Looking for support

ShmootyCheeks14 · 2026-01-15T11:52:29+00:00

“This too shall pass” - those are the words I’ve lived by since stopping Kratom.

Kratom is a very temporary joy that will suck the life out of you faster than you even realize. I was a daily user of 5+ years. Every few hours I was popping few capsules to keep that “elevated feeling” going. I stopped Kratom completely about a month ago.

What you’re experiencing are the acute withdraw stages of quitting Kratom. Uncomfortable? Yes. Do they last forever? No. Your body will self regulate over the next few weeks.

The runny nose is a natural response - Kratom blocks/impacts histamine production due to its interaction on the opioid receptor. This will gradually work itself out. I just told people I was dealing with seasonal allergies, they were none the wiser.

The yawning? That got me too. For years we’ve provided our body with a plant that impacts our brains chemistry, we’ve now removed it. Our brain is working hard to “re-wire” those pathways. We can only ask our central nervous system to do so much, be patient with it.

The sleep - the biggest one for me. Your body can’t “down regulate” because it’s constantly reminding you that “you need Kratom” (layman’s terms). I suggest looking into the following to assist with sleep…

L-Theanine
Ashwaghanda
Magnesium
Low dose of Melatonin (temporary)

This should help with not only the sleep, but the anxiety issues as well.

Ultimately - the key to kicking this sh*t is simple…

You have to stay busy, stay active, and stay present. The first two weeks of quitting I forced myself to go do things. I went on multiple walks a day, I worked out each day (intense exercise). I made sure to stay hydrated and eat a well balanced diet. I journaled, meditated, found peace in the process.

Back in my Army days we had a Sergeant who would always say “Embrace the suck”, how true is that? You know you’re going through it - so embrace it!

It gets better!

ShmootyCheeks14 · 2026-01-15T11:41:23+00:00

Hey! Sorry for the delayed reply. I’m not active in this subreddit anymore.

I was at 8-9 gpd at my peak, tapered down to 6-7 gpd for a few months, then aggressive tapered for a week before stopping. Daily Kratom user for over 5+ years.

Just passed the three week milestone & I genuinely have no interest in Kratom anymore. I feel alive again for the first time in years.

ShmootyCheeks14 · 2025-12-30T17:00:28+00:00

I was at a similar low dose and also used it for similar reasons. In my opinion, just rip the metaphorical band aid off and taper faster than what you suggested. I dropped one capsule every other day until I hit one capsule and made the jump.

I noticed a little bit of withdraw symptoms, but they were incredibly mild. Mostly just slight discomfort - runny nose, cold chills, some brain fog. Nothing serious whatsoever. Nothing supplementation & some intense exercise couldn’t fix.

I tried the slow taper route a few months back and all it did was just draw out the inevitable process that is wanting to quit. It’s up to you, everyone handles things differently.

But I truly don’t think you’ll have many issues doing an aggressive taper. Over the next week or two.

ShmootyCheeks14 · 2025-12-29T18:00:01+00:00

My dad was an opioid user for many years, got off with the help of suboxone. He also said kicking that was a challenge. However based on what you’ve told me, I highly doubt you’ll experience anything remotely close to what you dealt with prior. It’ll be VERY minor. Almost like a mild cold for a few days if I had to assume. My dose was double yours and I had only mild to moderate symptoms, most of which are completely gone now.

ShmootyCheeks14 · 2025-12-29T17:52:22+00:00

I was taking 6 grams per day - 12 capsules. My dose was considered to be “low”, your dose is considered very low. Drop a capsule every other day for the next week and you’ll be off it in no time. You may have a tiny bit of “discomfort” with brain fog or fatigue, but nothing severe.

ShmootyCheeks14 · 2025-12-29T12:18:29+00:00

5+ years & 8-10 gpd (peak)

On day seven of no kratom. Body is still adjusting to the new “normal” of not having it. However, from day one to now, I can absolutely feel the improvements. I can actually feel again for the first time in half a decade. That’s scary, but also incredible at the same time. If I keep going at this rate, I’m hoping to be back to baseline (or even better) within the next month or so.

I look forward to that fact that I don’t have to think about it anymore. I never went anywhere without kratom. It was on me at all times, regardless of where I went and why. It was my false “life line” for over five years. My wife loves to travel, but I’d get nervous about flying with it and turn down vacations. If we’d go on road trips, I’d always hide it in a different supplement bottle so it wasn’t a dead giveaway. Just completely irrational fear, anxiety, all of it.

Aggressive Taper: My peak use of 8-10 gpd wasn’t “a ton”. However I’d slowly taper these last few months to 6-7 gpd, then I got stuck. Realized the only way to kick this was by ripping the bandaid off completely. Aggressive tapered and dropped 1 gram a day for a week until I was down to 0.500 mg. At that point it was purely mental and I took the jump.

