In the United States, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that 128 people die every day as a result of opioid overdoses. The staggering statistics clearly illustrate the chronic use of opiates and the widespread dangers.
Whether prescription pain killers, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, or hardcore drugs like heroin, the addictive characteristics have spurred a national crisis with an economic burden of 78.5 billion each year which includes the cost of additional treatment, lost wages, health care, and criminal justice cases. The grim situation and the bleak future are sending many looking for solutions which is why medical professionals and addicts are now looking closely at kratom vs. opiates. Can kratom help overcome opiate addiction?
Table of Contents
Kratom is a natural solution – Kratom vs. Opiates
Kratom refers to an herb obtained from the tropical evergreen tree Mitragyna speciosa which grows naturally throughout most of southeastern Asia. Interestingly, the tree is classified in the same family as coffee beans.
Local people will brew the plant fibers into a rich tea or chew on the leaves. When used at a low dose, kratom produces very stimulant-like qualities. A greater amount creates an opiate-like reaction that is very sedative. The alkaloids Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine within the plant’s fibers are the active ingredients.
When looking at kratom vs. opiates, we must take a deep look at the opioid crisis in the United States. Without a doubt, the opioid addiction process launched in the 1990s. The medical community started to freely prescribe opioid pain relievers a far greater rate than previously. It is believed that the additional prescriptions are what led to the current crisis because of the highly addictive nature of prescription substances.
In 2017, over 47,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses. Reports showed that 1.7 million people were addicted either to prescription pain relievers or street drugs like heroin. To kick the habit, many have turned to rehabilitation centers to overcome withdrawals. However, such treatment facilities are expensive and often not covered by insurance or the person is simply uninsured. In such situations, some people have decided to try to clean up without medical help. Addicts often use kratom to cope with the often-extreme opiate withdrawal symptoms.
WebMD reports how Eric Mayhew J. used kratom to kick is decade opioid addiction. After sustaining a knee injury, Mayhew found himself addicted to opioids. He opted not to undergo inhouse treatment but decided to try to go it ‘solo’ with a detox program all his own. Sadly, he struggled for two years with no success in overcoming his addiction. However, he then decided to try kratom.
This is what Mayhew said about the herb, “ What Kratom does is kills your brain’s desire when you feel addicted to opiates and you want opiates. It dulls your pain and you start to get your wits back again.”
To stay clean, he now takes to two to four kratom capsules per day. He has no side effects from the herb and believes that it helps bolster his willpower substantially, “You have to want things to work. Nothing works unless you understand that, “ states Mayhew. Luckily since turning to kratom, he has not relapsed back with opiates.
Gaining treatment for opiate addiction is difficult. Most rehabs have long waitlists and are very expensive. Sadly, only about 21.5 percent of addicts get treatment to help them battle their addictions. However, for some people committed to getting clean, kratom becomes a viable option for a do-it-yourself withdrawal plan. Interestingly, up to 70 percent of kratom users have turned to the herb to gain control over their opioid addiction. When looking at kratom vs. opiates, kratom clearly comes out on top as a benefit instead of a hindrance for such individuals.
Kratom is widely available in capsules, powder, and tea forms – Kratom vs. Opiates
In recent years, kratom has been used as a self-treatment option for a variety of health problems. Luckily, the herb has few side effects. Some users might experience nausea or constipation but those are infrequent and usually only happen with high doses.
WebMD looked at a study carried out in 2008 by Edward W. Boyer MD, the director of academic development in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and found that a 43-year old man used kratom to cope with pain and overcome opioid abuse. Although he spent $15,000 per year for kratom tea, he did report that it helped him with his opioid withdrawal and curbed his pain without drowsiness or other unpleasant side effects.
“I think the cool thing about it is this guy went from injection drug use to nothing, and all he had was a runny nose. It’s similar to something like methadone or any other opioid, but what is different is withdrawal from those substances is far more involved.”
After studying mice and kratom, he states, “It is probably addictive, but its addictive equivalent is something like coffee, which isn’t surprising because the leaf is in the coffee family. We firmly believe that it will be very good for treating opioid withdrawal and maybe a possible solution to the opioid epidemic we are facing as a country.”
Kratom remains widely popular as a self-treatment aid in detoxing from opioids.
Kratom has been used for centuries – Kratom vs. Opiates
Opioids remain the number one choice for pain relief. Kratom is not without risks and side effects such as addiction. Another problem is respiratory depression such as shallow breathing or fatal overdose which occurs when breathing stops.
