One thing I've found lately that is extremely beneficial in my recovery is Kratom. In moderate to high doses has amazing analgesic effects. Below is a profile on Kratom; as well as two articles by Wade Harman on how to get the most out of your kratom and to mitigate tolerance build up.

For those with history of addiction, please use with caution!

Kratom, or Mitragyna Speciosa, is a plant indigenous to Thailand and Southeast Asia that has become known for its stimulating, as well as analgesic properties. The mitragyna genus belongs to the Rubiaceae family,*other members of the Rubiaceae family include the coffee and gardenia plants. In Thailand, kratom use typically involves ingestion of the plant's raw leaves or consumption of teas that are brewed or steeped from the leaves.

Kratom leaves are used for their complex, dose-dependent pharmacologic effects. The plant does contain pharmacologically active constituents, most notably mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine.
As the use of kratom in the West has grown in the past 15 years,*there have been increased efforts to identify and characterize the active pharmacologic agents that mediate the effects of kratom in the body. So far, over 20 active compounds have been isolated, and considerable evidence shows that these compounds do, in fact, have major pharmacologic effects

When taken in low to moderate (1-3 g) doses, the leaves reportedly produce mild stimulant effects that help you make it through the day.*In moderate to high (3-6 g) doses it has been reported to have opioid-like effects.*At these doses, kratom has also been used for pain management, diarrhea, and opioid withdrawal symptoms, as well as for its properties as a euphoriant.

Kratom and kratom-derived compounds such as mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine are not detected in most routine drug screening procedures. *Although various tests for kratom-derived compounds have been developed,*they are not yet available for general use. In fact, there is still controversy regarding the drug-level cutoff for defining the tests.

There are several variations of kratom available, these are referred to as different color "veins". The vein color is almost completely dependant on the cutting and drying process. The colors are usually indicative of the range of effects. A basic run down of the different strains is as follows:
Red vein kratom - generally more sedating and higher pain relief. This strain is great for before bed to help with sleep.
Green vein kratom - has a decent mix of mild stimulation paired with a fairly strong pain relief factor.
Yellow vein kratom - has a much higher stimulation factor while only mild analgesic effects.
White vein kratom - the most stimulating of the kratom strains.

Mixing the strains can work very well, find the right balance of strains that will give you the benefits you are looking for.

Dosing - dosing is dependent on many different variables. Users commonly start with around 2-3 grams and adjust up or down accordingly, once tolerance has been assessed. For more stimulating effects generally use lower doses while for sedation you will generally want to use higher doses, however red will never be stimulating.

Take with a daily probiotic to help prevent your body from building up a resistance to kratom.

__________________
"Don't be upset by the results you didn't get with the work you didn't do."

Tolerance
"When you use Kratom it’s important to understand how to adopt different strategies which will keep your tolerance level down.

What is Kratom tolerance?

In a sense, it means you would have to use more in each dose of Kratom to realize the same effects on your body from when you first started using it.

Basically, your body becomes less sensitive to the plant which means you end up taking more and increasing your dosage, which eventually leads to spending more money because you’re using more Kratom.

Let’s talk about this. I want to break this up into a couple of different parts because I think this is an important topic to discuss with consistent Kratom users.

Stagnant Strain Syndrome

This was a term I heard about years back and it simply refers to the effects of using one strain of Kratom over and over again.

What you must understand about Kratom is each strain has its own effects on the body. In essence, the different strains which we all love and enjoy, are basically the same plant. The maturity of the tree, the drying and curing process, etc., change the effects of what we know as the three different types of Kratom. For example, you could take a red vein leaf from the same tree, dry one set of leaves outside and another set of leaves inside – when you do this you are changing the effects of the plant because drying red vein indoors makes it more potent than drying it outdoors.

The alkaloids in the strain of Kratom you are currently using are independent from any other strain, which means you will be exposed to this particular strains combination of alkaloids – AKA maturity of the tree, harvest time, curing process which makes a big difference in alkaloid content.

When this happens you begin to see an increase in dosage to get the effects you normally would get when you first started taking the strain.

This is called Stagnant Strain Syndrome and it can be avoided easily. The smart Kratom consumer will switch and mix up their strains of Kratom in order to stay away from the SSS effects of one particular strain.

One great way to combat this is through something we here at Kats Botanicals like to call Kratom fusions. These are a mixture of blends we provide you which will keep the SSS from knocking at your door all the time.

Kratom tolerance is a real thing – and aggravating, so make sure you adhere to these tips below.
Keep A Schedule

Another great way to keep your Kratom tolerance level down is to avoid consuming Kratom powder whenever you feel like it.

Set a schedule for each day and stick with that schedule.

When I first began taking Kratom powder, I took my dose of the morning. As a beginner, the Kratom lasted pretty much all day. Since then I have graduated to three doses a day, and have went as high as five doses a day.

During the time I was using a little more than I should have been I began to notice my tolerance level growing, I tapered off and created the schedule which I now stick to today.

Since sticking to a schedule I have noticed I am not taking any more than normal and the dosage is fine for me.

Learn which parts of the day your body could use Kratom powder and then make that part of your daily routine.

Because the alkaloids in the Kratom don’t reach a stable concentration in the brain, spreading your doses out like this means the development of tolerance will be less likely to occur.

Strain Rotation

You already know to mix and switch your Kratom doses every now and then to keep your tolerance level at bay, but one can also keep the idea of mixing and switching as part of your daily routine as well.

