How long have you been using kratom?

[GreenAnimal]

Just extremely curious how long everyone has been using kratom. For me it’s been almost 7 years but I still feel like I’m endlessly learning about this plant. It still continues to surprise me in new ways. I’ve browsed much of this board and it seems we have everything from pros all the way to new people and everything in between.

[Bandit357]

septmenber of 2018 just got back from
back doctor turned on netflix and the documentery Leaf of faith was on my watch list
learned what kratom was that day

[e_poison]

I believe it was around 2017. My memory is SO bad lately. It really is true the older I get, the more I have to write down. My entire desk is covered in post-its and my notes app on my phone is a nightmare of disorganized thoughts.

I do, however, remember that my first vendor was Canopy.

[Madvillain626]

First order was Baik Bali from mmmspeciosa back in December 2014. Interested in finding people who used kratom prior to the 2010s, when the "culture" went semi-mainstream.

I found out about kratom via a thread on another message board from 2012.

[GreenAnimal]

First order was Baik Bali from mmmspeciosa back in December 2014.

Wow, over a decade! You definitely have some experience under your belt. I remember mmmspeciosa! Do you take kratom for pain relief?

[Madvillain626]

First order was Baik Bali from mmmspeciosa back in December 2014.

Wow, over a decade! You definitely have some experience under your belt. I remember mmmspeciosa! Do you take kratom for pain relief?

I use it for energy and mood lift generally, though a little u4ia here and there aint bad. Once you become a kratom enthusiast though you want a little (or a lot) of everything so I try to keep some slower reds around. Generally my focus is on faster reds, upper mid greens, and mid whites.

[pray4peace4]

I started kratom use in September 2016. I had a back injury(7 bulging disks & 2 ruptured disks) & could barely work. I needed to stay employed one more year so I could get a retirement pension. Opiates started being withdrawn with new federal rules & my doc stopped my prescription, so I did an internet search for herbal pain relievers. I had no idea who was a good vendor, so I just picked one at random. It was really expensive. The strain was Dragon Fire from a vendor whose name I can't remember. It worked fantastic! I was able to function normally at work & retire a year later. Great stuff, this Green Muck.

[terposton]

I started daily use in 2015 but the first time I tried it was in the 90's. My best friends Mom was from Indonesia and her relatives would send her kratom tea. I didn't care for the taste but loved the way it made me feel.

[ivanquamay]

I had been using the smoke shop stuff for a little over a year when the ban scare happened. If the ban had gone through, I very likely would have started back down that path and OD-ed on fent by now.

I do miss that east coast #4 though.

I'll never take heroin again.

I never thought I'd ever be able to say that.

100% kratom's doing. I just wish I knew about it sooner.

I've turned down a pain script! ME!!!

THE DOCTOR MADE ME FEEL BAD FOR IT TOO!!

"Yeah, doc. I'd rather rely on plants."

[GreenAnimal]

100% kratom's doing. I just wish I knew about it sooner.

I've turned down a pain script! ME!!!

THE DOCTOR MADE ME FEEL BAD FOR IT TOO!!

Good job on staying clean. The doc made you feel bad because it cut into their profits. When they prescribe pain meds, they know it’s a way to keep you as a repeat patient for all that sweet insurance billing for monthly visits, urine screens, blood work, etc and they can make you jump through a bunch of hoops at their whim. It gets old extremely fast. Been down that road. Never again! So glad I found kratom!

[Lemonlime]

I started in 2014. Wow, time flies.

[Suleyken]

I started September 2016, when I had some really difficult family stuff happening and googled: natural antidepressant. Found an article by a journalist who tried different things and Kratom seemed the best! I bought my first batch from Happy Hippo(yes, I know) and it was amazing. I could focus, I could work and get stuff done. I felt great, positive, energetic. Pretty much took it daily ever since.

[Pixiedust]

On and off for 10 years, more consistently over the last few years. I'm always learning more about the plant.

[Blergs]

Since about 2007, around 20yrs. No one really knew wtf it was back then. Found it from alot of deep research. How I found kava root too (which I love, but does pretty much nothing for my pain unfortunately)

[Madvillain626]

Since about 2007, around 20yrs. No one really knew wtf it was back then. Found it from alot of deep research. How I found kava root too (which I love, but does pretty much nothing for my pain unfortunately)

Part of my interest in this plant was the idea of getting in on something "new", it was fun learning about the plant, different strains, trying out different vendors and farmers. I found out about kratom via folks who were into nootropics like racetams or phenibut. Now it feels somewhat bittersweet in retrospect having seen vendors come and go, some even passing away (R.I.P. Liza) but overall this plant has changed my life for the better.

[herbalhippie]

7 years, maybe 8? Still under 1 gram per dose.

[ivanquamay]

7 years, maybe 8? Still under 1 gram per dose.

I don't know about you, but I was taking it here and there at random before, but the ban attempt proved to me that it was a good alternative. Just the sheer amount of money and time spent trying to sway people's already lacking opinion is staggering, and the fact that they can't illegalize it effectively being honest about it to me means that not only is it not bad for me, it just may actually be GOOD for me.

Sorry I pressed return way too soon there. Haha!

[terposton]

I started September 2016, when I had some really difficult family stuff happening and googled: natural antidepressant. Found an article by a journalist who tried different things and Kratom seemed the best! I bought my first batch from Happy Hippo(yes, I know) and it was amazing. I could focus, I could work and get stuff done. I felt great, positive, energetic. Pretty much took it daily ever since.

You sound like me after years of trying every antidepressant under the sun and still feeling depressed, I found kratom and it changed my life. It's the best antidepressant ever made.

[Pixiedust]

On and off since 2015, but now consistently over the past 4 years. I'm constantly learning about kratom. When I first started, it was a little overwhelming. Now,I feel overwhelmed at times trying to keep up with regulations and potential bans.

[dimmitree]

I ordered my first batch when I was 19? I still remember because that was the last year I used heroin. So... 12 years-ish. I quit taking it after a month or so and didn't really start back up until January 2015 to help me quit a severe pill addiction. Started taking huge amounts, then cut down to 25g or so a day. Dose has been 15-30g a day every since. 10 years in, I was getting horrible side effects. Mainly digestive issues, but also overstimulation and high anxiety.

I microdosed mushrooms and decided to quit kratom after a month of microdosing. I started cutting down to zero on Jan 1 2025, stopped taking it from Feb to May, but I started using 4-7g a day again this month. Kinda disappointed in myself, but at least the dose is low. Already getting psychological withdrawals close to dose time a week and a half in. Sad. Made it 3 months. I'm pretty disappointed in myself because I was totally back to "normal" for the first time in 15 years when I started using it again.

Thinking I might quit again, but, damn, do I love kratom. The physical withdrawal wasn't that bad at all, but I was wired 24/7 and would go off at the tiniest thing, sadly. Caused issues for people I loved and almost lost my job. I should have cut down more slowly, in hindsight. Kratom is the perfect drug for tapering since the doses are in grams.

It's probably just the decade I used it daily that makes it hard to quit. That and before I quit, I had pretty much been using some kind of drug daily since I was 17, so being drug free is hard.

Edit: Honestly, I was being dramatic af about the 4-7g. Didn't take kratom today, went out and I feel fine now.

[erinmmmkay]

I’ve been using kratom for about 6 years. My cousin recommended it to me because I wanted to get off of suboxone. It really helps with my chronic pain and fatigue.