Key takeaway
You are sick, scared, and trying to stop kratom. Call a doctor or a detox program and say you use it daily and want help stopping. Studies suggest withdrawal can be mild to moderate, and no medicine is approved for it. If you are seizing or breathing slowly, call 911.
Last updated: Mon Oct 05 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
You feel sick, and you are scared of how much worse stopping will get. Or you have not stopped yet, and you are looking for a schedule that will tell you which day the worst is over.
Call your doctor, an urgent care that can see you, or a detox program. Say this: "I use kratom daily and I want help stopping." Tell them what else you take. That includes alcohol, opioids, and any benzodiazepine. If you are pregnant, say that in the same sentence.
If you are seizing, breathing slowly, or you cannot wake someone, call 911. If you might hurt yourself, call or text 988.
What they can tell you
Ask them to help you stop. Do not wait on a forum for a day-by-day schedule. Studies suggest withdrawal after regular use can be mild to moderate, and more research is needed. NIDA is also clear that no medicine is approved for kratom withdrawal. The DSM-5 has no kratom diagnosis. If stopping has already become hard, you still deserve a clinician in the room with you.
Tell them why you started, whether that was pain, a low mood, or trying to get off opioids. The treatment-options guide covers why these products are not approved medicine.
If alcohol or a benzodiazepine is also in the picture, those stops can become seizures. The detox comparison is why. Say so before anyone sends you home with a shrug.
Do not swap it for opioid care
People do report using kratom to ease opioid withdrawal. Researchers have not shown it safe or effective for that, or for any medical purpose. Approved care for opioid addiction already exists: methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone, with counseling. The medication guide explains them without doses. The opioid withdrawal guide is why an old dose can stop breathing after a break. Do not stop a prescribed opioid medicine on your own in order to switch to kratom.
If you use other drugs with it, name every one at the assessment. The polysubstance guide is the wider problem.
Very little pregnancy research exists. A 2021 report found cases of opioid-like newborn withdrawal when the mother regularly used kratom and not opioids, and those infants were treated with the usual care for that withdrawal. If you are pregnant, the clinician needs to know tonight. The pregnancy guide is the longer conversation about alcohol and opioids. Bring the kratom up in that same visit.
FindTreatment.gov lists programs. SAMHSA's National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), can also point you to treatment. Call or text (800) 653-9376 and use the same sentence: you use kratom daily and you want help stopping.
Additional Resources
Sources cited on this page:
- NIDA: Kratom
- NIDA: Treatment and Recovery
- SAMHSA FindTreatment.gov
- SAMHSA National Helpline
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- SmarterRecovery about page (referral disclosure)
Common Questions
What do I say when I call?
Say, 'I use kratom daily and I want help stopping.' Add what else you take, including alcohol, opioids, and any benzodiazepine. Say if you are pregnant. You do not need a diagnosis name before that call.
Is there a timetable I should follow?
No public day-by-day clock exists for this. Studies suggest withdrawal after regular use can be mild to moderate, and more research is needed. A forum schedule is not a plan. If stopping has already become hard, that is a reason to get a clinician, not a reason to design a taper alone.
Is there an approved medicine for it?
No. There is currently no approved medical therapy for kratom withdrawal. A case report is not a prescription. If you also have an opioid problem, approved medicines exist for that. Do not start them from a webpage, and do not stop a prescribed opioid medicine in order to switch to kratom.
The manual has no kratom diagnosis. Does that mean I should ignore this?
No. The DSM-5 has no specific kratom diagnosis. Stopping can still be hard. Preliminary surveys suggest a minority of people who use kratom report withdrawal. That is a research note. It does not tell you whether your morning will be easy.
When is this an emergency?
Call 911 if someone is seizing, will not wake, or is breathing slowly or not at all. Those are among the rare serious effects reported with kratom exposure. For thoughts of suicide, call or text 988.