Coffee is extremely popular; it’s actually one of the world’s most popular drinks. For many, it has become a staple of their everyday life. As a matter of fact, in the USA, people drink more coffee than any other type of drink. Even bottled water and soda.
Chances are that you are one of the numerous American coffee lovers. And you also love kratom. So, what can you do about it? Can you combine your two favorite drinks and mix kratom and caffeine?
Let’s take a closer look at both first.
Table of Contents
The Similarities between Kratom and Coffee
Origins
Both kratom and coffee come from the Rubiaceae (coffee) family, basically, making them cousins. That is largely the reason why kratom and caffeine can have similar effects.
Bitter Taste
Both are frequently described as bitter. Therefore, people usually prefer mixing them with something else, such as milk and sweetener with coffee or lemon and sweetener with kratom.
Effects on the Body
Coffee has positive effects on the body. And there are multiple studies to back that up. Moderate intake of coffee has the potential to lower the risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, and heart disease, as well as Type 2 Diabetes and liver cirrhosis.
Coffee drinkers are less likely to suffer from depression or commit suicide, as well as have an easier time to recover from workouts. They also have stronger DNA, live longer, and are even easier to work with.
These are excellent reasons to add coffee to your everyday diet. But how about kratom?
While studies on kratom are not nearly as extensive, it too has a wealth of health benefits. Existing research proves kratom more effective against opium addiction than medicinal drugs. It also has strong anti-inflammatory properties, enhances immunity, and helps manage pain.
Both Are Claimed to Be Addictive
Both are frequently labeled as addictive. Kratom is even claimed to be by some an addictive drug. However, studies show that kratom is no more addictive than coffee.
While coffee is often labeled addictive, it’s more habitual than anything else. People often socialize while drinking coffee which is pleasurable and may encourage them to have another cup.
Coffee also contains substances that enhance the flavor of anything else that it is consumed with which often are sugar, milk, and pastry. So, if you’re eating a chocolate muffin along with a cup of coffee, it’ll taste better.
This makes the whole coffee drinking experience even more pleasurable. And who doesn’t like pleasurable things?
Do, however, keep in mind that both kratom and caffeine can result in an alkaloid buildup in the system. It can happen if you consume them regularly and not leave enough time between intakes to let the alkaloids leave the system. This may cause tolerance. Yet, tolerance and addiction are not one and the same.
Side Effects
It’s possible to experience side effects when taking both kratom and caffeine. With coffee, these can be insomnia, agitation, nervousness, as well as nausea, vomiting, and faster or irregular heartbeat.
Whereas kratom can cause an upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, constipation, dizziness, and disrupt your sleep cycles. When it comes to kratom, the nature of the side effects will also depend on individual strains.
The Differences between Kratom and Coffee
Varieties and Different Effects
There are over 100 different species of coffee, Arabica and Robusta being the two most popular ones. However, they all have the same effect – stimulant.
It’s slightly different with kratom. There are three main vein types that are natural – red, green, and white. But kratom also comes in a variety of strains. Each vein type is responsible for different effects, and even the effects of each strain in the same vein category can be different.
There are also other trees in the Mitragyna family that are similar to kratom, yet do not produce the same effects.
Potency
The strength of kratom effects by far surpasses those of coffee. When it comes to their length, then they are similar on average. The effects of caffeine usually last 4-6 hours while those of kratom – 5-6 hours. However, there are strains such as Red Sumatra kratom that can last up to 10 hours.
Legality and Availability
While coffee is legal and widely available anywhere in the world, kratom is not. It’s banned in multiple countries such as New Zealand and Australia and listed as a controlled substance in others, such as Russia and Sweden.
In the United States, with the exception of certain states and countries, kratom is legal. You can view our kratom legality map here.
However, kratom legality in the US comes with restrictions. It can only be sold if it’s not labeled as a dietary supplement. What does that mean? That you can legally sell it for making products such as soap and body butter, but not as a dietary supplement.
Yet, it’s worth pointing out that coffee has gone through similar scrutiny in the past. It was banned for periods of time in certain locations such as Italy and Mecca. So, possibly (and hopefully), kratom will be properly regulated and freely available in the future. Same as coffee is today.
Dosage
While you shouldn’t take too much coffee, it’s easier to measure the right dose of caffeine. In places like coffee shops, coffee doses are standard.
On the other hand, kratom is a lot more sensitive in that regard. Not every dose will suit everyone, nor will it affect everyone in the same way. You need to carefully measure your dose using a sensitive scale or you risk experiencing kratom side effects.
