Kratom Health Benefits 101

A few years back, I was in a car crash. You’ve heard the saying that “any car crash you walk away from is a good car crash,” right?

Well, there have been times over these past few years when I have begged to differ. The pain from my injuries never fully went away.

It’s been debilitating enough to interfere with my everyday life to the point where I often haven’t been “living” at all. I knew that I did not want to use opioids for the pain but had found little help with traditional over-the-counter options.

I am happy to report that I’ve finally found some much-needed relief thanks to an herb called kratom.

A lot of people are not familiar with kratom or may be wary of trying it after hearing about it on the news.

Kratom does have some possible side effects, and yes—it can be addictive.

I was skeptical too, and very nearly didn’t give it a try.

But options for pain management are becoming more and more limited in today’s mainstream medical environment (more on that in a bit), and herbs like kratom should be considered seriously by any chronic pain sufferer.

I’m going to share my story with you and tell you about the kratom product (hint: it’s called “Etha Sunrise Blend”) which works for my pain and improves my mood and energy levels too.

It’s made my life livable again, and I can’t tell you how much that means.

But if you’re a chronic pain sufferer, you already know.

This is my chance to pay it forward by helping others understand the pros and cons of kratom. My goal is for you to be able to make an informed choice about whether this herb is right for you. Let’s get started.

What is Kratom?

You may already know that kratom is an herb, but you might not know much else about it’s long history.

It comes from Southeast Asia from an evergreen tree with the scientific name Mitragyna speciosa. Curiously enough, it is a member of the same family of plants as coffee.

It is an herbal opioid which also functions as a stimulant.

This means that it be taken as an alternative to prescription opioids.

Now, I’m going to tell you straight up that kratom is extremely controversial. There are even countries which have restricted or banned it altogether.

There are good reasons for the concerns, and if you are thinking about using this herb, you should only do so if you are fully knowledgeable about the possible side effects and dangers of misuse.

I am going to address those shortly. But first, let’s talk about some of the reasons that you might want to consider taking kratom.

What is Kratom Used For?

You already know that kratom is commonly used to treat chronic pain. Here some of its other uses:

• Managing opiate withdrawal symptoms
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Digestive issues
• Hypertension
• Cough
• Acute pain
• Chronic Fatigue

Some people also use kratom for other purposes as well.

Health Benefits of using Kratom

Research into kratom is still in the early stages, so right now there isn’t a whole lot which can be stated with certainty regarding its possible health benefits. The uses which I have listed above are still largely anecdotal.

That being said, since we know that the substance is an opioid, you can feel pretty confident that it will probably be hopefully managing many forms of pain. I have certainly found that to be the case.

Is Kratom Addictive?

In all frankness, the answer to this question is probably, “Yes, it can be.” Of course, the same is true of regular opioids.

Why do I say “probably?” Because there is a lot of debate on this topic right now.

I have seen respectable publications which state that kratom addiction is very real.

On the other hand, I have also read compelling arguments that it is not, because it only acts on the Mu opioid receptor (learn more here).

I believe in playing it safe. There’s a lot which is still not understood about pain, dopamine, and serotonin.

As a result, I do not think that anything conclusive can be said yet about whether kratom might be addictive.

If you are discontinuing opioids specifically to get away from addiction, I would advise caution since it is hard to predict whether or not you might experience a similar addictive reaction to kratom.

If on the other hand, you have other reasons for quitting opioids and/or you were forced off them, kratom might be just what you are looking for.

For a lot of chronic pain patients, pain management comes down to a simple question of whether or not life is worth living.

That has been the case for me since my whiplash injury. Between being addicted to opioids or wanting to die, it was an easy choice for me to take the opioids before they were cut off.

Kratom has allowed me to get the relief which I need to go on living.

Are There Kratom Side Effects?

Now, the other cautionary note regarding kratom concerns side effects. A lot of patients are able to use kratom without experiencing major side effects, but severe side effects have been reported in some users.

Some possible side effects of kratom include itching, constipation, dry mouth, sweating, nausea, dehydration, frequent need to urinate, decreased appetite, hallucinations, and seizures.

Note that if addiction does occur, withdrawal symptoms may also appear upon discontinuation.

Often (though not all the time), users who experience side effects are combining kratom with other substances. Indeed, that was the case for all 36 deaths which the FDA has reported.

In other words, to my knowledge, the FDA has not reported any cases of deaths associated with the use of kratom by itself.

Another potential problem involves the quality of kratom supplements rather than the nature of the herb itself.

There are unfortunately some predatory companies out there which have sold kratom which is contaminated with unhealthy and even dangerous substances.

In some of these cases, fatalities have resulted.

So if you want to reduce your chances of side effects and avoid dangerously contaminated products, you need to make sure you are only purchasing kratom from a company you can trust.

Now, I’m not telling you all this to scare you or to try to talk you out of trying kratom.

On the contrary—I have had a life-changing experience with it.

As such, I heartily recommend it in cases where it is appropriate and only given that you:

1-Consider the pros and cons of kratom very seriously.

