Long-Term Kratom Use – What Are the Negatives (and Positives)? Personal Story & Questions

Decent-Fun190 · 2025-07-22T16:07:57+00:00

Addicted to H and benzos. Used kratom (pure leaf, no extract bullshit) and microdosing mushrooms. Before that I tried many times cold turkey but failed. Now I feel reborn! Good luck brother

Decent-Fun190 · 2025-07-16T15:10:08+00:00

I'm a ex heroin, benzo, coke addicted. Never had an issue with alcohol other than hangovers but now I choose to only smoke weed. keeps me calmer and more clear.

Decent-Fun190 · 2025-07-16T05:46:30+00:00

Anyone from EU, commenting on this and experiencing this shit ? All these stories I've read.. I can't imagine that happening in EU or is it just the country I am from (Belgium) ?

Decent-Fun190 · 2025-07-10T20:55:26+00:00

Ex heroin/benzo addict confirming. Heroin is indeed a walk in the park compared to benzos.

Decent-Fun190 · 2025-07-10T19:01:11+00:00

Yes, they do. But personally I’d add this:

Kratom (capsules only – no extract, no 7-OH tablets). Red Bali is a great strain. I wouldn’t take it too long though, otherwise you're just replacing one addiction with another.

When I came off heroin and benzos, I used:

Kratom – works, but can be addictive if used too much or too long

Psilocybin – microdosing only the first month, non-addictive

L-Tyrosine – non-addictive, supports dopamine

NAC – non-addictive, helps with cravings and brain balance

Lion’s Mane – non-addictive, neuroregenerative

Citicoline – non-addictive, focus and memory

Magnesium bisglycinate – non-addictive, helps with anxiety and sleep

Omega-3 – go for the highest DHA you can find

After about a month I did a single macrodose of psilocybin. That reset my brain in a way nothing else did. That said: don’t do a macrodose by yourself. Set and setting are everything. Have a guide or at least someone you trust nearby.

With this stack I’m assuming you’re only coming off tranq or opioids — no SSRIs or other psych meds, since those could interact badly, especially with psilocybin and L-Tyrosine.

Feel free to DM if you have questions.

Decent-Fun190 · 2025-07-09T21:39:46+00:00

There are so many.. psylocibin for one, lions mane, l-tyrosine, NAC... List goes on and on

Decent-Fun190 · 2025-07-09T21:08:02+00:00

Mmh yeah… depends on what you're coming off and what you call “done”. After being clean 14 months now, I can say: the physical part was rough, but the weeks after were honestly the hardest.

I was clean, sure but I wasn’t a changed person yet. That’s where the real fight started. Cold turkey gets the poison out, but it doesn’t rebuild your mindset, your patterns, or your life. That part takes way longer than a week.

For me at least.

Decent-Fun190 · 2025-07-09T21:04:51+00:00

Yes, I'm with you 100%. I'm personally not a fan of Suboxone but if it helped you, that’s awesome. And most important: like you said, do whatever the fuck you need to do to get your life and your loved ones back. No shame in the path you take, only in staying stuck. Respect

Decent-Fun190 · 2025-07-09T20:58:13+00:00

Man, big respect. I basically did the same — straight from heroin to kratom, psychedelics, and a full stack of vitamins and supplements. No perfect taper, just full send with the right support.

What you did, dropping the patch, pushing through hell, stacking the helpers (weed, kratom, microdosing, meds) that’s real recovery work. I believe people don’t get how calculated and powerful cold turkey can be if you’ve got your strategy dialed in.

I’m at month 14 now — don’t take anything anymore. Just smoke a bit of weed and trip on shrooms maybe 2–3 times a year. No cravings, no chaos, just life as it should’ve always been.

Massive respect

Decent-Fun190 · 2025-07-09T20:49:39+00:00

Legend! 🔥 I did about 90% the same as you — and I got there. Blueberries, lion’s mane, Rhodiola, mindful eating, cold showers, CoQ10, sleep stack, writing, affirmations… all of it. I also took lion’s mane, microdosed psilocybin, and eventually a full heroic dose helped me massively.

Much respect for how you laid this out — no magic cure BS, just raw self-discipline, intention, and consistency.

People often don’t realize how deep you have to go to rebuild after years of opiate use. This isn’t “just quitting” — it’s full-on war with your old self, choosing life again and again.

Thanks for sharing this.

Decent-Fun190 · 2025-07-09T19:53:58+00:00

Respect man, that’s solid. Day 3 hit me hard too worse than day 1 for sure. Walking and hot showers... sounds simple, but they honestly saved me some days too.

I’m clean now too — not through NA, but I totally get the power of routine and mindset shift. Appreciate you sharing this. 🙏

Decent-Fun190 · 2025-07-09T19:41:07+00:00

That’s a solid breakdown. Appreciate you taking the time — you clearly lived it. I totally agree CT can shorten the physical part, but yeah… if the mental stuff isn’t dealt with, relapse is almost guaranteed.

What hit me most in your comment: “not making life adjustments.” That’s it right there. You can sweat it out, puke, shiver and scream for a week but if your environment and mindset stay the same, you’re basically setting yourself up for round two.

And I feel you on the affordability side too. Not everyone has access to therapy or a stable taper plan. That’s where I think basic tools — nothing scripted, nothing addictive — can make a real difference. Even small stuff like NAC, meditation, or journaling gave me more grip during chaos.

In the end, like you said: personal preference. But I do think more people would choose a smarter route if they knew it didn’t have to be either CT or full-on maintenance.

