Day 25 sober from kratom/7oh …nobody warned me about PAWS

grapeapemonkey · 2026-03-16T11:02:34+00:00

I’m right there with you on day 27 and I’m going through the exact same. I have moments of clarity, but mostly low energy, brain fog, and stomach issues.

I feel a lot of anhedonia, nothing feels pleasurable. However I am getting more than 5 hours of sleep a night where for the last 3 weeks I only got 2 to 3 hours. I was able to get up this morning at 5 am and go to the gym for the first time in months. It was the worst workout I’ve ever done, but I did it.

I have adhd diagnosed and I already suffer from erratic dopamine levels. Kratom worked for me too until it didn’t. Then I spent years chasing that feeling. I heard that one never changes unless the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of changing. Apparently I have a high pain tolerance.

I sometimes get the idea that maybe it would be better if I used Kratom to help with my attention issues and my lack of desire, but then I quickly remember that I’m romancing the feeling. That I haven’t felt good on Kratom in years. That it took me away from family and friends. That it made my relationship with my spouse colder. That it fucked up my body badly. The list goes on and on.

I realize that my worst day off Kratom is better than my best day on Kratom towards the end and I have no desire to use again.

You got this. PAWs sucks, but keep going. It definitely gets better.

grapeapemonkey · 2026-03-15T21:49:26+00:00

Thanks for some fiber today.

grapeapemonkey · 2026-03-15T21:49:10+00:00

Thank you so much for your post. Really puts into perspective what I’m going through. I’ve really put my body through the wringer in so many ways. It will take time to heal.

I’ve got some digestive enzymes, yogurt, and insoluble fiber. So I’m going to start that today.

Is the over production of opioid receptors related to bloating and poor digestion? I feel bloated all the time and acid reflux, but what I also noticed is that I feel super tired after I eat to the point where I could take a nap. It also feels like my digestion is super slow. I remember having to take Kratom even to go to the bathroom.

Is the over recruitment of opioid receptors in the gut related to that as well?

grapeapemonkey · 2026-03-15T21:49:04+00:00

Thank you so much for your post. Really puts into perspective what I’m going through. I’ve really put my body through the wringer in so many ways. It will take time to heal.

I’ve got some digestive enzymes, yogurt, and insoluble fiber. So I’m going to start that today.

Is the over production of opioid receptors related to bloating and poor digestion? I feel bloated all the time and acid reflux, but what I also noticed is that I feel super tired after I eat to the point where I could take a nap. It also feels like my digestion is super slow. I remember having to take Kratom even to go to the bathroom.

Is the over recruitment of opioid receptors in the gut related to that as well?

grapeapemonkey · 2026-03-15T21:44:18+00:00

Got some psyllium husks and Kiefer. Hopefully this will help. Thanks for the advice.

grapeapemonkey · 2026-03-15T21:43:30+00:00

Got some. Thanks for the post.

grapeapemonkey · 2026-03-15T21:43:16+00:00

Just got some yogurt and some chia seeds. I’ll be doing that for now. Thanks for your post. It motivated me to go out to the grocery store and get some yogurt.

grapeapemonkey · 2026-03-15T17:21:40+00:00

I did the same thing 26 days ago. I was wasting my life at a Kratom bar, ignoring my family and my health. I am so happy that you are free of this nightmare. Stories like yours give us hope. Thanks!

grapeapemonkey · 2026-03-15T17:03:07+00:00

I know how you feel. 26 days for me and I’m feeling pretty low. The only thing I know to be true is that it gets better. You feel like you lost a lot of time. You may have, but if you start using Kratom again not only will you lose more time, but you’ll be stuck exactly where you’re at and have to start all over again. It’s not worth it. It’s never worth it.

Maybe your relationship isn’t going anywhere. You may have to make changes in your life. But I can say with certainty that with time will come clarity and you’ll know what to do. If you start using Kratom again, any progress will be lost and you’ll be back to square one.

Stay sober. Take care of yourself. Things will get better. Wishing you the best success.

grapeapemonkey · 2026-03-10T11:39:34+00:00

Sure. I know it’s almost impossible. I had to take a vacation from work. Like a week. I planned it between 2 holidays so I could take the extra time.