Andrew Kruegel, PhD, an associate research scientist in the department of chemistry at Columbia University in New York, states on WebMD, “If you could come up with a drug that either got rid of the addiction liability or got rid of the respiratory depression… you would have a serious leg up on what’s out there right now.” He considers kratom an atypical opioid that does interact differently in the brain.
The alkaloids in kratom, Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, have a similar impact on the brain but without causing respiratory depression. They are considered partial agonist. According to Kruegel means, “They can activate the brain in such a way that they provide pain relief without, or at least with less, respiratory depression. In fact, they don’t turn on the receptor as fully as you would with morphine or fentanyl, for example. You only get a partial response. That is also protective in terms of respiratory depression side effects.”
Johns Hopkins Medicine carried out a survey of 2700 plus kratom users and looked at the opioid receptor-mediated effects to see if they were less harmful than prescription opioids. When comparing kratom vs. opiates, they found that kratom provided a far lower rate of harm than standard prescription opioids used for pain, addiction, anxiety, and depression.
The researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine stated, “Although our findings show kratom to be relatively safe according to these self-reports, unregulated medicinal supplements raise concerns with respect to contamination or higher doses of the active chemicals, which could increase negative side effects and harmful responses. This is why we advocate for the FDA to regulate kratom, which would require testing for impurities and maintaining safe levels of the active chemicals.”
In an interview, Dr. Christopher McCurdy of the University of Florida College of Pharmacy states, “I definitely believe there is legitimacy to using kratom to self-treat an opiate addiction. I believe it from the standpoint of the material we know is pure and unadulterated and good. I just don’t know if all products available are consistently pure and good.”
He goes on to state that the lack of withdrawals is a benefit. “That it helps them stop their cravings for going back to opioids and helps them with their mood.
“It is probably addictive, but its addictive equivalent is something like coffee, which isn’t surprising because the leaf is in the coffee family,”
McCurdy says. “We firmly believe that it will be very good for treating opioid withdrawal and maybe a possible solution to the opioid epidemic we are facing as a country. You don’t know what you are getting, and I think that is the scary thing about going into self-treatment. On the flip side, I can tell you I get at least one email a week from someone on prescription opioids or heroin that states they have gotten off those drugs by using kratom.”
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48 Responses
The pure, natural form of kratom makes it a perfect fit for human health. Unlike Opiates that is known for addiction, kratom is natural with no side effect. One perfect thing with kratom is the fact that your day can run, as usual, this is very different from opiates. With Opiates you feel lazy and unable to coordinate the day’s activity. Kratom is a better fit
Another plus for Kratom. Besides the many other benefits like pain relief, treatment of mild ailments and a quick energy boost Kratom can still be used to treat Opiate addiction. This is good for the rehabilitation centers that are busy treating people to get off the addiction. I just wish our governments could license these herbs so they can be widely used.
This is great! I have really learnt a lot about kratom from the numerous articles you have written this website you have dedicated totally to kratom. Learning about the use and benefit of kratom is very interesting. And it is also great to know that kratom, aside being better than Opioids, it can also be used to stop the addiction of Opioids. I definitely advise my friends to choose kratom instead of opioids.
This article was really interesting, and is also an eye opener, the stats stated was really shocking. I have previously heard that kratom can help opiate addiction but I thought those were rumuors, This article was really educative as I learnt so much about Kratom. Just shared it with a friend, Thanks.
In most respects,ratom is no different than other opiates.The only real exception is that it doesn’t give a good feeling.At least not in the traditional sense.
Heck,it’s even less pleasant than getting a shot of novacaine at the dentist,but it serves a definite purpose.
It protects and helps your mind and is better than just sitting there with no protection.
Wow. I am very glad that I came across a text like this. I’ve known about Kratom for a while. I live in Serbia and although it is legal here, it is impossible to find it. It is already well known that Kratom has a good effect on depression, anxiety and energy. In addition, Kratom has a good effect on treatment of opioids addiction, which is a very important topic nowadays. With careful follow-up of the instructions for use, it certainly cannot have any negative effects. I am very sorry that I cannot find it in my country, I would like to try it.
This article is much much needed, and some who like run to the pharmacy for everything should really read this. I have never heard about Kratom and base on what you wrote it is very useful and most importantly is is natural. I also like how you carefully explain the side effects as well, Kratom even being use to Help with Opiate Addiction is awesome. couple questions. Do people smoke these leaves like the marijuana as well?