Here’s what it could look like:

Monday – Red Bali
Tuesday – Green Malaysian
Wednesday – Red Maeng Da
Thursday – Red Bali
Friday – Green Malaysian
Saturday – Red Maeng Da
Sunday – Red Bali

You get the point. Create a rotation like this to avoid hard core tolerance levels in your body.

This Potentiator Works

Somewhere in this blog I wrote a post about Kratom potentiators to make your dose stronger. Everyone wants their Kratom dose to be stronger, but no one wants to deal with the tolerance levels that may or may not come with it.

You can remedy this problem with one simple thing – Magnesium.

Magnesium is a great potentiator, and it can also lower tolerance levels in your body. Not everyone likes using this though, as I wrote in the above linked article, because you end up paying a little more taxes to Prince John than you normally would for the day.

Magnesium is saturated with NMDA receptor antagonists and it does a great job of maintaining your body’s tolerance level of Kratom.

But please use sparingly. Unless you’ve got a good book and some time on your hands for the day.

In Conclusion

Kratom tolerance is and always will be up for popular discussion in the Kratom community. The main thing to remember if you’re just getting started is to rotate your strains. As always, we’ve got the best product and we will help you get your first order ready with a blend if need be."

Written by: Wade Herman - Edited by: me

__________________
"Don't be upset by the results you didn't get with the work you didn't do."

Potentiate your Kratom
"Whether you have been using Kratom powder for a long time or are a new user just getting started, one thing you can both agree on is a potent Kratom powder is a better Kratom powder.

If you’ve been part of our community for very long (if not, then join here), you will randomly see a user every now and then making a discovery about a new Kratom powder potentiator.

In fact, Kratom works in tangent with a lot of natural herbs and spices to benefit you and keep you living a wellness-minded life.

I want to talk about these potentiators which can help make your Kratom powder last a lot longer than normal and give it that extra kick needed to last as long as required. Here are some of the best and most common organic means to beef up your next Kratom dose.

The Kratom Powder Potentiators

Grapefruit

Hiding behind the facade of your breakfast is a powerful strengthener in grapefruit. Grapefruit is an excellent Kratom potentiator because of it’s enzyme’s ability to break down substances like Kratom.

In doing so, the grapefruit allows for more Kratom to stay in the body longer due to the breaking down of the Kratom. A grapefruit alone or even a glass of grapefruit juice works the exact same way. I even know people who take their Kratom powder mixed with the grapefruit juice. You decide what’s best.

Chamomile Tea

One of my favorite potentiators, this tea helps enhance Kratom. In fact, chamomile tea is one of the most popular potentiators of Kratom powder and is used by a lot of people to establish a lengthier experience each dose.

If you are taking green or white strains of Kratom, which is usually used for energy, you may want to forego the chamomile and use another potentiator.

Turmeric

One of our community’s favorite potentiators, turmeric is said to make some of the biggest boosts in their Kratom dose each time when used together. This Indian spice does everything you need it to do to help your Kratom powder last longer both on your cupboard shelf, and in your body.

Cayenne Pepper

Honestly, I had heard about cayenne pepper for a while now, but in doing research for this article, I broke down and tried it for myself. The results were not what I was expecting.

Mix it directly into your dry Kratom dose and take together with water. One tip, please use sparingly, unless you have a high tolerance for spicy foods. I took a little too much and was on fire for the next 30 minutes. So small doses.

Overall, the cayenne pepper gave a tremendous spike in results, however, I do know that it’s known for it’s potentiating qualities. It definitely helped in potency, but not in time.

Watercress

Watercress is ultra-hydrated lettuce which has significant effects on potency in Kratom. Studies have shown there is a powerful cocktail in the minerals the lettuce contains. The watercress made my dose last a little longer than a normal Kratom dose, but I didn’t feel any specific spikes in effects.
Cat’s Claw

This odd sounding herb is comprised of alkaloids similar to the Kratom leaf itself. Because of this, it makes your Kratom more potent and last a little while longer than normal.
Akuamma Seed

The akuamma seed is one of the most disgusting potentiators I’ve experienced. The seed is a little bigger than your thumbnail and about as sturdy as a stone. In order for the potency to take effect, you must first grind the seeds (1–3 each dose) in your preferred grinder/food processor.

Take together with your Kratom dose and be prepared to gag like a momo. The bitter taste almost made me want to give it up altogether, but I withstood the bitterness just for you so I could write about it today.

The overall effects were stronger, however, I didn’t notice any longer lasting effects than usual.

For me, Akuamma isn’t worth it.

Magnesium

Not everyone likes using this one, however, I threw it in here because I’ve got something pretty important about tolerance levels to tell you.

While magnesium is known as a potentiator, not everyone uses it because it can have adverse effects on the body. It’s more known for it’s power in lowering tolerance levels than increasing Kratom power (even though it works well for both).

Use this with caution as you may see yourself paying more taxes to Prince John than you would normally pay that day.

In Conclusion

There are many different herbs, spices, and teas you can take together with your Kratom powder to make it stronger. Please note, these are my personal results and, since you are different from me, you could have a different result.

In the end, turmeric was my Kratom potentiator of choice and would definitely use it again."

Written by: Wade Herman

__________________
"Don't be upset by the results you didn't get with the work you didn't do."

A video very similar to the way I like to make my Kratom tea:

https://youtu.be/VR-n9asB7l8

__________________
"Don't be upset by the results you didn't get with the work you didn't do."