....Thoughts?

That's a tough one to answer - I take it for mood, energy & pain relief and know that 10g spread over the day gives me the maximum benefits without negative effects.
It took me a while to figure this out with plenty of trial and error.
I still have to taper down every now and then - this reminds me of my baseline and consequently brings back most of the benefits when i return to my threshold.
Not sure if this is a good answer as I do not take it just for pain, and for me it does not remove my pain, but makes me feel better and then the pain is not so bad