2-Proceed with caution.

3-Take only the proper dosages.

4-Purchase from a trusted brand.

5-Check for interactions.

6-Do not mix kratom with other substances which could lead to adverse reactions.

Note that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not use kratom. Kratom is also not suitable for anyone under 18.

Who Makes the Best Kratom Tablets?

I did a ton of research before I purchased my first kratom tablets. I did not want to mess around with potentially contaminated substances.  I also new I did not want to start with powder as it was not going to be easy for me to take during the day.

I ended up purchasing my kratom from a company called Kracken Kratom.

There were several reasons I chose this company:

• The co-founders of the company stand behind their product in the most meaningful way: they use it every day to manage their own chronic pain.
• The whole leaf is used to create the kratom supplements. That means that they contain the full spectrum of beneficial alkaloids.
• Instead of relying on a long supply chain, Kracken sources their kratom directly. This ensures a fresher product. The company also insists that all their harvesters follow sustainable agriculture practices.
• This company never puts additives in their kratom supplements. All kratom tablets are manufactured in the United States following cGMP protocols.
• Kracken takes purity concerns very seriously. The company dries its own leaves and heats them to the required temperature to kill salmonella and other contagions. All batches of Kracken kratom are subjected to third-party lab tests to check for adulterants and heavy metals as well as the potency of the Mitragynine compound which acts on opioid receptors. When you receive your product, it includes a testing label with the results. You can also view the testing certificates for each harvest lot right on the site. I cannot emphasize enough how important this is!
• Kracken is flexible with shipping options. You can choose between Priority and First Class mail. First Class saves you money, but Priority ensures that your package arrives domestically within 1-3 days (you can even choose Express, if you want). If you are ordering from abroad, you can receive your package within 6-10 days with Priority International Shipping. Orders do take 72 hours to process before they are put in the mail. From time to time, Etha offers free shipping as well.*
• Kracken also has a lot of great promotions for loyal customers. I recommend that you sign up for their email list. That way, you can be sure that you do not miss out on any of these fantastic giveaways and deals.

On top of all of that, I had heard very good reviews about Kracken from some of the people in my support group that had an extensive history of using kratom.

That definitely established a higher level of trust than I would’ve had if I were simply reading reviews online.

Before I made my first purchase, I also took the additional step of contacting customer service at Kracken. I did this because I wanted to know who I was dealing with. If you want to find out if the company cares, speaking to a real human being on the phone can give you a lot of insight.

A customer service representative took my call quickly. I asked a lot of questions (including some difficult ones) and received fast and thorough answers. This was enough to convince me to go ahead and place an order.

My Chronic Pain Story

At first, it seemed like I’d gotten out of the wreck relatively unscathed. Aside from some whiplash, scrapes and bruises, I seemed fine.

The doctor told me that I should be pretty much recovered from the whiplash inside of three months. I was in a lot of pain, but I believed him.

Three months came and went…. The pain got even worse

I went back to the doctor and told him I was still in pain. He told me that some cases of whiplash take longer to resolve. I was offered a prescritption for a strong opiod which I declined.   Then, I was told to take ibuprofen, and then he walked away.

Two ore months passed. The pain still wasn’t lessening. The ibuprofen sometimes took the edge off a little bit, but that was it.

I was in pain constantly.

Things finally started to turn around for me a bit when I saw a chiropractor. I found out that my whiplash had put my spine out of alignment. The adjustments made a big difference, but the pain was still frustrating at the best of times, excruciating at the worst.

There was zero chance of returning to my previous life that included cross training and weight lifting.

I think it is likely I have sustained some degree of permanent damage. Regardless, my acute pain had long since made the transition to chronic pain. I’d developed myofascial trigger points, and it was obvious to me I’d never be the same again.

I eventually went to see a pain specialist, who also  prescribed opioids.  At this point, I was hopeless and so I decided to give it a go.

Now, we can argue about whether that was the right decision or not until the cows come home.

Regardless, for me, it made the difference between whether I could get out of bed in the morning and go about my life feeling like it was worth it, or not.

And then came the recent war on opioids. If you take opioids or used to, you are probably well aware of the situation right now.

Both sides have a point. Opioids are prescribed inappropriately in many situations where more moderate measures of pain control might provide a better quality of life.

But there are also situations where opioids are all that seems to work. Patients were taken off of them may have no other recourse.

Often, this happens with no warning and little support. Some patients have even committed suicide after being taken off of their opioids.

As you might guess, I too was abruptly taken off of my opioids. Just like that, life spun back out of control as the pain returned.

I was feeling pretty hopeless about continuing to deal with the mainstream medical industry, so I started researching herbal alternatives for controlling pain.

That was how I stumbled upon kratom.

My Experience With Kracken Kratom

Kracken offers a number of different blends produced from different kratom leaves:

• Sunrise
• MidDay Gold
• SunSet
• Pure Vein – White
• Pure Vein – Green
• Pure Vein – Red
• Pure Vein – Yellow

Each of the blends is formulated for different purposes. After chatting with the customer service representative, I decided to give the SunSet blend a try first.