Thank for your information.
Hi Earl,
You can smoke Kratom but it is not very popular and we strongly recommend Kratom is not consumed in this way.
Please take a look at an entire article we have written HERE about the dangers of smoking Kratom?
Thanks for the question and comment that can really help a lot of people reading this and thinking about smoking Kratom.
Wow! I think the idea that the withdrawal process is eased would have to be a big winner in the eyes of someone looking to overcome opiod addiction. I know, because I’ve been there and it’s a living hell. The idea of being stuck in a rut with no way out should not be in anyones mind. Keep on spreading the word my friend, and hopefully we can clean up this opiod mess once and for all.
Knowing the difference between the two products is really helpful and enlightening. With all these features about Kratom, I think they should step up their game so as to be generally accepted. Even to the extent of being used or prescribed in hospitals. Thank you for bringing this up again for us to learn from. It’s appreciated
Hello and thanks for giving a clear explanation about Kratom compared to Opiates. Yes, I agree that using opiates may cause addiction and Kratom is relatively safer. Also, as far as I know, Kratom can be obtained legally from trusted seller while it’s illegal to buy opiates freely. This is a nice insight, thank you
Thank you for a very informative post on kratom vs opiates, which is a very interesting observation and comparison. The many uses that kratom can be applied to always leave me impressed by the plant and that is the case with article. Overcoming opioid addiction is hard enough without having any assistance can be far deadlier
Opioid is one major drug that has been abused over the years. This abuse causes an addiction to the use all in the name of relieving pains. There are are really great benefits of kratom and it’s uses. I think kratom is indeed the best remedy for eliminating opiod addiction. Thanks for this interesting piece of review
Hello, Thank you another sharing this beautiful article on Kratom. This This article is informative and enlightening. I have read about 4 articles on kratom – and i am glad to come across this on which is centered on the review on Opium versus Kratom.I never expected that kratom could be used against opiate addiction. I am so happy to discover this.I hope opiate addicted users can come across this article
Hello there , I’m really glad I came across this amazing article, I know kratom has a lot of healthy benefits but to be honest I had no idea kratom can help with opiate addiction, I really enjoyed reading this amazing article review, it’s highly informative and helpful, and I love the fact it’s very explanatory, it was really thoughtful of you to share this great review, I will definitely recommend this to others that might be interested.
Thank you so much for sharing with us such an interesting and amazing article. kratom is undoubtedly good which plays an important role in relieving any pain. I have no experience in using it but I saw a resourceful article of yours and realized how useful it is. I decided I would use it which would be beneficial for my health.
Finally, I would like to share this resourceful article of yours on my social media group so that everyone can know about this kratom and use it.
Personally, I think that everything in life has to be in moderation. In case of opiates, it has to owns purpose but it is highly addictive. Here in the U.S. most of the heavy pain killers are based on opiates. Do you know that pure heroine powder can stop the bleeding in seconds? Yep, learned that from my grandfather and his medicine cabinet. Bless his heart.
I am sure that Kratom is a great solution for addiction. I am no stranger to Oxy and I have to say that even for me that doesn’t have an addicting personality, I still miss the sensation of it.
I think if you do not have bad pain, stay away from opioids and use Kratom instead. Everything has it’s own purpose, you just have to use it with cautious.
In this contest, it is quite obvious who the winner is. We need to celebrate articles like these. I am Really glad that you there is this comparison. Showing what kratom does and comparing them to opiates.. Thank you for educating me on this subject. This article has opened up a completely new world for me.
It’s very thoughtful of you to share this article here, there are lots of natural medicines out there and are very effective when it comes to treating health conditions Amazing to see that Kratom can trigger the same receptors in the brain as opiates. Looking forward to learning more about Kratom on the website.
However useful opioids may be in treating pain in humans, we are well aware that they are very dangerous when addiction develops. It’s nice to know that there is something natural that can help break this addiction. We need to talk more about this topic, we need to help people who need help and do not know how to seek help. This plant can be a great solution to the problem.
The fact that there are actually natural options out there such as these makes me feel so much better about our industries. In a way, it restores my faith in humanity, I hate taking medications but with the amount of processed food we have today, it’s nearly impossible to get the right nutrients. This lack of nutrients will cause us to need medications in the future, which I do not want to have to take. The options you’ve provided on this channel, in general, are great. I really never imagined that Kratom could help those who suffer from opiate addictions. This article has been truly beneficial to me, the information is worth sharing.