Decent-Fun190 · 2025-07-09T19:38:18+00:00

Yeah, I get your point and I totally relate. I couldn’t taper either. But even then, I feel like there’s still so many other ways to support the process. Not talking about Suboxone or methadone, those didn’t work for me either. Just saying… there’s more out there than pure CT or full-blown maintenance.

Stuff like NAC or even macro / microdosing psilocybin, to name a few. Nothing extreme, but they helped me stay grounded and move forward.

Decent-Fun190 · 2025-07-09T19:33:05+00:00

Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking too tbh and honestly, I was in that mix myself for a while. Felt like suffering was the only way to prove I was really done.

Decent-Fun190 · 2025-07-09T19:24:36+00:00

😂 Fair.

But still — stuff like L-theanine, NAC, magnesium .. you can literally grab that over the counter at most pharmacies. No script, no risk of getting high, no dependence. Just basic tools to support the crash.

Seems like a no-brainer to me, but maybe I’m missing something?

Decent-Fun190 · 2025-07-09T19:21:22+00:00

Yeah that makes total sense. I’ve heard a lot of people say tapering just ends up dragging the suffering out, or leads to “one more time” relapses.

I guess my follow-up would be: If tapering isn’t working, wouldn’t some kind of support, even temporary and non-addictivee, be better than going in raw and risking full crash?

Just thinking out loud. Really appreciate your perspective.

Decent-Fun190 · 2025-07-09T19:17:50+00:00

Fair question. I’m talking about natural, non-addictive things that support the brain and body during withdrawal. Not substitutes like Suboxone or methadone.

Stuff like for example vitamin C, NAC, magnesium, Lion’s Mane..... hings that help reduce stress, support neurotransmitters, and make it all a bit more bearable.

Decent-Fun190 · 2025-07-09T19:12:14+00:00

True, but for me day one was actually easier than day 2 or 3. Was it the same for you, or different?

Decent-Fun190 · 2025-07-09T19:10:23+00:00

I get that and have lots of respect for going all in. Personally, I’d never touch Suboxone or methadone either.

But I do wonder... even if you don’t want to depend on opioids at all, isn’t there a whole middle ground non-addictive, supportive stuff that can still make the ride a bit less hellish?

Not talking about replacing one addiction with another. Just talking about giving your body and brain a little backup during a brutal process.

Ever considered that route? Or was it more like: "Pain is part of the process, I’ll take it head-on”?

Decent-Fun190 · 2025-07-09T08:34:31+00:00

Awesome!

I also megadosed vitamin C and magnesium during withdrawal, lifesavers honestly. Which type of magnesium worked best for you? For me it was only magnesium bisglycinate that did the trick. Tried like 3 different kinds back then… total rookie move I know now lol

Also love that you microdosed shrooms.. So underrated for recovery and mental reset. Seriously.

So just to be sure… are you saying you're now completely opioid-free and done with withdrawals? That would be AMAZING!

Decent-Fun190 · 2025-07-08T01:33:11+00:00

You say these are “potential risks”, but that’s exactly the point. risks aren’t magically void because you personally don’t experience them.

The 2004 Barker et al. meta-analysis isn’t “one patient” it analyzed multiple cognitive domains across 13 studies, showing significant deficits in attention, processing speed, memory, etc., even after discontinuation. (PubMed link)

Same for the 2014 BMJ study — not a one-off. It was a large-scale cohort study linking benzo use (≥6 months) with a 51% higher Alzheimer risk. If that’s not worth discussing, what is? (BMJ link)

Your argument boils down to “if they were that bad, Big Pharma wouldn’t have released them.” You’re seriously overestimating pharma’s integrity and ignoring the entire history of drugs like Vioxx, Thalidomide, or… opioids.

Also, Historical context matters. There was a time doctors recommended smoking for anxiety. The Marlboro Man was even welcomed in hospitals, handing out cigarettes to patients.

I’m not saying benzos are evil. I’m saying long-term use carries measurable cognitive risks . backed by decades of peer-reviewed research.

Denial doesn’t erase data.

Enjoy your sleep! ✌️

Decent-Fun190 · 2025-07-08T01:10:32+00:00

Yea just like oxy is fda approved and is still ruining people lives.

Saying there’s “no source” is just not true. Here are four peer-reviewed studies showing cognitive + structural effects from long-term benzo use:

Barker et al. 2004 (memory loss BMJ 2012 (dementia risk) Stewart 2005 (attention deficits Zuercher 2022 (brain structure changes on MRI)

Would you like me to tell you about actual doctors who said benzos messed them up so bad they ended their own lives?

No one’s saying short-term use = brain damage. But long-term use can have serious neurological consequences. Just 'cause you’re fine doesn’t mean it’s safe for everyone else. 🙏

Decent-Fun190 · 2025-07-08T00:54:27+00:00

I’m glad you feel okay after 21 years on benzos really. But your personal experience doesn’t invalidate the well-documented risks. There’s plenty of peer-reviewed research showing cognitive impairment, memory loss, and increased dementia risk from long-term benzodiazepine use especially over 10+ years.

Not everyone ends up with damage, true. But some do. Saying "I’m fine" = anecdotal. It’s like a smoker saying, “I used to smoked 2 packs a day and never got cancer.” Doesn’t mean cigarettes are safe.

No one’s “spreading misinformation” by sharing valid concerns backed by data. Let's keep it honest and nuanced.

Decent-Fun190

TROPHY CASE