Once upon a time, I was prescribed opioids for my chronic pain, and over a year before discovering Kratom, I quit my opioid use. I started having kidney stones in 2007, which became more frequent as time went on. In fact, I was having several kidney stones each year, something that is quite uncommon. Upon further investigation, my Urologist discovered that I had a partial blockage at the base of my kidney where the ureter (the tube carrying urine to the bladder) connects to the kidney. This caused urine to back up into my kidney and would never drain properly. The medical term is Hydronephrosis. This contributed to a mild to moderate level of pain, which seemed to worsen over time. At first, the Urologist was giving me these procedures called Shockwave Lithotripsy which is designed to send ultrasonic sound waves into my kidney, pulverizing the developed stones. I would then pee the fragments over the next few days, along with blood of course. Yes, it was painful! That fixed my stones problem for the time being, but not the root of the problem. Every six months I had to get a Shockwave Lithotripsy procedure. Meanwhile my family doctor was prescribing me Lortab (hydrocodone). After several months my family doctor suggested I get into pain management since opioid prescriptions from my PCP was only temporary.
In early 2009 I went to pain mgmt and they immediately prescribed me Oxydose (a little bottle of liquid Oxycodone). After a month, I went for my next visit and explained that I would rather have tablets because the liquid was difficult to accurately measure. He put me on Percocet (5/325mg). That worked for a couple months until my doctor raised my script to Percocet 10/325mg. Again, that went a couple months until I decided to change to a new pain mgmt specialist who was located around the corner from my place. I relocated and my old pain mgmt clinic was about 25 minutes away. This new doctor immediately started me on Oxycodone 30mg HCL tablets. Obviously a big jump.
Before I continue, I should explain what was going on in Florida in 2009-2010 for those who don't know. Florida was in the midst of a "pill mill epidemic," meaning that pain clinics were springing up everywhere because licensed physicians found a loophole in Florida law which somehow allowed them to practice medicine with an out-of-state license. They would open up, operate as cash-only businesses, and take in just about anyone with 300 bucks. This new doctor's office I visited was cram packed. The waiting room had no less than 30 people. They finally call my name and I find myself in a hallway with 20+ more people sitting in a line of chairs. I was literally the only person there with a stack of medical records. I also had a giant envelope with 5 imaging films I received in the past. Everyone else was empty-handed. I left work early to make this visit and I was professionally dressed, which made me look very out-of-place. At least half the crowd couldn't sit still. I could tell they were obviously in withdrawal. Apparently they ran out of their meds early. Most were clearly drug addicts. My last pain management clinic had some sketchy individuals, but nothing like this. I felt so uncomfortable, but I was already there, so I completed the visit.
When I saw the doctor, I showed him my records and he took maybe 20 seconds to skim through them. He asked about my pain level and all that stuff. He also asked if I slept well (which I did). He tried to give me Xanax for sleep but I insisted that I slept fine. I never cared for Xanax. I tried it once when I was a teen and didn't like it. He proceeded to write me a script for the 30mg Oxycodone prescription and sent me on my way. I was in and out in 5 minutes. It only took two visits for me to evaluate my situation. I was afraid I would become one of these people in the waiting room. So I made a huge decision to leave my job and relocate. Besides, I saw 3 Urologists and none wanted to fix my underlying kidney problem. They said the risks outweighed the benefits. Pretty ridiculous if you ask me.
I moved out of state and discovered a Urologist who as willing to take my case. I moved in with family and went through a horrible withdrawal from opioids. I never knew how bad it would be, but it was baaad. It simply cannot be explained to you. Whatever you might understand about opioid withdrawal, multiply that be 10. God it was tough; the hardest thing I ever went through. Doctors say that if you take opioids as directed, for pain only and not to ever abuse, you will not get addicted. That is absolutely 100% false. Don't be fooled. Opioids affect your body physically. Like everything else, the longer you put something into your body, the more dependent you will become on that substance; whether it's drugs, coffee, or even sugar. This would explain why, for example, babies are addicted to opioids when born after their mother has maintained a drug habit throughout the pregnancy.