There is a very big difference between kratom and opiates. It is scary to even think how much harm has been done to people in the world from the use of different types of narcotics and opiates that can contain all sorts of additives, while in short it should not contain additives or any additional substances at all. Excellent instructive text.
I really enjoyed this article, it was really well put together and I found it to be very informative.
There does appear to be some promising data regarding Kratom when it comes to Opioid addiction, and it seems to warrant further study. However, given there are some side effects associated with Kratom, is it recommended you try this herb for moderate pain relief rather than using non addictive and scientifically tested pain killers?
I was also wondering how the herb measures up to CBD oil, which now seems to be a very popular and seemingly relatively side effect free alternative to pain killers?
Hello. I found out great information here and I never even knew that Kratom existed. A natural alternative that does no harm to the body is absolutely worthwhile trying out with no side effects! We should be told of alternatives rather than relying on unhealthy drugs or pharmaceuticals. Herbs are the way to go!
I just recently learned about Kratom in another article and was surprised at all the benefits. I was also surprised to learn that it’s available in many, but not all, areas of our country. Florida allows it, except for one county. That was strange, too.
However, I had no idea that it could be used to treat an opioid addiction–wow! For that alone, it may be worth following. Although I have no first hand experience with opioids, it’s clear that many have become addicted and need some help. This natural treatment might be just the thing.
Thanks for sharing all the information in your article. I look forward to updates!
This is a very interesting article…I have never heard of Kratom before. It is from the coffee family, but does it contain caffeine? Once of the benefits of this that I like is that it can help withdrawal from medication..I am on some medication and I have not got an alternative that can safely withdraw from the effects of the medication I am on.
Could Kratom help? I am currently on Paliperidone….It makes me slightly sleepy, so I have stopped eating chicken, living on a more plant-based diet. I have also taken up exercise for my abs..My dreams have returned and I can sometimes recall them.
Does it mean that if I start taking Kratom, I will have dreams in technicolour? My dreams are important to me as I always feel that I have had a good sleep if I have a dream. They happen each night and are sometimes recurring. Kratom helps the mind focus more – this can only be a good thing.
Thanks for sharing!
I learnt so much about Kratoms today, thanks to your wonderful article. Kratom is a herb obtained from the tropical evergreen tree Mitragyna which grows naturally throughout most of southeastern Asia. Interestingly, the tree is classified in the same family as coffee beans. Would love to know why?
There are so many people I have met who believe strongly that using kratom to self-treat an opiate addiction is a great idea, as it has been known to work. I just hope it is not addictive too.
Aparna.
Opiates definitely has tragic side effects that costs human lives. I would go for Kratom cause firstly it is a HERB! I so hope that people trying to combat Opiate addiction come across the article as I am sure there are plenty of people there spending an arm and a leg for not so helping methods. If Kratom can be given more platform for further research, you would be surprised on the number of other conditions the herb can help. Can Kratom help with other addictions or is it just for the Opiate addiction?
Hi Ezra.
Great question!
Kratom has many uses and you can find out more about the different uses of Kratom HERE.
If you have any additional questions send us an email info@mykratomclub.com
Hope the above information helps.
– MKC
I’m a very big fan of anything natural, that is why I always try as much as possible to make my medications a set of natural supplements that are not harmful or in anyway adding to the problem I’m tryna cure. Kratom is better cos it’s natural but opiates has proven to be dangerous to the health.
47 000 people dead and 128 dying daily! this is seriously a national crisis. Kratom & Opiate are both new names to me. I guess you just gave me a lot of homework to do on the two.I think people must just ensure that whatever medicinal product they put in their mouth should be regulated, tested and approved to mitigate this crisis.
Hmm, that’s the first I’ve heard of Kratom, but then again I don’t do any reading on drug addiction or drug problems in the United States, either. I guess without having had the experience of being addicted to something it is hard to understand what the drug abuser is going through when they try to kick the habit.
I’m sure what we see in the movies doesn’t even come close.
Is it a viable way to get people addicted to opiods free from them? I would think someone would need to do some form of clinical trials. From what I’m seeing in the article nothing like that has been done, other than some surveys.
They talk about having too high of a dose can have side affects, but that can be said about a lot of things that we take as medicine.
We will have to see what the future holds for Kratom.
Hey there Les,
Thanks for the comment.
It is definitely not recommended to self medicate.
