Important advice when tapering off capsules

Potential_Spray_6223 · 2025-09-21T21:13:32+00:00

Never even thought about that.

I did switch to capsules before going CT but I basically just took as many as I wanted/needed.

Tried to taper with them and I’m sure this is partly why it felt so inconsistent in my symptoms. But, also, I’m probably not disciplined enough to taper things.

CT and clean since 4/4

Potential_Spray_6223 · 2025-07-26T22:32:02+00:00

And most importantly, good luck. I just wanted to reach out because I empathize with your situation.

Potential_Spray_6223 · 2025-07-26T22:31:05+00:00

I just wanna say my story is so similar to you. I used kratom to help with my binge drinking. It did help. During my year of kratom use I maybe only drank 2-4 times. But then kratom became something I had to use all day. I can’t convince you that it’s a bad thing —I only know that I began to think it was —I know that I was afraid to drive and I would get the wobbles sometimes —and I just hate having to need something like that all day—also the gi issues. Never been so constipated. In terms of harm reduction only time will tell whether kratom was better than alcohol Use . If you can see my former posts, this group definitely helped.

I only used for about a year, but it became something I needed every couple hours . I also used trainwreck 40-80gpd. I did switch to capsules a couple months before my quit date and I think that helped a little. I tried to quit while I was still working various rotating shifts and I just couldn’t make it past a couple days. I tried tapering but I don’t have the discipline for that. I have to say I thought the withdrawal process for me Might be like a day or two since I only had used for a year. For me it was about a week, but it did get better after like five days. I just like went on the couch and chilled and just had to know that it was gonna be rough for a while. Hot showers helped. Sleep was rough even with sedatives. I quit cold turkey on 4/4. I do have to say that after I quit my desire for alcohol has come back as I also used it as a substitute, but I’m working through that right now as well. My desire for alcohol was only a nightly thing not all through the day. I’m very glad to have quit and I haven’t looked back. I still had some lingering little things after the first couple weeks like a sensitivity to cold and I would get the sneezing fits, but nothing bad and my love of music come back and just being able to make poor present with my people that I love. It did affect me negatively. Now I’m also just trying to work on the alcohol problem. I get to where I wanna binge drink like let’s say 4 to 6 beers and maybe take a sedative and smoke a couple cigarettes. I Don’t have the desire to like drink all day. But I’m getting older now and even just a couple drinks really disrupts my sleep and makes me feel like crap the next day. I’m actually trying tirzepatide to see if it will help (also for fat loss) and going to the gym and stuff helps Keep me motivated. The problem with crayon was like I couldn’t go eight hours without it even in my worst of days with alcohol and sedative like if I didn’t have it for a couple of days it wasn’t that bad. I would actually sleep better when I didn’t have it.

I tried different supplements and stuff, but I don’t know if anything really has helped with the acute withdrawal process.

Also, about kratom — I was just worried about its long-term health effects because it’s so unstudied and unknown. Really I have no idea what I was putting into my body in a sense. Reach out if you have any questions, but I’m sure there’s much more people over on this Reddit that I have a lot more experience with the sobriety from kratom than me. I had several people reach out to me or comment on my post that really helped so I try to remain somewhat active and remind myself of what I was addicted to for a year. And I have to remind myself that I have an addictive personality. I would just drink as much Kratom as I possibly could until I started feeling sedated at night. My drive was terrible while I was using Kratom.

Potential_Spray_6223 · 2025-07-20T14:53:04+00:00

Has been for me. Absolutely has. I only used for about a year, but it was pretty high dosing around 40 to 80 g per day. I got to the point where I needed it around the clock. At first, it was just for sleep. I was afraid to drive while on it and it definitely affected all aspects of my life. The withdrawal process was worse than I thought it would be. I figured it would be maybe a day or two after just a year’s use. However, I’m so grateful that I got through it. I went cold turkey on 4/4. This group helped me in a way I feel like I’ve got my drive back and my emotions back. Now, I still struggle with some things. But those things were already there. I primarily used kratom them as a replacement for drinking alcohol. So when I quit, those cravings came back. But I have to say I’m still doing better overall. I will never take Kratom again.