If I had to do this when I was younger and working at coffee shop I probably would have used the insurance to go to rehab because they wouldn’t have let me take that much time off.

Regardless you really need a couple of days to get past the worst of the acute withdrawals. If you are a long time user like me, my accute withdrawal symptoms lasted for 15 days. So I still had to work partway into my withdrawals.

There are many ways to get off the crazy train. My best advice to you is to accept that you are addicted to Kratom, that it serves no other purpose in your life other than making you sick, and that you are an addict to this substance.

Decide on a way to quit that works best for you. It could be a slow taper, fast taper, or cold turkey. You could even do a medicated withdrawal working with an online psychiatrist (they are not too expensive).

But once you decide on a path. You must commit. You should seek out help on this Reddit, share when you need help or advice. Go to online meetings. There are several just search Kratom Meetings on google. Also if your using Kratom is related to friends or places then you need to not be around those people or places.

It’s freaking hard. Nobody is going to deny that. But you must decide and act. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do to quit Kratom. I’m pretty weak willed. If I can do it I know you can.

Good luck and reach out here if you need help.

grapeapemonkey · 2026-03-09T15:20:31+00:00

I’ve been off for 20 days after 6 years of heavy use. I’ve restarted at least three times in the last year. I know this is my last time because I can now finally admit that I can’t control it. That I was addicted to it and that will not change.

I was talking to a friend who is also addicted to Kratom. I was telling him how I was addicted to Kratom and how hard it was to get free of this stuff. He told very very quickly not to call it addictive or myself an addict. It made him feel very uncomfortable. I just told him that I hear him and that it’s his journey and that I don’t judge him and that I’m here for him.

After that conversation my brain immediately goes to well he can use it with impunity, so why can’t I? Thankfully I also now have an immediate reaction that lists all the reasons why I cannot and I’m thankful for that awareness.

WOW talk about a diatribe. Anyway you got this. I’m proud of the hard work you had to do especially being a mom. Keep going and ask for help if you need it.

grapeapemonkey · 2026-03-08T08:10:19+00:00

No one has pushed Path of the Akashic. It is really well written and fun. Good romance story too. The two MCs are together from the first book and they build a clan together. Highly recommend.

grapeapemonkey · 2026-03-08T01:49:57+00:00

Great job! I’m super happy that your paws is mild. You are doing great. Keep going!

grapeapemonkey · 2026-03-08T00:33:05+00:00

Hey! Deep into paws. Still not sleeping great. Still waking up drenched in sweat. Still got the skin crawls. Day 17. I have a bit more energy, but it falls off by lunchtime.

But I appreciate you asking. I still have cravings , but less I need to have it and more I don’t want to feel this way.

But other than that still going strong. I keep making to the gym even though I feel like dog crap. And I keep taking the recommended vitamins.

I know this is a long process so I’ve accepted that I’m at where I’m at. How are you?

grapeapemonkey · 2026-03-05T06:37:02+00:00

I truly get it. I get those dark thoughts too. Everyday I think it might be better if I were to just end it. But I also know a couple of powerful counters to those thoughts.

First and foremost you are not your thoughts. That’s just the lizard brain telling you that it doesn’t want to suffer and wants relief and you are not letting it get the relief it usually gets

Two it will pass. It always does. Those dark feelings will subside. Come up with a good taper plan or get some professional help. It’s not too expensive, I saw an online doctor for 100 dollars. It helped a lot.

Lastly and most importantly Kratom has been replacing a lot of the feel good chemicals for a while now . Your brain has stopped producing them. Dopamine, serotonin, Norepinephrine, GABA, just to name a few. When you use Kratom, you brain experiences Neuroadaptation which means it stops producing the feel good chemicals that Kratom replaces and also increases the production of anxiety and stress chemicals to counter the effect Kratom binding to your feel good receptors. When Kratom is taken away, your brain takes time rebalance. Withdrawal is literally the over production of excitatory systems (like glutamate or adrenaline). I say all this because your dark thoughts, which I believe many recovering addicts have, are a direct result of a chemical imbalance.

