Update Date: 11/12/2023
Have you been using Kratom for a while and just thought about how long it stays in your system?
Well, that’s one question to ask, considering the effects of Kratom on your mind and body after its medicinal or recreational use.
But sometimes, you might also wonder what it takes to get Kratom out of your system. Don’t you? Since Kratom might show up on a drug test, it is a bit concerning for most regular Kratom users.
But worry not! In this article, we will delve into the many ways to help you get Kratom out of your system so you can drive without worries.
But let’s first dive into:
What Is Kratom?
Mitragyna speciosa, commonly known as Kratom, is a tree native to Southeast Asian countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The said plant has been used for its medicinal benefits and as part of socio religious ceremonies for centuries.
However, in recent times, Kratom has gained much popularity due to its alleged psychoactive effects on the body, ranging from stimulation and euphoric sensation at low doses to producing sedative effects at high doses.
The two major psychoactive ingredients responsible for giving stimulant effects to Kratom users are Mitragynine and 7-hydroxy mitragynine.
These major psychoactive alkaloids are present in the Kratom leaves, compromising three different kinds of central veins differentiated by color: white vein kratom, red vein kratom, and green vein kratom.
As per the popular practices, Kratom leaves can be consumed in several ways to get the euphoric effects, which include:
- Chewing on the leaves.
- Grinding the leaves to make kratom tea, powders, tinctures, and extracts.
- Crushing and drying the leaves to smoke them.
- Consuming them in the form of capsules, tablets, or gummies.
However, it’s worth mentioning that the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics remain limited, primarily because of the scarcity of research in this domain.
Nevertheless, this article sheds light on crucial aspects such as Kratom absorption, its effects, metabolism, and excretion.
How does Kratom get absorbed in the body upon its consumption?
Well, there is a whole lot of mechanism to unfold.
Kratom mainly gets absorbed in the stomach and small intestine. It later gets into your bloodstream and travels all the way to the brain, where it crosses the blood-brain barrier, entering it and leaving its psychoactive effects.
And that’s how you get the Kratom “high.”
However, it’s worth knowing that the absorption of Kratom is affected by several factors. The first being the acidic pH.
Yes! Citrus fruits or foods in general with high acidic pH promote the absorption of Kratom in the acidic medium of the stomach. That is the reason why Kratom consumers take Kratom with grapefruit juice to enhance its absorption, provided that grapefruit juice has an acidic pH.
Another factor to consider that might affect the Kratom absorption in the stomach is taking it on an empty stomach.
That’s right! Consuming Kratom on an empty stomach, i.e., 45 minutes before or after a meal, increases Kratom absorption. Additionally, it’s important to mention that when Kratom is ingested in capsule form, there might be a delay in its absorption — typically ranging from 15 to 30 minutes.
How Long Does It Take Kratom To Kick In?
Kratom high is relatively known to kick off almost immediately after its consumption. If taken on an empty stomach, it takes not more than 10 minutes for Kratom effects to start kicking in.
However, the onset of effects via the sublingual consumption of Kratom is comparatively slower than the direct, tropical ones.
How Long Does Kratom Effects Last?
When consumers first start taking Kratom, they generally have one question in mind:
How long will Kratom effects last in the body? And that’s one understandable to ask, considering it has a significant impact on your body and mind. It makes sense why you’re curious.
Well, if we attempt to provide a concise answer to this question, we may find it challenging because there isn’t a definitive one.
Typically, the duration of Kratom effects varies depending on the specific type and form of strains. Some strains of Kratom, like Red Maeng Da, are strong, and their stimulant properties only last for up to 2-3 hours.
Strains that are taken in the form of kratom extracts and tinctures also have a shorter duration of action.
The relaxing strains of Kratom generally have a longer duration of action. Most Kratom strains have an action for up to 4-6 hours.
In addition to that, the duration also depends on the doses of the Kratom consumed. The higher the Kratom dose ingested, the longer its duration will be.
How To Get Kratom Out Of Your System?
As per some of the recent research findings on how long Kratom stays in the system, there are several conclusions drawn to explain its definite time.
A recent study led by a group of scientists compromising the male population of Kratom users for two years suggested that the elimination half-life of mitragynine is around 23-24 hours (+/- 16.07 hours).
This interpretation means that around 50% of Kratom will be excreted/eliminated from the body in almost 24 hours or one day, implying that to have no Kratom traces in the body, a person has to wait for 5-6 days after consumption of Kratom.
The study also highlighted the elimination half-life for fast and slow metabolizers. Furthermore, people with fast metabolism remove Kratom quickly from their bodies, and it only takes 7.17 hours, i.e., 1/3rd of the day.
Slow metabolizers, on the other hand, have an elimination half-life of 39.31 hours, so Kratom stays in their bodies for around nine days.
Factors Influencing Kratom Duration In Your System
Several factors should be taken into consideration when talking about Kratom and Mitragynine metabolism and how they may be affected. These factors include:
- Amount of Kratom Used: The higher the dosage of Kratom consumed, the longer the ingredients will stay in your system and the longer they will take to flush out of your body.
- Frequency of Use: The regular use of Kratom, the longer it will stay in your system.
- Individual Metabolism: Typically, Kratom metabolism takes place in the liver. Therefore, people with liver conditions will take longer than healthy people to metabolize Kratom.