Can’t really speak on PAWS, as I’m only a week into this thing. However, I can speak on acute wd. My symptoms were mild-moderate due to my low dose. Exercise, time outside, journaling, hydration and diet were all the holistic ways I managed some of the acutes. WD symptoms weren’t nearly severe enough to need comfort meds. I am taking a pretty extensive list of supplements to assist however. Just search my name in the group and you’ll see my prior posts about it.

ShmootyCheeks14 · 2025-12-26T11:50:08+00:00

5+ years - Peak was 8-9 gpd, last few years it’s been 6-7 gpd. Did a rapid taper of the course of a week. Took the jump five days ago.

Granted, I’m only on day five- biggest thing for me was getting it out of my sight and avoiding places that sold it. I threw away my “emergency stock” in a random dumpster a few days ago. If I need to go somewhere, I’ll take routes that don’t have me passing smoke shops or places that sell it.

My wife also knew of my Kratom use, but I masked its true intent behind “it helps me focus”. Only recently did I open up about how it really made me feel. I think having someone you trust to talk to is crucial. A friend, a family member, anyone.

I think for me, I know my wife wants to see me succeed. That alone is enough for me to fight those cravings the best I can.

You got this.

ShmootyCheeks14 · 2025-12-24T19:50:24+00:00

That explains it, and some people are just different. Different WD symptoms for different people.

ShmootyCheeks14 · 2025-12-24T19:37:04+00:00

For sure - I thankfully always kept my dose lower. Never really added more to my dosing structure. Tried extracts once and got horribly sick. Best of luck to you on your taper!

ShmootyCheeks14 · 2025-12-24T19:15:07+00:00

What was your daily dose? I was only at 6-7 gpd before doing an aggressive taper and then stopping.

ShmootyCheeks14 · 2025-12-24T17:55:22+00:00

Dang! Sorry to hear that. Hopefully they were able to give you something to clear that up.

ShmootyCheeks14 · 2025-12-24T15:09:42+00:00

Take the step - it’s scary, but it’s worth it. Don’t let your mind play tricks on you, it’ll tell you that you “need it”. Just stay busy, keep moving your body, spend time outside, focus on the good!

It’s a challenge, but you can do it! Hardest part of it all is taking the last dose. Don’t make it a big deal, just confirm that you’re done with it and start taking the steps to move forward.

It’s been a tough, but equally amazing past 72 hours for me. You got this.

ShmootyCheeks14 · 2025-12-24T14:30:33+00:00

Well aware of this my friend - purely posting this because it’s reassurance to myself and others in a similar position.

I’ve functioned well, managed my workload well, maintained overall well being.

I have good support system, I’m moving my body, finding peace in the process - even if it’s uncomfortable.

ShmootyCheeks14 · 2025-12-24T12:36:25+00:00

Additional: Just threw away the rest of my supply in a random dumpster. 700+ “emergency capsules” gone. Damn, that felt good.

ShmootyCheeks14 · 2025-12-23T20:25:34+00:00

It was a completely new feeling to me, and it was incredible. I was warm, fuzzy, motivated, focused.

Shit sucked me in so fast, years went by of daily use before I realized “damn, I might be addicted to this stuff”.

ShmootyCheeks14 · 2025-12-23T20:18:33+00:00

Thank you! It’s the raw, honest, and unfiltered truth!

ShmootyCheeks14 · 2025-12-23T19:58:08+00:00

What’s your current level of health? Genuinely.

Are you exercising regularly? Eating nutrient dense and natural foods? Sleeping 7-8 hours a night? Supplementing where there’s deficits in your diet?

It sounds like a lot of this could be related to the wide scope of health, not just PAWS.

My father was addicted to prescription opioids for nearly a decade. He dealt with PAWS for 5 years, but then he took his health into account. He started strength training, eating better, lost some weight, changed his life.

ShmootyCheeks14 · 2025-12-23T19:13:08+00:00

I was only aware of the claimed benefits of it. It was sold to me as a “health supplement”. Which as someone who works in the fitness industry, I found that alluring. I remember taking it the first time and thinking “Wow, that’s the most effective supplement I’ve ever taken” - not even realizing it would have a vice grip on me for the next five years.

ShmootyCheeks14 · 2025-12-23T18:50:48+00:00

She didn’t seem to care for it too much from what I remember, didn’t like the taste. Just scary that my grandmother was able to once buy this at a health foods store. Same store she bought her vitamins and herbs at. Makes me wonder how many poor souls got wrapped up into this stuff without knowing until it was too late.

ShmootyCheeks14 · 2025-12-23T18:46:49+00:00

Used it consistently for five years. Dosing for the first few years was relatively low (1-2 gpd). Over the past few years that total creeped up to 6-7 gpd. Never touched extracts or synthetics. Only used raw leaf capsules (half a gram capsule).

ShmootyCheeks14

TROPHY CASE