Kratom can help with opiate relief and we recommend speaking with your physician prior to taking Kratom and any natural supplements for that matter.
– MKC
Wow, kratom is really this good that it can help with opiates? I can’t say how sweet that feels really and the way it can help fight it is great. The fact that you are also able to give good explanation about kratom is also another exciting thing. I like this very much. Thanks!
Thank you for a very informative post on kratom vs opiates, which is a very interesting observation and comparison. I had no idea that kratom could be used to combat an opiod addiction. i think we tend to forget too often that many of the opiod dependencies come from prescribed drugs, rather than injecting or popping a recreational drug.
Although I have not used kratom, I can certainly see the many beneficial uses of kratom.
I really enjoyed reading your article ‘Kratom vs Opiates’. This is not your first article I am coming across nevertheless I am always struck by the level of professionalism and acquired knowledge that you always show in your article making them easier to understand and learn from. Thank you for sharing this article.
Knowing the differences between kratom and opiate would really help a lot in trying to clear people’s understanding about what kratom does in fact. I value ll you have shared here and honestly, I value it all here. If I can, I will try all my best to ensure that I can actually get into use of all these here. Thanks
Hello there I really wish there are so many thing that can get to some people at the moment so they can learn about it d see how harmful to their health there things are and I’ll be happy. I really appreciate how you have made these things very clear and from here we all can learn so much in the process.
Greetings!
The problem of addiction and mortality of addicts is really worrying according to the given data. If this Kratom is really that useful, it should be included in addiction treatment programs. Unfortunately, it depends on the pharmaceutical lobby whether Kratom would bring them financial benefits or not. For the time being, there are medicines in the programs that bring financial profit.
I wish you all the best
Nina
Thank you very much. i have discovered that Because kratom may ease withdrawal symptoms, people have studied it as a potential treatment. The evidence suggests that rather than treating addiction and withdrawal, the use of kratom may lead to them. thank you for explaining the relationship between kratom and opiates
Hello there!
That is an awesome article from My Krantom Club. I have heard testimonies about the company and the quality of the goods they produce and sell. I hope they continue doing better than this. Will do well to refer my friends to their websites so they can make purchase of some of their products from there.
Thanks.
Thank you for giving this broad description here. We just had an argument on these tow just now at a friend’s place. I am definitely sharing the link here for them.all to reqd your juxtaposition of the two. I told them opiate is way different to Kratom and what they do too are totally different. Thank you so much for this informative post here
In my case and I think many are in the same position I am, I had heard about kratom’s benefits but I never imagined it could help those that suffered from opiate addiction. This information is worth sharing and as many stuff goes viral nowadays (and I honestly don’t find any use in most of the stuff that goes viral), this post should be made viral too.
Thank you so much for sharing us an interesting and informative article. The main theme of this article is Kratom vs. Opiates. It is really laudable that you have illustrated this topic so well in your article. I have learned a lot by reading your article and gained a lot of cognition about it. Of the points mentioned in your article, I like Kratom for Self-Treatment. This self-treatment helps kratom to get rid of opium addiction. So I would say that there is no substitute for Kratom to keep himself healthy from any kind of addiction and to stay free from depression.
I know that Kratom can be used for many health benefits. Providing the information that Kratom can be used instead of Opiates without any withdrawals, seemed more advantageous to people who would want to relieve their pain. Pain is a nasty condition that affect people with certain injuries or health conditions. Kratom to what I understand in this article, provide pain relief with the benefits as listed can be verified by me also. I’ve used it and it does work. I never experienced any negative effects when on it. I’d rather use natural form of pain reliever than lab made synthetic kinds. The problem is that the treating medical doctors will not recommend it due to the Big Pharma harnessed that was placed over their heads. Your article was helpful in spreading the use of such natural herbs.
This is a very good and resourceful article, thanks for sharing it. I’ve read quite a while about kratom and how it is used to benefit the health, not quite familiar with opiates but this article has made it so clear like I’ve known about it for a very long time. It’s really a nice read.
Definitely and quite obviously, kratom is the best one here and there’s no doubt about that. I have been able to enjoy using this and I can tell that it is the best out there. Although I cannot say much about oplates, I have used the krakom before and it is just perfect for me. This is a good comparison and we know the winner.
Hi there!
Thanks for such an amazing post. I have to be honest, I knew about Kratom but I had absolutely no idea that you could actually use it to attack the opiate addicition! This was really intereseting to read and I feel more people should know about this so that they can get better.
Thanks for the post.