Can You Mix Kratom and Caffeine?
There is no definite answer to whether you can mix kratom and caffeine or not. You can, and many people swear by it. But it will ultimately depend on you, your needs, and how your body responds to it.
How to Take Kratom and Coffee?
The method that works best or you will too depend on your lifestyle and preferences. There are a few ways of combining kratom and caffeine.
Mixing Kratom and Coffee
Some users prefer mixing them both together into one drink. To do so, brew coffee and make kratom tea. Then, strain the kratom tea and mix it into your coffee. If the taste is too much for you, try adding a sweetener to the mix. Many users suggest stevia.
Keep in mind though that you should not be using your regular kratom dose for that. Especially if you take the fast strains, e.g., white vein kratom. It may make you jittery and the whole experience may be unpleasant.
Lower your usual dose by approximately half. If that does not deliver the desired results, try gradually upping it.
Taking Kratom and Caffeine Separately
Another popular way is taking them both separately. Users take kratom tea or toss and wash and about 30 minutes later drink coffee. Though less common, some prefer taking coffee before kratom. Experiment and see what feels best for you.
Alternating Kratom and Caffeine
If you take white or green vein kratom for stimulating effects, you can use coffee as a substitute for kratom. For instance, you can take kratom on one day and coffee on another, or skip a day of kratom a few times a week and take coffee instead.
Coffee may not provide the same effect as kratom, but it will help you to keep your tolerance down. You’ll be able to give your body some time to reset and expel kratom alkaloids out of your system.
Which Strains of Kratom to Take with Coffee?
Taking Coffee and Fast Strains
White vein kratom and green strains are stimulating. And so is coffee. Taking both together may result in too much stimulation. You may feel your heart rate go up or become irregular. You may feel jittery, restless, or nauseous.
To avoid that, lower your usual kratom dose. I advise starting with half of what you usually take. You can always adjust the dose later if you feel that that’s not enough.
Taking Coffee and Slow Strains
Slow strains, such as most red vein ones, are usually taken in larger doses. They have relaxing and painkilling effects. However, larger doses can be sedative and put you to sleep. If you need strong pain relief in the morning, you may be feeling sleepy during the working hours.
How can you keep your productivity up? By taking coffee. Some users like to use slow kratom strains with coffee because they get the potency of the slow strains yet stay alert because of the coffee.
Are you taking kratom and caffeine? Which method do you prefer? Is your method not included? Feel free to share it with us.
I heat a 16 oz. of water in the microwave and mix with 12 grams red vein. After I drink this I’ll drink a cup of coffee and I’m ready to take on the day.
Thanks for your feedback, Ray!
I enjoy knocking back a glass of water with two scoops of Red MD, and then drinking a cup of coffee. It’s like a mild speedball that won’t kill you! Also, I find the kratom negates the coffee crash, so the energy level just tapers off after the plateau.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Hunter.
I take about 8-10 grams of red vein bali and drink two cups of coffee and i feel like superman
Glad to hear that kratom makes you feel like this 🙂
That’s way to much kratom, I think you need to taper down a bit, I.M.O.!?
Hello Blaine, whom did you refer your comment to?
I AGREE, JEEZE!?LOL!?
I take them together, but also take kratom all day and i’m having some serious muscle tension problems. I think it’s mostly caffeine, because I quit kratom for a month and a half and didn’t get much better, but when I quit caffeine for a week I felt better but couldn’t stay off it.
Anyway the reason i’m putting this here, I think part of it is when I mix the 2. On the days that I don’t have kratom in the morning, just coffee, then have kratom in the evening, I seem to feel a bit better. On the days where I have kratom with coffee, and in the evening, my neck and jaw hurt even worse the next morning.
I’m still looking into this, but it seems to either be the fact that i’m constantly on kratom and caffeine all day every day, or just when I combine the 2 IN ADDITION to sitting a lot (computer job) and a history of not using the best posture. If anyone else is having these problems, please reply with your experience.
I’m not trying to attack kratom here, as my problems are definitely a mix of bad lifestyle choices on my part, not to mention I am highly sensitive to caffeine (and therefor possibly kratom too). I know a LOT of people who take both kratom and caffeine, much more than me, and they do NOT have these problems…so any FDA creepers in here trying to give kratom a bad rep. this is more on me and my very lazy lifestyle and high allergies / sensitivities than it is on this leaf…so please don’t use any of what I typed here out of context.