- Body Fat Percentages: Furthermore, it is worth knowing that people with higher fat percentages will accumulate Kratom in their bodies more, as it is fat-soluble.
How To Flush Kratom Out of the System Fast?
The elimination half-life of Kratom depends on several variables that include the following:
- Kratom Intake: The first thing that you need to do is to stop taking Kratom. Make the process gradual so that you do not suffer from Kratom withdrawal.
- Water: Drinking water will increase the urinary output. The more you urinate, the faster you remove Kratom from your system.
- Consumption of Citrus Food: Fruits and drinks containing high concentrations of citric acid tend to increase the metabolism of Kratom and, hence, flush Kratom quickly out of your system.
- Consumption of Soda Drinks: Consuming carbonated drinks might slow and delay Kratom excretion from the body.
- Intake of Concentrated Kratom Strains: Another way to quickly flush out Kratom from your body is by avoiding the use of Kratom extracts or tinctures, as they tend to linger in the body despite their shorter duration of action.
- Age: The older the consumer, the slower Kratom gets out of their bodies.
- Fat Percentage: The higher the fat content in your body, the more you will retain Kratom due to its lipophilic nature.
Therefore, it is recommended that you exercise regularly and lose fat. Not just to flush out Kratom from your body, but also to stay healthy.
- Existing Health Concerns: If you have liver or kidney diseases, you will slowly metabolize and excrete Kratom from the body.
- Individual Metabolism: Research claims that people with fast metabolism tend to remove Kratom from the body quickly.
- Use of Activated Charcoal: If there is unabsorbed Kratom in the stomach, i.e., you recently consumed it, and you want to remove it, then use activated charcoal to get the job done.
- Consuming Foods With Low pH: Take acidic food, beverages, and drinks to promote the elimination of Kratom from your body. This acidifies the pH of the blood and helps in the degradation of acid labile alkaloids of Kratom.
- Calcium Intake: Calcium-D-Glucarate also enhances the excretion of Kratom via the kidneys.
Final Thoughts
So, how long does it take Kratom to flush out of your system?
Given that there has been no Kratom consumption in the past few days since the last intake, it will probably take up to 5-6 days for Kratom to flush out of your system completely.
However, it is also worth knowing that Kratom duration in the body depends on several variables, such as Kratom dosage, Kratom strain, individual metabolism, age, body composition, and many other factors.
Therefore, to avoid getting a positive drug test, it is important to follow the above-mentioned steps before appearing on the drug test.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Kratom Half-Life?
The term “half-life” of Kratom or any drug refers to the amount of time it takes for the drug in the body to reduce to half.
According to a 2020 study, for new consumers of Kratom, the half-life of the drug is only three hours approx.
2. Does Kratom Show Up on a Drug Test?
Yes and No.
Kratom drug testing is not a part of several mainstream drug testing methods like the very famous SAMHSA-5. Nonetheless, few Kratom components and its metabolites, like 7-hydroxy mitragynine, are easily detectable using specialized drug testing methods.
Therefore, if you’ve recently consumed Kratom, you might have a chance of getting caught. However, such an unfortunate happening is only possible if specialized tests are performed using your blood and urine samples. Additionally, it also depends on who is performing the test and what method they want to use to detect Kratom in your system.
3. How Long Does Kratom Stay In Urine?
There is only limited research available on how Kratom urine testing works. However, if an employer or agency is looking for a special Kratom component, such as mitragynine, a lab urine test is the way to detect Kratom consumption.
It is suggested that even trace amounts of Kratom could potentially be detectable in a urine test for over a week. For an average user, Kratom is likely to show up in urine within five days of use. However, it’s important to mention that some Kratom metabolites tend to show up in urine for up to a week.
4. How Long Does Kratom Last in Saliva?
Kratom detection could be done using saliva testing, as it is believed that certain Kratom metabolites can be detected using saliva samples. However, at this moment, Kratom saliva testing is not available.
5. How Long Does Kratom Stay in Your Hair?
Hair follicle testing can be done to detect Kratom consumption in the users for up to 90 days, as it’s believed that mitragynine can deposit into the hair and could be measurable for three months.
However, at the moment, there is no Kratom hair testing available.
6. How Long Does Kratom Stay in Your Blood?
According to a 2015 report by Drug Des Devel Ther (Drug, Design, Development, and Therapy), Kratom stays in the blood for two to nine days (40-200 hours approximately).
This estimation is derived from the half-life of mitragynine, the active component in Kratom, and its metabolic persistence in the body. However, it’s important to note that despite its presence in the bloodstream, current blood tests are not equipped to detect Kratom in your system.
Kate Freeman is the wellpreneur behind Kratomguides.com, an informative blog focused on spreading the goodness of Mitragyna Speciosa. Kate supports scientific research on this natural tree “Kratom” and believes that this herb can help millions of people to live a healthier life. She works with many kratom vendors to help extend their brand influence online. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, cooking, trying new recipes, and locating reliable stores selling kratom on sale.
Great delivery. Sound arguments. Keep up the great work.|
Yes, I agree with ms. Cook. Thank you, your article is appreciated.
I’m 67 I stopped taking Green Kratom had a urine text after 12 day and there was a small amount still in my system. Can I flush my system with Cranberry juice?