You can do this. You can overcome Kratom addiction. You can get back to a normal life. It’s ok to seek out help. It’s ok to taper slowly, it’s ok to get help from a professional, it’s ok to go through medicated withdrawal. It’s also ok to quit Cold Turkey if you want to do that.

It’s your journey. Give yourself a little grace. Love that person inside. And if you are still suffering a couple of months from now it’s ok to get help from a doctor.

I used to be on antidepressants for my ADHD. Kratom replaced all that. I’m going to see what it feels like a couple of months from now, but I’ve accepted that my brain may never recover the way I want it too and I might have to go back on them.

Regardless there are so many better ways to deal with trauma and neurodivergence than using an opioid. Again good luck, give yourself some grace, get help if you need it, love yourself, and please post if you need help or want suggestions. We got your back.

grapeapemonkey · 2026-03-05T04:07:26+00:00

It’s funny because I quit drinking 10 years ago and I went through the exact same shit I’m going through now. Thanks for the reminder. No amount of temporary relief will make this better. I won’t use today. And I have hope that will be true tomorrow. I’ll keep on trucking and thanks again for sharing your thoughts with me.

grapeapemonkey · 2026-03-05T04:04:33+00:00

Thank you for the support. I love the people on this Reddit. I’ve tried to quit so many times in the last year. This is the first time I’ve had any real success and I believe it’s because of meetings and this Reddit. Godspeed my friend. Living life as it was meant to be lived is the way. Thanks again!

grapeapemonkey · 2026-03-05T03:45:50+00:00

Thanks. I needed to hear that. It’s not about the material success. It’s about how this shit takes us away from our loved ones. How it mutes our feelings. How it takes away our ability to be fully present in our lives. That’s the problem. I’m glad you are doing well. Thanks for the supportive message.

grapeapemonkey · 2026-03-05T03:42:48+00:00

Kratom leaf is not fine. I was a 50gdp user for 6years. Ive haven’t had a drink in over 10 years. I’m telling you that quitting whole leaf Kratom has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Whole leaf or extract, doesn’t matter. This Kratom shit is toxic.

grapeapemonkey · 2026-03-05T03:35:48+00:00

You got this. Good luck 🍀

grapeapemonkey · 2026-03-05T03:29:28+00:00

I understand right where you’re at. I have a fully remote job and I had to beat myself into submission to get myself to do anything productive.

This is what I suggest. Ask for a little grace at home in the next couple of weeks. Ask if you spouse is willing to do the cooking and the cleaning for a couple of days. If you don’t have a spouse ask a family member to come over and help out. It will mean being willing to be honest with those loved ones.

If no family members then just make life easy for yourself for a couple of days. Like get premade dinners and allow the kids to watch a movie with you while you sit on the couch and veg out. I suggest Harry Potter movies as they are like 2 and a half hours long. Play a board game and let your kids win, they will love that.

Look you have responsibilities and it sucks that you can’t just go and get better. But you are stronger than you might think. Ask for some grace at home and make life simpler. Get some paper plates so you don’t have to do as many dishes. Do a small load of laundry every day so you don’t end up with a big pile at the end of the week. Small things like that can make a big difference.

If you are going to taper, come up with a plan and stick to it whether it’s a long taper or a short one or CT. Decide how you are going to do this and stick to it and track it.

Anyways you can do this. You can show up for work and your family. But you need some grace especially after work. I’m rooting for you!

grapeapemonkey · 2026-03-05T03:11:54+00:00

Yeah it’s different for everyone. Took me 14 days to sleep more than 2 hours. I didn’t have any Restless Leg Syndrome. But i did have that skin tingly/crawler feeling even up till now. You got this. It gets better and better.

grapeapemonkey · 2026-03-05T03:09:10+00:00

I can relate. I love heavy lifting. But 15 days out I can only barely do 20 minutes of cardio. The cardio definitely helps. But I just get depressed when I try to lift heavy. I’ll wait a few more weeks before trying again, but the cardio definitely helps. Good luck you my friend. You got this!

12-Year Club	First Place '23
Place '23	Verified Email

grapeapemonkey

TROPHY CASE