Hi Noa, thanks for sharing your experience.
How much coffee do you drink a day? Since it’s a stimulant, it’s possible for it to be causing muscle tension to keep you awake. If you experience lots of stress and anxiety, that too can result in muscle tension which caffeine makes worse.
You mentioned that you couldn’t stay off coffee may be an indicator that you may need a break from coffee. Did you experience headaches and drowsiness? If so, that may have been caffeine withdrawal. That’s because caffeine constricts blood vessels in the brain and you experience discomfort do to higher blood volume. It’s not uncommon to occur if you drink two or more cups of coffee a day. This is temporary and after about two weeks off caffeine, your body adapts and you should be fine. We advise looking into caffeine withdrawal for more information.
What strains of kratom are you using and for what purpose? Have you looked into different vendors?
It’s Kratom! I have the same problem. Do not forget Kratom is a quite strong pain killer so when you sit ALL DAY at your desk with a bad body posture and a bad neck posture on kratom you WON’T feel the pain and discomfort of the bad posture right in the moment (and you don’t change your position for example like we usually do during our sleeping because you are on kratom) BUT you will feel the pain the next day. Plus if you are on kratom the entire day the next morning your are already getting withdrawal.
Gradually reduce the amount of kratom and be strategic with it, take it when you really want or need, otherwise it’s a circle: felling just ok during the day by taking a lot of kratom and feeling DESTROYED in the morning rushing to take your morning dose because of your the neck pain and soreness that Kratom gave you. Plus your withdrawals will start in the middle of the night and consequently your last hours of sleeping will be BAD, it’s like you sleep 2 or 3 hours LESS EVERY SINGLE NIGHT, do it long term and your health will be not the best you can have bro! Now you just wake up every next day completely DESTROYED, with soreness, neck pain AND tired because of sleep deprivation.
Kratom is great but you should lower your dosage, find the right balance and enjoy this magical plant!
All the best!
Hello M.A., and thank you for sharing your experience. It does, however, seem that your experience differs from Noa’s. As he mentioned in his comment, his symptoms improved when she took a break from coffee not kratom. He also mentioned taking a break from kratom but not coffee did not resolve any of his symptoms. You are absolutely right about taking the right dose of kratom. It is paramount to make sure that it remains consistent and that you do not increase it over time which could result in development of tolerance. Rotating kratom strains can also help in keeping tolerance low in making sure that withdrawal doesn’t happen.
I guess Blaine, about people taking way to much kratom!!!!
10-12 grams of any kind of kratom is about 5-7 grams to much, wow guys, taper time!? Give it some thought, got up to 24 grams a day and it was no fun coming back down, take care everyone!!🙂🙏!!
Yes, you are right. Sadly, numerous vendors offer low or inconsistent quality kratom for a seemingly cheaper price. It doesn’t provide the effects expected from the recommended dose and causes people to pay a lot more in the long run.
In my experience, mixing kratom and caffeine is usually a bad idea. For me it usually results in an extremely depressive crash which often also brings about suicidal thoughts. I would recommend against it personally. I will say though that taking kratom with or after your regular nothing cup of coffee isn’t bad, as the initial dose of caffeine from the coffee is small enough and routine enough to constitute a bodily normal for those who do it as a daily ritual. But I would recommend against additional doses and excessive doses of caffeine in close time proximity to kratom. For me the depressive crash which is a result of unnecessarily combining the two has been the case every single time, and it’s been many. Especially if your a person who already had depression or at the very least a highly neurotic personality type, I would consider the repetitive mixed dosing a death wish. I don’t want anyone to go through the amount of despair and emptiness I went through from this abuse of two perfectly good and useful substances
In addition I would say it’s not worth it anyway as the caffeine really doesn’t add any additional benefit that you wouldn’t already be getting from the kratom. If your energized already from the kratom, the caffeine in my experience doesn’t add more energy, it just sort of gets cancelled out and adds some anxiety and irritability
Hello Elvis, thanks for sharing your experience with kratom and coffee.
Would you mind elaborating on the vein type(s) and strains of kratom that you take? It’s possible for people to experience jitters and anxiety after white vein strains, especially if they already suffer from depression, stress, and/or anxiety. We generally do not advise white strains to those with depression.
