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Hangovers suck. So much so that people often end up making promises to lay off alcohol forever because of the potent discomfort that hangovers bring. But what if you found out that alcohol might not be the only reason for the profoundly unpleasant hangover experience?
A growing census of kratom users believes that the coveted herb can cause an experience similar to hangovers. So if you want to avoid the mind-numbing discomfort at all costs, here’s what you need to know about the speciosa-induced katzenjammer.
Kratom Hangovers — What are They?
Kratom hangovers describe a syndrome of uncomfortable symptoms that develop 6 to 8 hours after taking a dose. The effects can last for up to 12 hours or more, depending on how your body responds to the situation.
Everyone can experience a kratom hangover differently, but most of those who have reported developing the unpleasant response claim these as the most common symptoms:
- Generalized body weakness
- Fatigue
- Drowsiness
- Headaches
- Stomach aches
- Dizziness
- Dry mouth
- Nausea and vomiting
In a lot of ways, kratom hangovers can feel almost exactly like a hangover you would get from consuming too much alcohol. But there are some distinct symptoms that don’t typically occur after a night of drinking. These include:
- Muscle tension
- Muscle tightness
- Diarrhea
- Paranoia
Again, everyone responds differently to the experience. While most people may develop a combination of these symptoms, others can undergo unique kratom hangover effects not indicated in this list.
Although there aren’t any existing evidence-based studies to confirm it, kratom experts claim that the reason for hangovers has little to do with kratom itself, and more to do with specific conditions existing while you take a dose.
Based on user reports, these specific factors may increase the chances of kratom hangovers:
- Dehydration
- Gut infections or irritation
- Insufficient sleep
- Improper kratom dose schedules
Kratom Hangovers vs Kratom Side Effects — What’s the Difference?
At a glance, it might seem like a kratom hangover is just a fancy term for kratom side effects. Some people also can’t help but notice that kratom hangovers seem to have the same qualities as kratom side effects. But they’re entirely different situations.
For the most part, kratom side effects happen as the dose takes effect. That means the negative reactions can develop within 30 minutes to an hour, and peak alongside the effects of the herb.
This runs contrary to a kratom hangover that only happens around 6 to 8 hours after you take your dose — long after the effects have subsided.
Moreover, kratom side effects develop as a result of the kratom product itself. People respond differently to different kratom strains. So some users might experience side effects with specific kratom varieties and now with others.
Kratom side effects may also develop when you take more kratom than your body can handle. An excess of alkaloids may overwhelm the system, causing it to respond in less-than-ideal ways.
Are Kratom Hangovers the Same as Kratom Overdose?
Again, these are two entirely different situations. Kratom hangovers directly result from certain factors affecting your dose. On the other hand, kratom overdoses are a direct outcome of your body’s response to the kratom itself.
To put things simply, kratom overdoses are like kratom side effects on steroids. They’re more pronounced and risky, but the mechanism by which they happen is the same. That is, your body gets exposed to an abundance of alkaloids that exceeds what it can normally handle.
The result is that you end up feeling unwell. But while the experience might mirror the feeling of a kratom hangover, overdoses happen within minutes of taking a dose. They’re also quite dangerous and may require medical attention.
Keep in mind though that kratom isn’t dangerous in and of itself. But taking more than your body can handle may result in severe nausea and vomiting that may pose an immediate threat to your health.
What About Kratom Withdrawal vs Hangover?
When you take kratom too often, you may develop a dependence. This means that your body adjusts to your usual kratom intake. So the small doses that used to be enough to get you going end up delivering watered-down effects down the line.
As this happens, people tend to resort to cranking up their dose to reach their threshold. But with time, the increased dose becomes ineffective yet again, prompting the need for another dose increase.
Unfortunately, when the body becomes accustomed to high levels of alkaloids always present in the system, it may develop symptoms of withdrawal if you go without kratom for too long. This can look like this:
- Feeling cold
- Developing jitters
- Paranoia
- Aggressive or even violent behavior
- Irritability
- Mood swings
- Runny nose
How can you tell if its withdrawal and not a hangover? Well, withdrawals happen when you don’t take kratom. Remember that withdrawals occur as a result of your body being accustomed to high doses of kratom constantly flowing through your body.
So when you stop, your system responds in less than comfortable ways to the absence of high doses of alkaloids.
How to Prevent Kratom Hangovers
Whether they’re caused by alcohol or by kratom, hangovers suck. So to prevent the profound discomfort from plaguing your body in the morning, here are a few tips you can try:
- Stay hydrated – A lack of fluids can cause all sorts of discomfort like headaches and body soreness. And because kratom has been known to dry up your body of essential fluids, taking a dose when you’re not hydrated enough can make the situation worse.
All of that said, just a swig of water might not be enough to keep your body properly hydrated after a kratom dose. Always make sure to take at least 1-2 glasses of water after a dose, especially for nighttime doses, to prevent hangover symptoms from showing up in the morning.
- Cut back on dosage frequency – When your body becomes accustomed to kratom, it builds tolerance, and more dosage is needed over time which can lead to increase kratom hangovers.
Limiting the number of doses and the amount you take per dose can help reduce the risk of developing symptoms of hangovers in the morning. A gradual cut-back can help your body adjust to lower and less frequent doses over time.
- Visit your doctor – Kratom hangovers can develop as the result of gut infections or irritation caused by something else entirely. If you feel that you get hangover symptoms too often — even when you take substances that aren’t kratom — then there might be an underlying issue.
Visit your doctor and have your gut health checked. Avoid kratom use until you get a clean bill of health and a go signal from your primary care physician.
Can You Treat Kratom Hangovers?
Kratom hangovers are only a physical manifestation of an internal problem. So while you might be able to temper the symptoms, you can’t entirely erase the effects. Ultimately, you will have to wait it out. But by trying these methods, you should be able to reduce the discomfort.
- Drink lots of water – Dehydration is a major risk for frequent kratom users. If you feel the signs of a kratom hangover settling in, down a glass of water or two to bolster our hydration. Although it might be too late to completely eliminate a hangover, it can definitely help temper the discomfort.
- Keep your environment calm and quiet – Noise, light, and movement can exacerbate the symptoms of a hangover (as you might already know.) Stay in a cool, dark room away from the noise and flashing lights as you wait for the symptoms to subside. It also helps to turn your phone off and avoid staring into a screen as you wait.
- Sleep it off – If the discomfort gets out of hand, just lie down and try to get some shut-eye. Sleeping off the discomfort can help you bypass a lot of the long bouts of seemingly endless headaches and nausea. If you can’t fall asleep, you can take a sleep aid to encourage some shut-eye.
- Try at-home relaxation remedies – A full body massage, a warm bath, or even a diffusion of essential oils can all help calm your system and induce a sense of relaxation. Try to stay away from any oral remedies that require intake to avoid further upsetting your gut.
No Need to Lay Off of Kratom
While an alcohol-induced hangover might have you swearing off of liquor forever, a kratom hangover shouldn’t drive you to the same end. There are some perfectly logical, effective ways to avoid a kratom hangover, and it all relies on your ability to adapt responsible intake practices.
Keep these tips in mind the next time you take a dose to help avoid the discomfort as you wake up the morning after a kratom dose.