My physical withdrawal lasted about a month before I could finally sleep 6 hours. The first 2 weeks, I couldn't sleep more than 2 hours at a time. After that initial month, the psychological withdrawal set in. I continued feeling hopeless and depressed, mainly because I left my home and was in a place I didn't want to be. I was unemployed, I was detoxing, and on top of that I was still in pain and had nothing but Tylenol to help, which of course didn't help. I tell you what, if only I could go back in time and suggest Kratom to myself during that withdrawal. I hear Kratom works wonders for opioid withdrawal. Three months after moving, I had my big surgery! It went successfully, I spent 10 days in the hospital and spent 6 weeks recovering. Finally after about 5 months, my pain was better and things were beginning to look up. I decided to stick around with family for a while and ultimately spent 2 years in the area before moving back to Florida. I took a full-time job after I recovered and worked until I was suddenly laid off. I took that as my calling to return home.
The pain in my back and side never fully went away. It became a little worse over time but didn't quite cross the threshold from mild to moderate. It was more annoying than anything. I have several scars from the surgery and because they operated on my kidney by entering through my stomach area, they had to go pretty deep, leading me to assume the residual pain is probably from the surgery.
The day after Christmas 2011, I was bored and surfed around online when I came across a Kratom forum. I read about it and thought "that would be amazing if this really eliminates pain! And best of all, it's natural." I went for it. I found a vendor, ordered a couple ounces, and gave it a go. The result was unbelievable. My pain disappeared, my mood greatly increased, my residual depression was gone, and I genuinely felt happy for the first time in a few years. I found the perfect plant, a simple solution that would drastically change my daily life for the better. And for the past 5 years I've been a walking Kratom miracle.
In May of 2015, I injured my back pretty good; herniated my 4th lumbar while carrying 65lb tile boxes from the truck to the backyard. Like a moron, I was twisting to set them down since there were other objects in the way. I was remodeling the house at the time. I was carrying probably the 15th box when I felt a sudden pop, immediately following a sensation that I can only describe as cold water pouring over my spine for a few seconds. Within hours, I was unable to walk. I would get a nasty spasm every time I moved. For 2 weeks I could barely function. The first few days were so bad that I only got up once each day to use the bathroom. To this day I still haven't fully recovered from that. It's manageable, but I can't walk or stand for more than 30 minutes at a time. Some days my back is fine all day and other days, it hurts from the moment I get up until I go to bed. I don't have medical insurance and, if you've kept up with current events, you can understand why. It's just too unaffordable and the plans are not worth the crazy premiums. All I can do is deal with the pain until I don't know when. Although I was taking Kratom before this incident, I attribute Kratom to keeping my back pain at the manageable level it is today. I can only imagine how much more it would hurt if I didn't take Kratom when I'd feel the pain building.
What I love about Kratom is that it doesn't just alleviate my pain. It lifts my mood and gives me such a positive outlook on daily life. I am never angry and I never have a truly bad day. Sometimes little things irritate me in the moment, but I quickly snap back to happiness. It also doesn't give me a "high." I've drank alcohol, smoked pot before, and experienced opioids. Those get you high. The effect of Kratom is much different. It does improve your mood and sense of well-being, It helps with pain, but it doesn't give you a buzz like the substances I mentioned. At least Kratom doesn't have that effect on me. I never feel powerless to Kratom, I never feel addicted, and Kratom is not always on my mind like the opioid meds once were. I could never understand why I was always thinking about my next pill dose, but I was. And I was on opioids for a legitimate reason too. I still have the stacks of bills and medical records to prove it! The box weighs at least 8 pounds, no joke.
But with Kratom I can finally have a peaceful life. I went back to school after being on Kratom for 8 months. I'm just about finished (just need an internship, but I'm preparing for professional certifications beforehand). I have completed every graded course and maintained a 3.25 GPA. Kratom doesn't affect intellectual performance, at least not for me. I also have a family life which has been wonderful. Family life is great without Kratom, but Kratom just adds some extra sprinkles to a spectacular sundae. I never want to imagine a life without Kratom because it has helped me in such a profound way. So many people out there have a story just like me.
The government needs to understand the positive impact has on its consumers. People do not get hopelessly addicted, they do not constantly drool over their next Kratom dose, they do not rob from their families to support their Kratom habit, and they do not resort to a life of crime to maintain a Kratom addiction. That is simply ludicrous. Kratom is not an "imminent threat to public safety," rather it would be an imminent threat if they banned it. Without Kratom, so many people who escaped the impossible grasp of opioids may have no alternative but to fall back into that dark pit of despair; especially the 51% of Kratom consumers who take Kratom for chronic pain relief.
Anyway, thanks very much for reading my story and if you have a story, I would love to read about it. Just drop a comment below if you feel like sharing. **Kratom for LIFE!**
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