Kratom Withdrawal Timeline / Intensity / Opioid Withdrawal Use

Kratom Withdrawal Timeline

While there have not yet been enough studies performed to get a clear picture of Kratom withdrawal in humans, we can look at some documented cases¹ ² to get a rough idea of the time involved in the acute (potentially dangerous) withdrawal phase. Having very similar symptoms to Opioid withdrawal, going through withdrawal from Kratom appears to take a similar amount of time to complete the acute phase. Depending on the amounts and length of time you used Kratom, the acute phase lasts roughly 4 to 7 days. It would be wise to seek medical attention for Kratom withdrawal, especially for the first few days to make sure you undergo this process in the safest way possible.

First 24 Hours

Withdrawal symptoms will begin around 12 hours from the last time you used Kratom. The first symptoms will be diaphoresis (excessive sweating) and weakness with an increase in anxiety. These will start off very mild and escalate dramatically over the first day. From roughly 12 to 24 hours after Kratom use, you can expect to also begin experiencing muscle, joint, or bone pain, abdominal pain and nausea, and visual distortions (not necessarily hallucinations). A fever is also expected to begin during the first day and possibly worsen. Anxiety will increase throughout the day and night and insomnia is extremely common during the first few days. Cravings for Kratom may also begin at this point. Also, mood swings (sometimes very intense) may be expected, but the appearance of mood swings and their intensity varies greatly between people.

Days 2 and 3

The above mentioned symptoms will still be very much present, and may even worsen during the second day. During this time, depression may set in as well as cravings for Kratom beginning or intensifying. The visual distortions that some people experience may disappear during this time. Uncoordinated movements and possibly tremors can begin during this time, and insomnia, lack of appetite, and dehydration can worsen these symptoms. Fever will usually stabilize during this time.

Days 4 through 7

While the physical symptoms begin to lessen over several days anxiety, depression, and cravings can become more pronounced. Typically the pain in the muscles, joints, or bones will decrease substantially during this time. The abdominal pain may go away completely but the nausea may persist for a few more days. Likewise, the tremors, fever, and coordination issues will probably resolve around the fourth day, although a mild tremor may persist for a short time.

Week 2 and Onwards (Post Acute)

The worst of the physical symptoms of acute withdrawal are behind you at this point, although you aren’t completely out of the woods yet. The depression and cravings mentioned earlier will probably persist or maybe even intensify over the next few weeks. Anxiety can also be expected to be present for some time, but generally lessens in the weeks after acute withdrawal. It is critical that if you have not already sought treatment of some form, to do so as soon as possible. The weeks after acute withdrawal pose the highest risk of relapse, as now that the physical symptoms are gone and the memory of that misery fades, the psychological symptoms and cravings can make it seem more and more attractive to try Kratom again.

Kratom Withdrawal Intensity

The lack of regulation on Kratom makes it hard to determine the exact doses that a user is taking, however it is known that higher doses of Kratom will produce more intense withdrawal symptoms. Similar to Opioid withdrawal, the longer Kratom is used and the larger the amounts used, the greater the withdrawal symptoms will be. For example, the first study referenced above focused on a user who had been using Kratom for ~2 years, although the medical staff was unable to discern the purity of the Kratom extract she was using. Also, the second study referenced was a man who used Kratom for about 3 1/2 years, and he claimed his withdrawal was less intense than classic Opioid withdrawal, but lasted longer.

For a more exact look, a collaboration study performed by the Universiti Sains Malaysia and the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany seems to be definitive on this matter. They surveyed 293 regular Kratom users and found that of those who used Kratom for more than 6 months, more than half developed severe dependence on Kratom, while just under half had moderate Kratom dependence problems. The average amount of the active metabolite Mitragynine in the Kratom drinks these subjects were taking was 79mg per drink. Those that had 3 or more Kratom drinks per day had a much higher chance of developing Kratom addiction, withdrawal, and cravings. Finally, the withdrawal symptoms become more intense the longer the drug is used as well as the amounts that are used¹.

The intensity of withdrawal symptoms is directly linked to the length of time Kratom was used and the amounts that were used. Likewise, depending on the amounts used, a user can be expected to fall somewhere in the range of 4 to 7 days of withdrawal duration. The less was used, the less intense the withdrawals, and the shorter the symptoms persist.

Kratom Used for Opioid Withdrawal

Many people have begun using Kratom as a means to stop taking Opioids. While Kratom can produce similar effects to Opioids and may reduce withdrawal symptoms, there is a very real possibility of becoming addicted to Kratom while using it in this way. While there is ongoing and future plans for research into this application of Kratom, the positive claims for this use are anecdotal and unfounded in scientific fact. It is not recommended to use Kratom in this way, and it may even do more harm than good.

Even with a complete lack of medical or scientific evidence, there have been many anecdotal claims¹ of Kratom used to successfully treat Opioid withdrawal. It should be pointed out that Kratom is a much weaker Opioid receptor agonist compared to many classic Opioids. This means that someone addicted to Opioids is going to have to do a large amount of Kratom to suppress the serious withdrawal symptoms. The lack of research on the many compounds in Kratom, as well as some early research about a few (in particular MPI) indicate that Kratom use in large doses is especially dangerous as a possibly neurotoxic agent and as the long term risks are not fully known.

It is unclear just how effective Kratom can be with regards to Opioid detox or withdrawal assistance. As mentioned, the active drugs in Kratom do exhibit cross-tolerance to Opioids. Since Kratom does work on some of the same Opioid receptors as classic Opioids, it does make sense that withdrawal symptoms would be lessened through Kratom substitution¹. Someone using Kratom in this manner would essentially just be switching one chemical addiction for another, as there is no documented studies even suggesting that Kratom can be used as an addiction recovery aid.

Some preliminary research published in September 2019 has indicated that Kratom used as an Opioid detox treatment may actually have the opposite effect. Administration of 7-HMG, a component of Kratom, has been shown to increase future Opioid intake and cravings for Opioids. Also, 7-HMG itself is considered to have a high potential for abuse which negates any claim that it may help with another addiction. Strangely, the compound which is most abundant in Kratom – Mitragynine – does seem to decrease future Opioid use. While Mitragynine is more abundant in Kratom, 7-HMG is a much more potent compound so the implications of these findings are not clear as of yet. While these findings still need to be discussed and reviewed at length, there seems to be no merit to the claims that Kratom can help with Opioid withdrawal¹.