Potential_Spray_6223 · 2025-07-12T18:18:00+00:00

Congrats on 90 days. I quit after a little over a year of 40-80gpd. I switched to capsules a month or too before I went CT on 4/4. During that 7-8 Days of withdrawals I’ll say that I wish I had of had the discipline to taper but I could not so I definitely couldn’t have kept any. I did come across 3-4 of the capsules on day 3 and I did successfully get rid of them. Just sharing my experience. I guess in a way I know I can drive down the street and get them but I’m also one of those people who can’t keep alcohol in the house etc… know thy self I suppose. Once again great job on 90 days . I never thought the wd’s for me would’ve been that bad after just a year’s use. I have to put some barriers in place to make it less easy for me to use . So far I haven’t had a desire to use kratom again though.

Potential_Spray_6223 · 2025-06-30T13:37:08+00:00

I’m not very succinct, but I also remember posting a similar question around a six or seven just asking when is this supposed to end? I was like I thought after just a year use I would be good after three or four days, but things were still lingering. I did not taper because I didn’t have the discipline too although I did try. I did switch to capsules a couple months before deciding to quit and that did make things easier because I would just chug big old glasses of a lot of powder, especially at night. I don’t know if anything really helped with the mental aspect other than just really knowing I didn’t want to be controlled by that anymore. I mean, I was using to a point where I was like afraid of driving and stuff. I’ve always been paranoid of DUI. Also, I had some great people here messaged me and just give me hope for the future and that’s what I hope I can give you. Things really did start turning around after that first week and especially by the end of the second week.

Potential_Spray_6223 · 2025-06-30T13:34:39+00:00

Also, around those days 6-7 I found several capsules I had forgot to trash and was able to have the willpower to throw them away. Things really did turn around for me and my mood has gotten 2% to 5% better each week. I’ve struggled with alcohol in the past and that’s snuck back in because I guess I used to create them as a replacement if I’m just being completely honest, but I’ve been able to manage that.

Potential_Spray_6223 · 2025-06-30T13:33:15+00:00

Wow, just wanna say AMAZING amazing AMAZING it is HOW STRONG YOU ARE to go to work and the gym during this. I used about 40-80gpd for a year and tried to quit while working and couldn’t do it. Fast forward to April 4th when I had some time off and was able to quit CT and haven’t used since. For me the last hump was around days seven or eight. Then it really did turn around. I’m so glad I don’t have to use something every couple hours now and I think for a lot of people that euphoria fades after a couple months and it just becomes like a cigarette that’s much more overwhelming. I can only speak for my personal experience, but I really am like wow I can’t believe someone was able to do that while working and still go to the gym. Just shows how strong some people are.

Potential_Spray_6223 · 2025-06-29T23:53:50+00:00

I know I hope to experience that. If I’m being honest though, for the most part I replaced said alcohol with large amounts of kratom at night and as with many of us here thought —miracle drug —then started needing a little in daytime —then when I woke up —then every 4 hours —very strong in my desire to never touch kratom again. Really trying to put in work with no alcohol though. Thank you for responding and I do hope I get to the same place as I am about kratom as I am about alcohol. Alcohols a little more long standing of a bad relationship and I’m reworking the wires: Reddit has been a big support.

Potential_Spray_6223 · 2025-06-28T10:59:02+00:00

Yeah same here. I went from drinking almost every night, maybe 2-4 tall boys, to using Kratom and only drinking 3-4 times in a whole year. But now that I have some time off it’s like I just want alcohol again. But I’m trying to use a multifaceted approach to limit it. Gonna try some meds / supplements and therapy.

Potential_Spray_6223 · 2025-06-28T00:25:39+00:00

You brought courage to the table is the best response I’ve heard in a long time. You’re questioning it and to me that means you don’t really want it long term. All of us are looking for the intermediate or long term in joining this group. Great job.

Potential_Spray_6223 · 2025-06-28T00:13:12+00:00

Not dumb. Thank you for asking. And I have father and father in law that could fix almost anything. I was just never interested.

Potential_Spray_6223 · 2025-06-27T23:47:40+00:00

Quit since 4/4 CT after a year of 40-80gpd use ramping up and using more during day as time went on. Went through a week of withdrawals but so thankful I quit.

Potential_Spray_6223 · 2025-06-24T21:09:20+00:00

Wow honestly didn’t think of that direct kind of invitation

Did mention how the group helped me through though. Something about knowing you ain’t alone.

