Kratom for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Does It Work?

We all know what it’s like to be tired if we have too much on our plates and don’t get an adequate amount of sleep. However, for some people, this tiredness never goes away.

This condition is called chronic fatigue syndrome, and it’s actually more common than many think. Let’s look into what it is, and if you believe you may have it, how kratom could help.

What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) is a complex chronic health disorder. Its most prominent characteristics are extreme fatigue, which lasts longer than six months. This unpleasant condition can’t be explained in full detail, and neither can be its underlying cause or medical condition.

Chronic Fatigue Symptoms

Chronic fatigue has a wide range of symptoms. These can come and go or persist all the time. The combination of symptoms may vary from one person to another, and so can the intensity.

The most common symptoms include:

• Extreme fatigue that worsens and persists for longer than 24 hours after physical or mental exercise,
• Having sleep issues and not feeling refreshed even after having slept enough time,
• Difficulty concentrating as well as maintaining attention and memorizing,
• Feeling dizzy upon standing up or sitting up,
• Muscle pain,
• Joint pain, often accompanied by redness or swelling,
• Headaches that are different in terms of pattern, intensity, or type from what a person usually experiences,
• Continuous or frequent sore throat
• Tender lymph nodes under the arms and in the neck.

While these are rather common, there is a range of symptoms that are less frequent yet may still occur. These include:

• Blurring, light sensitivity, pain in the eyes, blurring, and other vision issues,
• Night sweats and chills,
• Irritable bowels,
• Either low body temperature or low-grade fever,
• Allergies or sensitivities,
• Burning, tingling, or numbness in the hands, feet, or face,
• Irritability, anxiety, panic attacks, anxiety, mood swings, or other psychological changes.

These symptoms may not be obvious to others. Therefore, a person with chronic fatigue may seem normal and healthy to others, and it may be hard for friends, family, and colleagues to emphasize what they are going through.

Chronic fatigue is not only unpleasant and debilitating, but can also lead to other issues such as depression, social isolation, frequent work absences, and lifestyle limitations or restrictions.

What Causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

There is no definite answer to what causes the condition. Possible causes include prior viral infections, chronic stress, physical or emotional trauma, hormonal imbalances, and immune system disorders.

Common Chronic Fatigue Treatment Methods

Since we do not know what the cause of chronic fatigue is, a cure for it currently does not exists. Therefore treatment methods focus on managing the symptoms.

There is also no test to confirm that one has chronic fatigue. Symptoms may often mimic other health conditions, and people with this disorder may also suffer from other chronic health disorders. These can be various sleep disorders, IBS, anxiety, depression, and fibromyalgia. 

Treatment may involve a combination of medication as well as therapy.

Medication can be either prescription or over-the-counter. Some of the most commonly prescribed ones include:

• People with long-term chronic fatigue tend to also have moderate to severe depression. Antidepressants are prescribed to improve a person’s ability to cope with chronic fatigue symptoms as well as can help get better sleep and better manage pain.
• Pain medication. Since it is common to experience muscle and joint pain and conditions like fibromyalgia may go hand in hand with chronic fatigue, pain relief medication, such as over-the-counter ibuprofen, and prescription drugs like pregabalin and gabapentin may be used.
• Blood pressure and heart rhythm medication. These can aid people who become nauseated and feel like they will faint when sitting or standing up.

As a means of therapy, people with chronic fatigue may be recommended:

• This can help cope with additional stress, depression, and limitations that occur due to the chronic condition.
• While intense and aggressive exercise can worsen chronic fatigue symptoms and should be avoided, light impact and low-intensity exercise can help improve the mood and prevent reconditioning, which may result from decreased physical activity level.
• Lifestyle changes to improve sleep. A doctor may advise a variety of practices and lifestyle changes to improve sleep hygiene and quality. These may include a bedtime routine, lower caffeine intake, set bedtime, reduced use of technology before bedtime, and more. In case of disorders like sleep apnea, a breathing machine can be helpful.

Can Kratom Relieve Chronic Fatigue?

Due to its wide range of beneficial alkaloids and effects, kratom can help manage chronic fatigue and improve the quality of life. Users report Mitragyna speciosa being more effective than various chronic fatigue drugs. Moreover, the effects of kratom are so diverse that a person can use it instead of various medications.

The herb can help in the following ways:

Provide Energy throughout the Day

Green and white kratom strains have effects that are similar to caffeine. Therefore, they can help one stay alert and energetic without needing an extra cup of coffee.

While both greens and whites can be beneficial, greens may be a more suitable starting point for less experienced users and people who also suffer from depression.

Green vein kratom for chronic fatigue can also be more effective if one suffers from pain. That’s because greens have stronger pain-relieving properties.

Improve Focus and Concentration

While coffee can make one jittery and agitated in larger doses, making focusing and concentration harder, kratom, especially green vein strains, can be extremely helpful in improving focus and concentration as well as productivity. Greens create a calm focus, which, in combination with increased energy, can help you get more tasks done.

Improve the Mood

One of the beneficial effects of kratom is euphoria, which all strains can provide to a greater or lesser degree. A better mood can help you manage chronic fatigue symptoms much more effectively. 

Relieve Anxiety and Stress

Greens and reds have soothing and relaxing abilities, which can ease stress and anxiety. Moreover, these types of kratom for chronic fatigue can also help control intrusive thoughts and relieve social anxiety.

Help Manage Depression

Greens can be beneficial in managing depression symptoms. They not only provide additional energy but also boost the mood and help deal with racing negative thoughts.

Improve Sleep

While reds have relaxing and sedating properties and can help sleep through the night as well as alleviate conditions like restless leg syndrome or fibromyalgia, greens can also improve sleep.

In a counterintuitive way, they can help stay awake and alert throughout the day and be tired enough just in time to go to bed.

Relieve Pain

Reds have the most potent pain-relieving properties and can be beneficial throughout the night. While greens are milder, they can still provide potent pain relief that can ease one’s tasks and activities throughout the day, making day-to-day life more pleasurable.

Which Type of Kratom for Chronic Fatigue is Best?

Due to its moderate and balanced properties, green vein Mitragyna speciosa is typically the most suitable type of kratom for chronic fatigue. It offers moderate energizing effects combined with relaxation and pain relief.

These properties can help one stay alert, energetic, and focused, yet also ease stress, anxiety, and pain.

Precautions When Buying and Taking Kratom for Chronic Fatigue

Since people with chronic fatigue tend to experience other health issues in addition to the condition, it is extremely important to only buy fresh, consistent, and high-quality kratom that is properly lab-tested and pure. Contaminants, adulterants, and other pathogens could be extremely damaging to an already weakened immune system.

Moreover, one needs to be very consistent and precise with their dosage. Exceeding doses can lead to experiencing jitters, nausea, and vomiting, which could be especially unpleasant and even harmful if added to the typical chronic fatigue symptoms.

Having kratom that is consistent rather than fluctuates in quality can also help one maintain consistent doses and keep tolerance low. Buying cheap kratom can result in getting stronger kratom one time and weaker kratom another. Such fluctuations in potency can lead to overdosing, experiencing kratom side effects, as well as increasing tolerance, and burning money.

Do you suffer from chronic fatigue? How long have you had it, and what have you been taking or doing to manage it? Have you tried kratom for chronic fatigue syndrome? If so, what was your experience like?