This blend consists of Red Vein and Green Vein strains combined.

It was optimized to relieve muscle pain like that which I get in my neck, shoulders, and back from the whiplash.

It also was advertised to improve focus while relieving anxiety (both of which I figured I could use).

I had the option of choosing either tablets or powder. I think it’s great that they offer the powder—some people have a hard time with tablets. I decided I preferred the convenience of tablets over having to mix the powder into a drink, so I went with those.

For my initial trial order, I purchased 7.5 grams for $10.

I won’t lie. I was nervous and skeptical when I swallowed my first dose. I was worried that maybe I was making a mistake.

But the nice thing about kratom is that you only need to wait around 10-15 minutes to find out whether it is going to work for you.

I sat down on the couch to wait.

Honestly, I don’t know what my expectations were. I was desperately hoping it would deliver, but I had been through so many disappointments with pain management that part of me had become very pessimistic about the possibilities.

So imagine how I felt when 10 minutes in, part of the crippling agony started to lift … and continued to lift …

Part of me was still scared that it was all too good to be true or simply the placebo effect. Was I going to fall over with a seizure at any minute?

… But no. The effects of the pain relief lasted for hours, and I didn’t experience any serious side effects.  Better still, I actually relaxed a bit and found myself smiling and enjoying music again for the first time in forever (Thanks to the album A Deeper Understand by The War On Drugs).

My mouth got a little dry, and I was a bit constipated that day, but that was easy to fix with some extra water (you need to make sure you stay hydrated when you use this stuff).

Only a chronic pain sufferer can know the bliss of the simple absence of pain.

That absence, that nothing is literally the most incredible feeling in the world. Those who do not struggle with pain like this have no idea what they’ve been blessed with every minute.

As far as whether kratom results in “improved focus,” I can give a resounding “yes” on this as well.

Honestly, this should be pretty simple to grasp if you have pain which is bad enough to drive you to shop for an herbal opioid.

When pain is persistent or severe enough, it can literally consume your entire universe. It doesn’t just command attention. It is attention.

No matter how desperate you are to participate in your own life, you find yourself cut off from the experiences that matter.

In that way, pain is a sword that cuts you twice. The sensation itself can be torture, but the second torture is that it traps you inside your own body and separates you from what you care about.

Getting through a day’s work can literally be impossible. As to connecting with people and activities that you love—you reach out desperately, but you feel like Tantalus in the old Greek myth. You love them, but you do it from afar.

Well, since I started taking Kracken, I no longer feel like Tantalus.

I have been able to reconnect again meaningfully with my life.

I have been taking kratom regularly for months now, and during all that time, the dry mouth which I mentioned earlier has been my only frequent side effect.  I now use both their SunRise and SunSet blends each day.  The SunRise blend is great for energy early in the morning and it feels a bit like a nootropic blend that also controls pain.   If you need a little pick me up above and beyond  coffee, I recommend starting with the SunRise kratom tablets.

That side effect is pretty negligible compared to the benefits I have been experiencing since I started using this herb.

I go to bed at night and am able to sleep peacefully again. I have fewer nightmares, and waking up in the morning has become a good feeling again rather than something to dread.

In fact, my life has stopped feeling like such a nightmare. It actually feels like it is mine again.

I’m fully back on track at the office, and I am not destroyed by the end of the day. I can go home and enjoy my evening with my family.

I’m also able to be more functional and supportive to my family and friends emotionally, which has brought a little more stability into my life and theirs.

I was Skeptical at First, But Now I Am a Believer

So now you know some of my story, and you can understand my journey from a kratom skeptic to a believer.

You have also read my Etha kratom tablets review and know why this is the company I recommend that you purchase your kratom from.

If you are still feeling skeptical about kratom, I won’t blame you. As I have already stated, you are right to be cautious.

In fact, I would not urge you to adopt any other mindset if you’re thinking about giving it a try. You need to take responsibility for your health.

Hopefully, if you do try kratom, you will have the same amazing experience which I have had. Perhaps you too can get significant relief from chronic pain or other symptoms or conditions.

Since discovering Kracken, I have recommended it to a number of friends.

A few have ended up trying it out. Not all of them found the results that they were looking for, but the majority have told me that they have experienced moderate to pronounced pain relief, and few or no unpleasant side effects.

It felt really spectacular knowing that I had been able to help. And that is exactly what made me decide to create this webpage in the hopes of helping even more people to discover the benefits of kratom.

Where Can I Buy Kratom?

Ready to give kratom a try for yourself so that you can experience all of its great painkilling effects?

You can purchase Kracken kratom for sale online right on the company’s website.

In fact, right now, they have an exclusive discount offer just for you.

Use the coupon code “SALE10” at checkout, and you can get 10% off your order of Kracken kratom.

Click the link below to go straight to the order page. It’s time to get your life back. In just a few days, you could be enjoying fast, effective pain relief!