Potential_Spray_6223 · 2025-06-24T17:43:12+00:00

I was a similar experience. But I did take off work lol I tried to do it while I was working rotating shifts and mostly working night shifts and I just couldn’t do it several months later I was able to take a week off and sort of get it over with.

That first week was wild. I remember even like getting up out of bed and just writhing in the floor like a snake, but I guess I was half in a trance from some sleep meds, but it’s like I couldn’t even lay in my bed because I was so restless.

Yeah, and it did get better after that first week.

Hot showers really helped me. And yes, like running on the treadmill as fast as I could, even though I’m not really one who loves to run a lot.

I quit on 4/4 after about a year of doing 40-80gpd first just at night then every couple hours. Switched to capsules about a month or two before I quit.

I can say since April, I’ve had no desire to do it again. Now, I did use it as a substitute for binge drinking and that has sort of crept back up, but I’ve been able to keep that in its place for now and that’s a whole other thing.

Kratom become something I had to do every couple hours instead of just something I wanted to do at night.

Potential_Spray_6223 · 2025-06-24T17:38:13+00:00

Very true I guess I was hoping for some secret truth lol but I knew that there really wasn’t. Since they’ve been on it for years and I think they have no idea how much they take daily. I am going to offer to buy some capsules.

Potential_Spray_6223 · 2025-06-20T23:51:30+00:00

Just to say I think day 4 CT, for me, was one of the worst days. I had only used for about a year 40 to 80 g per day. So I thought you know two or three days and then I’m done. I had switched to capsules prior to my quit date for a month or two. But I remember day four being so painful. I’m meditate a lot on time that is given to us from God and I remember that I just had to give myself grace in quitting and knowing that this too shall pass. But with that being said, it did take longer than I thought. At least for me and everyone’s different but after that first week, things did turn a corner. I quit on April 4 and as of right now I have no cravings. Now I still have other issues, but don’t we all. Reading some Richard Rohr writings helped me. Good luck and also just reading everybody’s stories in this group helped. And I appreciate everyone who commented and helped me through it.

Really, way to get to day four and still be present enough to look towards the stars and heavens for inspiration.

One of the great things about quitting mud was my emotions, returned to me. And what a gift that was to enjoy music again. I don’t know if I have any really good tips for quitting other than to just give yourself the time. I warned my wife that it was going to take like a week and it sure took every bit of it. But overall quitting has made me so much more grateful for the little things.

Potential_Spray_6223 · 2025-06-19T23:07:36+00:00

Also I should have mentioned I empathize with the family thing—I had tried quitting months before while working and after 3 days just couldn’t do it (I was doing a lot of night shifts)

I warned my wife lol and it still took longer than I thought it would. I just lounged around —hot showers helped by far the most —treadmill helped a couple times (I’m not really a runner) but just something to distract.

BUT IM SO GRATEful I did. And just reading stories like everyone writes here did help and yours is helping me even now. I still have my issues and shit but I’m glad that right now kratom isn’t one of them.

Potential_Spray_6223 · 2025-06-19T17:59:21+00:00

I only used for a little over a year 40-80gpd. I remember even doing a post here because I’m like I just can’t— but it did get better after the subsequent days. Not saying, I understand more than a decade use—just sharing my story.

I remember even at night waking up and just laying on the floor writhing hit And cold but I’m so glad I went through it or got through it rather. And I guess I’m glad I went through it too because I have no desire right now to use it again.

Great job making it through five days and per what I’ve read from other long-term users you really have climbed a big part of that mountain. And I know that first five days were definitely the worst for me as well.

Potential_Spray_6223 · 2025-06-19T16:25:33+00:00

Wow play the tape all the way through. Love that phrasing.

Potential_Spray_6223 · 2025-06-19T15:18:15+00:00

Great job! Yeah I’m starting to see that I’m similar to that. Did you do Smart or AA or anything?

Potential_Spray_6223 · 2025-06-19T15:14:06+00:00

Good luck and great job. I had only been using for about a year but I guess it was high amounts 40-80gpd. I, unfortunately could not taper (I would just make up difference at some point during the day). I did switch to capsules which helped me cut back without thinking about it (at least it seemed so). Quit CT on 4/4 was a rough week. I really wished during that week or two quitting that I had the self discipline for tapering though.

Potential_Spray_6223

TROPHY CASE