How Much Kratom Is Too Much to Take?

Kratom, a tropical evergreen tree from Southeast Asia has drawn concern from critics and praise from advocates. Some of the praises the plant has received are its ability to ease stress, produce sedation and/or energy.

Among those who criticize Kratom are the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who claim that it carries similar risks of addiction and abuse as narcotic opioid and can cause death. With this information, how much Kratom is too much? Let’s find out.

Why Use Kratom?

First things first, Kratom has been used for hundreds of years due to its many benefits. However, the same herb produces effects that make it you dependent on it, and whereas high doses may induce feelings of euphoria, prolonged use can cause serious health complications such as respiratory depression.

Whatever the effects, millions of people have been using Kratom as a natural alternative to pharmaceutical medicine due to its widespread availability, low cost, and high potency.

Kratom enthusiasts say that this plant has tremendous health benefits, but unfortunately, there’s no scientific evidence to support these claims.

If you’ve been using Kratom or you intend to start using it someday, you must know the acceptable dose or else, you’ll make it a drug of abuse, which could impact your life.

What Exactly is Kratom?

Kratom is an herb from the coffee family and grows naturally in Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, New Guinea, and Papua. It has been used as traditional medicine since the 19th century but was not until recently when it was introduced in the United States.

The bitter leaves of Kratom can be ingested in various ways; it can be taken in tablet or powder form, as a tea, (click here to learn how to make your own kratom tea) incorporated in juices and caffeinated drinks, or mixed with codeine syrups. Some people like to chew the leaves.

There are two main active compounds in Kratom; these are, Mitragynine and 7-Hydroxymitragynine. According to research, Mitragynine acts as a stimulant and interacts with the receptor systems in the brain.

Alkaloid 7-Hydroxymitragynine is nearly 13 times stronger than morphine and binds with opioid receptors in the brain. The effects of this evergreen tree are felt when taken at high doses, and on an empty stomach, the effects can be felt within 10-20 minutes.

How Much Kratom is Too Much?

First things first, is there such a thing as too much Kratom? The answer to that question is YES, but there’s no generalized chart for the use of Kratom as it affects people differently.

There are various strains of Kratom, which vary widely in longevity and potency of effects. This means that the pain relief, amount of energy, and feelings of well being differ depending on the product used.

Besides, people are different, and the amount of Kratom a person may consider too much may not be the same for someone else, and hence recommendable to decide what works best for you according to your individual needs.

There is also a personal factor in how Kratom products can affect you. For instance, individual suffering from intense pain requires frequent intake of higher doses of Kratom than someone with mild pain.

We can, therefore, conclude that too much Kratom is taking the highest dose of Kratom more frequently

Arriving at the perfect dose for you

1. Take the lowest possible dose according to your needs

2. Understand that Kratom varies in effects according to the vein color. For instance;

• White veined Kratom – Stimulating
• Green-veined Kratom – Mood-boosting
• Red veined Kratom – Sedating
• Gold/Yellow Vein Kratom – Energy boost

3. Understand low, moderate, high, and very high doses of Kratom in grams.

Bottom Line

Kratom changes the brain in the same manner as opioid, and therefore, it produces similar withdrawal symptoms as well as overdose signs.

It is likely for people who use Kratom for the recreational purpose to develop an addiction which can eventually build up a tolerance, requiring the user to take too much Kratom to feel the desired effects.

To be precise, too much Kratom is using high doses more frequently, which can cause seizures, liver damage, respiratory depression, symptoms of psychosis, and when adulterated with other substances, it might result in death.

It is therefore recommendable to take it responsibly and if you don’t know how much Kratom will successfully suit your needs, ask for assistance from a health professional.