From your comment, we understand that you are taking kratom for energy. Adding coffee to it, especially if that’s at the same time, could make stimulating effects even more potent and if the comedown from kratom and coffee coincide, you would experience a comedown from two stimulating herbs. Keep in mind also the time you drink kratom and coffee. If you do that within 90 minutes after you wake up, you may also be experiencing comedown from the natural cortisol spike that happens after you wake up. It’s generally recommended to drink coffee or other stimulants about 90 minutes after you wake up. In order to wake up, your cortisol levels spike up and they start dropping around that time. So, taken approximately 90 minutes after waking up, your caffeine dose extends that feeling of alertness.
Green vein kratom strains are also stimulating and they are milder on people with depression and anxiety. We tend to recommend these to people with depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as for beginners.
So, in cases like yours, we’d recommend experimenting with the options below:
1. Taking stimulating strains of kratom or coffee separately. Then, when the effects start tapering off, take the other to prolong the feeling of alertness. Opt for greens. Strains such as Green Maeng Da or Green Malay provide mild pain relief and relaxation as well as mild energy boost energy and calm focus.
2. Taking less stimulating strains of kratom, such as Red Maeng Da with coffee in the morning. That would provide pain relief and relaxation from kratom and stimulation from coffee. Then, in the early afternoon, you can take another dose of coffee or stimulating strains of kratom to get an energy boost. Kratom and stimulating (fast) strains tend to last less than slow strains, so those should not interfere with your sleep given that you do not take them too late.
3. Taking both (kratom and coffee), but lowering the dosage of either one or both of them rather than taking the regular dosage. The dosage is individual, so you may need a few tries to find your perfect balance.
Let us know if you try these options and how that goes for you.
We wish you all the best.
Thank you so much for the thorough and thoughtful response. It means a lot to know you care.
My worst depressive crash ever was with krave Trainwreck and a 200 mg caffeine pill, that was traumatizing. I no longer take the Trainwreck, I’ve had very bad experiences with it. I had a very very smooth experience with Cali life green Malay, I don’t recall any major mood issues associated with that time.
I had a pretty bad depressive crash after an excessive dose of krave red dragon and a a 200 mg caffeine pill.
Red maeng da is usually very mild for me and it has 0 compulsivity to it, in other words I never feel the need to take it.
I’ve tried small doses of white Tai and remember having a good experience.
Recently I started taking kratom again and it happens to have been directly correlated to some recent depression and severe mood swings, especially on the instance when I took 3 capsules along with a triple shot mocha, which is actually the instance that inspired me to come in here in the first place. This strain I’m taking is very high quality and it turns me into a beast at the gym and has no crash whatsoever, but the apperantl irritably (possibly non causal correlation) has been very bad. It’s Malay reserve by OPMS.
I should note that at the time when I was taking Trainwreck etc and caffeine pills, I had a messed up work and sleep schedule and was only getting 2-3 hours of sleep 3 days a week waking up at 3:30am and going on to do a 17 hour day. My life kinda sucked at the time.
Is it possible that I could be experiencing some sort of paradoxical relationship with the drug, which is why I got such bad mood swings in conjunction with it?
Thanks again, hope all is well for you also
I think I’m going to give up my morning coffee and start drinking ginsang tea in place of it. Any objections to that idea?
Hello Elvis,
We’re glad that you’re finding our suggestions helpful. We’re happy to see that what we do is helping others.
It is possible to form a negative associative relationship with something if the experience has been over a long period of time. Lack of sleep can have detrimental effects on health and wellbeing.
Perhaps, you can try alternatives to coffee such as matcha (green tea powder) or green tea.
As per ginseng, it may be a good idea to talk to a physician in case you have any health issues or take any mediation. While ginseng has many benefits, in high quantities it can cause insomnia as well as interact with various medications. Other than that, this can be rather personal. Some kratom users have a great experience whereas others report feeling that ginseng weakens their kratom experience.
Update on my experience with Kratom and coffee: So now that I’m in a balanced emotional state, I realize that Kratom and caffeine together have no negative effects or crash. I realized that the reason I thought that before is because I was extremely sleep deprived and depressed, and because of my depressive states of high neuroticism I was prone to negative suggestibility or nocebo. In other words, because I had this repressed stigma that everything I was doing was wrong and one step down the slippery slope of failure and misery, I convinced myself that what I was doing would be bad, and thus through the power of suggestion and nocebo, the effects were bad. But the only reason it was bad is because of my psychology, not the drug or mixing of the two drugs itself. My depressive crashes were purely psycho-somatic and a result of the cognitive effects of depression.