Is itching just part of the kratom experience, something you have to get used to? Do we accept it and grimly endure the itchy nose, scalp, and skin? Or is there some way to prevent, reduce, or tame the kratom-induced itchiness?
There are 3 major side effects when using kratom: dehydration, constipation, and itchiness.
Dehydration is when the extremely dry nature of kratom powder absorbs too much moisture from your system. You feel parched, cotton mouthed, and very thirsty. Solve this problem by drinking lots more water and other fluids when taking kratom.
Constipation is a result of dehydration and lack of sufficient exercise. When taking kratom, one must consume extra amounts of liquids. Hard stools can also be a result of not moving around enough. Be sure to do whatever movements and work you can safely handle when you have kratom in your system.
You must be cautious though. Sometimes, small doses can make people feel a bit too buzzed, excessively excited, overly stimulated. And larger doses can lead to sedation, lethargy, drowsiness, and spacey lack of concentration. One must always be careful when taking any medicine or psycho-active substance, especially when it’s new to your system or when it’s taken in strong doses.
But in general, it’s better to move around, walk, putter in the garden, clean a room, re-arrange your library, alphabeticize your DVD or CD collection, strum a guitar, bang on a synthesizer, rake leaves, shovel snow, or do some light chores and easy activities.
Within a few months of kratom usage, your body will figure out how much kratom it requires for desired effects. You will settle into this dose amount and frequency, and rarely reduce or increase it. You will understand what things you can do while using kratom and what behaviors (perhaps driving a car or operating heavy machinery) to not engage in.
Itching is a condition some people experience when taking kratom. It can be a result of your immune system reacting to some of kratom’s alkaloids, skin dried out due to kratom’s dehydration action, and/or a chemical response of your body’s opioid receptors that are receiving the kratom alkaloids, even though kratom is technically NOT an opioid or narcotic.
If you have ever had opioid itching, the kratom itching is probably not as intense, but similar in effect. Most people either enjoy, ignore, or find a way to tolerate it. But here are some tips for you that may help.
What can I do when the itching starts?
Right off the bat, drink more water.
Itching can be caused by dehydration, loss of moisture in your skin cells. So water comes to the rescue once again. Re-hydrating your body should help avoid itchy sensations, or at least reduce the itching.
Block it out mentally. Freeze mentally and stare the itching down. Quote the lotus of the true law at it: “All things arise, suffer change, and pass away.”
Or go the opposite direction. Stop being so focused on the torment, so tenaciously mindful of the itching sensations. Pay attention to something else. Watch a movie. Go outside and do some yard work. Read a book. Have a pleasant conversation. Use some cannabis to relax. Try not to obsess over the itching.
Fighting the itching with pure mind power sounds good, but few achieve this level of self-mastery.
Combating strong physical sensations requires almost super-human self-control and devotion. You must be committed to triumphing over the material realm by sheer mind power. Itching is one of the most difficult things to mentally dismiss, especially when it’s a deep and constant itching. It seems like pain is easier to get used to than itching, especially sharp, sudden, penetrating, and persistent itchiness.
Mental control to block it out is a superpower any of us can develop if we want it bad enough – but it takes time and proper directions. It’s not easy, but it gets easier each time you try to practice it.
A Tantic Buddhist trick is to imagine how much worse it could be, and let gratitude decrease the amplitude of the itching. In other words, take your focus off the present transient itch and direct your imagination to “what if it was excruciating pain? Or paralysis? At least my skin is not numb, which would be dangerous, as we need sensations to alert us to threats and imbalances.
Scratching an itchy spot is simply sending pain signals from that spot to your brain, so the pain drowns out the itching signals. But scratching an itch poses the possibility of harming the skin, making it bleed, getting it infected with an even worse problem.
When you feel like succumbing to the urge to scratch, at least trying slapping or gently rubbing the itchy spot first. An old Native American trick is the itching stick. You find in your backyard some stick from a healthy tree that a strong wind has snapped off. Trim off some bark at both tips, sharpen if desired. Scratching an itch is far more satisfying with a natural itching stick from a local tree. But since the itching stick can have some sharp, jagged edges, either blunt them or use special caution with them.
A boar bristle brush is the best way to scratch an itchy scalp. You can find them at most Walmarts and drug stores. Boar bristles are amazingly gratifying as a way to attack an itchiness on your head and nose, too.
Why does kratom sometimes cause some people’s noses to itch, off and on, or for a few hours straight? Scientists are not yet sure. More research needs to be done on the alkaloids contained in kratom.
Some further tips on dealing with kratom itchiness:
Stay out of the sun.
No hot showers or baths (which are paradoxically dehydrating due to the heat).
Avoid wearing scratchy clothing like wool or acrylic fabrics.
Try using oatmeal-based bath products.
Rub aloe vera or olive oil into your skin to moisturize and repair it.
Like all wonderful, beneficial substances, kratom, a member of the coffee family, has a few side effects, including possible itchiness. Thankfully, these unwanted results are not usually very pronounced or long-lasting, they’re just annoying for a short while. We tolerate these things because the positive effects of kratom are so fantastic.
