Kratom is a herb that many take to relieve different aches and pains. Yet, quite a few also acknowledge feeling headaches after kratom. Some even refer to them as kratom migraines.
Kratom is extremely beneficial. Yet, one can also experience kratom side effects such as dizziness, dry mouth, constipation, and kratom hangover. Kratom headaches are one of the side effects that you may experience after taking this beneficial herb.
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Does Kratom Cause Headache?
While it won’t happen to everyone, kratom headaches can happen. Sometimes they may be related to how your body responds to the alkaloids in kratom. Yet, it’s not always the case.
What Causes Kratom Headache
There can be several reasons for kratom headaches. See which one may apply to you.
Dehydration
Kratom is diuretic, which means that it expels liquids from the body. This frequently results in constipation. Many users have also reported feeling a kratom headache if they do not drink enough water. They also noted that their headache gradually passed if they upped their water intake.
High Dosage
If you have taken a bit too much kratom, that too can cause your head to ache. If you have recently increased your kratom dosage, tried a new strain, or a vendor you’ve never bought kratom from before, chances are that your dose is too high.
Tension
Some users noticed that they experienced headaches due to tension. Once they worked on releasing that tension, the headaches would subside. Others observed that they would tense certain body parts after taking fast strains. That, too, caused them to have kratom headache.
Sensitivity to Caffeine
Since kratom and coffee are from the same family, you have a higher likelihood of having a headache after taking kratom if you tend to get headaches after drinking coffee, too.
When you take caffeine, it narrows the blood vessels around your brain. The term for it is vasoconstriction. Once the effects start wearing off, these blood vessels expand again, and that can result in a headache.
Some kratom alkaloids have vasoconstrictive properties. Therefore, strains that have a higher concentration of these alkaloids can cause kratom headache. Similarly to coffee, these strains are normally ones with stimulating effects.
Similar to how it occurs with coffee, you may also experience kratom withdrawal if you abruptly stop taking it.
Predisposition to Headaches
If you are prone to having headaches or migraines, your chances of getting a kratom headache are higher, too. That’s because your brain may be slightly different from the brains of those who do not suffer from migraines.
Studies show that people with a tendency to suffer from migraines have a thinner outer layer of the brain in areas responsible for pain. Therefore, you may be more susceptible to the changes in blood vessels in your brain after you take kratom.
Which Kratom Strains Are More Likely to Cause a Headache?
Most kratom users who experience kratom headache, identify fast strains as the main ones causing it. Some of the strains are:
- White Maeng Da,
- White Borneo,
- White Thai, and
- Red Sumatra
Nonetheless, the sensitivity to different strains can vary by person. Some have stated that they experience kratom headache after taking Red Bali Kratom, while others may be sensitive to any strain they take.
Kratom Headache Relief
Drink More Water
The easiest and most frequently recommended kratom headache relief is drinking more water. Even if you already drink plenty, increasing your daily water intake can help. A good practice is also drinking an extra glass of water for every coffee cup that you take.
Swap Caffeinated Beverages with Water
Even if you don’t drink coffee, there are other ways in which you may be consuming caffeine. Drinks such as tea, soda, and coke contain caffeine, too. Caffeinated beverages can dehydrate you.
If you love to indulge in some chocolate on a daily basis, that also can be an additional source of caffeine.
To reduce your caffeine intake, swap caffeinated drinks with water. If you cannot give up coffee and chocolate, make sure you drink extra water.
Sleep and Practice Relaxation Techniques
People who suffer from migraines often have specific triggers that set them off. While your specific triggers can be different, migraines frequently happen if you have had a lack of sleep, or have felt anxious or depressed.
So, make sure to get more sleep and find ways to relax. These can be having a hot bath, taking a walk, listening to music, doing yoga, and more. Try a few that resonate with you most and see that provide kratom headache relief.
If you do not know what your specific triggers are, there is a way to identify that. You can do so by keeping a diary. Whenever you experience a debilitating headache or migraine, write about the specific moments of the day, such as what you did, what you ate, how you felt, and what caused you to feel this way. Also, note down what strains you took and how large your dose was.
Over time you’ll notice patterns which will then be your triggers.
Lower Your Kratom Dose
The potency of the kratom powder that you buy can vary from batch to batch. That’s because different factors, such as the amount of rain and sunshine, harvesting time, and others, can affect the alkaloid content in the leaves.
While some kratom vendors strive to provide consistency, and changes in the potency of individual batches are virtually undetectable, other vendors don’t do that. So, it may be possible to take a dose that’s too strong if you have just opened a new batch.
Potency can also vary from strain to strain and from vendor to vendor. We’ve experienced cases when some vendor’s kratom powder was so strong that we had to take only a half of our usual dose.
So, try lowering your dose and see if any changes occur. It may take a few times to readjust your kratom dosage and achieve kratom headache relief.
Try Different Strains
It is possible that you are sensitive to a specific strain. For instance, some people become jittery and agitated after taking fast strains in the same way that one would feel after drinking too much coffee.
Therefore, try a few different strains and observe how you feel after taking them. For instance, if you are looking for stimulating effects, choose Green Maeng Da Kratom and instead of White Maeng Da due to its milder effects.
Some kratom vendors offer free samples or starter packages. A few vendors also add free samples to each order. Some may even choose specific strains for each buyer based on what they have ordered before. This is a great way to try new strains without making the commitment of buying a larger bulk.
Are you suffering from kratom headache? What causes it? Which kratom headache relief method works for you?
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