Kratom Stories

In this short solo episode, Madalyn shares an important update with the Kratom Stories Podcast community. After losing the Kratom Stories Podcast YouTube channel, Madalyn explains what happened, where listeners can now find the show on YouTube, and why this moment makes sense to take a brief holiday break. She also shares thoughts on the ongoing challenges of social media censorship within the Kra...

Lea Lyden spent her early life navigating trauma, addiction, and years of cycling through antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and stimulant misuse. Even as a licensed clinician and single mother, she carried intrusive thoughts, executive dysfunction, and the lingering effects of childhood abuse. Her first attempt at Kratom years ago went nowhere, and a later run-in with extracts only added...

Dan Pitta shares how chronic back injuries from his truck-driving career pushed him to search for pain relief that would not jeopardize his commercial license. Discovering Kratom in 2013 changed everything for him. Within 45 minutes of his first dose, he felt the relief he had been chasing for years. Dan opens up about how consistency, dosing schedules, and understanding his own sensitivity played...

Amanda Rainer shares her powerful story of living with extreme chronic pain since childhood and spending thirty years on prescription pain medication. She opens up about migraines, fibromyalgia, trigeminal neuralgia, severe back degeneration, Crohn's disease, and long-term anxiety that kept her bed bound and wiped out her quality of life. After watching her mother die from a cocktail of prescribed...

Kaden Bradway opens up about his incredible journey through years of unexplained health issues and medical dismissal. Growing up with escalating symptoms of severe chronic pain, neuropathy, joint instability, and episodes of passing out, Kaden faced countless ER visits and unhelpful appointments. After years of struggle, he finally received a diagnosis: hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), a...

Jordan Richard, founder of New Hope Botanicals, returns to share crucial updates on the Kratom landscape since his first appearance nearly two years ago. This time around, he's here to explain the difference between natural Kratom leaf and the chemically altered compound 7-hydroxymitragynine (7OH), which he calls "deception, not innovation." Jordan breaks down how 7OH isn't naturally found in the...

Araya Light shares her powerful journey from being a vibrant, go-getter bartender to suddenly becoming bedridden with rheumatoid arthritis, only to later discover she also had Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Frustrated by the failure of conventional medicine, she turned to natural health approaches—changing her diet, eliminating processed foods, and finding relief through herbal remedies. Her persistence...

Todd Underwood, founder of MitWellness, shares his powerful story of living with chronic pain and then finding hope through Kratom. Diagnosed as a child with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a progressive form of muscular dystrophy, Todd endured decades of severe pain that led to years of heavy opioid use following a heart attack and quadruple bypass. In 2019, after reaching a breaking point, he tried...

Diana-Ashley Krach shares her journey from being a chronically ill pain patient on multiple prescriptions to finding lasting relief and freedom through Kratom. Living with Crohn's disease, endometriosis, and anxiety, she recalls the chaos of being prescribed handfuls of pills, some to counteract the side effects of others, until a sudden crackdown left her without medication or guidance. In desper...

Sarah Pitta, co-founder of MitraSpec, shares how her search for a natural solution to pain and fatigue led her to discover Kratom in 2014. What began as a way to help her husband manage chronic back pain and keep his trucking job quickly became life-changing for both of them. Sarah found herself with more energy, better focus, and a brighter mood, so much so that she earned a promotion at work. As...

Cassie Craft shares her deeply personal journey from years of opioid addiction, nursing-related injuries, and struggles with depression to finding hope and relief through Kratom. After cycles of prescription pills, heroin, Suboxone, and even poppy seed tea, Cassie discovered Kratom at a local shop. She quickly realized it not only helped manage her chronic back pain and sciatica but also improved...

In this episode, Abram Jacobson of Pure Infinity Botanicals returns to share his experience documenting a 10-day Kratom tolerance break. Abram speaks openly about why he took the break, what it felt like physically and mentally, and why he believes transparency is crucial in the Kratom community. He explains how withdrawal symptoms were short-lived and far less severe than often portrayed, noting...

Deborah E. returns to the Kratom Stories Podcast to share an emotional update on her journey with pain management, seizures, and chronic illness. She explains how restrictive pain contracts and unexpected urine tests left her feeling powerless, even leading to a seizure in her doctor's lobby after being forced to stop Kratom and rely on Gabapentin. Deborah opens up about being abruptly dropped by...

In this episode, Emy & Oshin of Jaya Kratom share an insider view of the industry, from their field research in the rainforests of Borneo to building a Portland shop dedicated to education and transparency. They open up about what it was like living with farming communities, how Kratom supports families and preserves the rainforest, and the challenges they've seen firsthand in an industry often cl...

Stephanie shares her powerful journey of overcoming opioid addiction and chronic pain with the help of Kratom. After a horseback riding accident left her with lifelong pain, she turned to prescription medications, which eventually spiraled into addiction. While searching online for ways to stop, she discovered Kratom and was able to quit opioids without rehab. Over the last nine years, she has fou...

Sherry Owings shares her powerful journey of overcoming alcohol dependence and a lifetime of chronic pain through Kratom. After surviving a devastating car accident, years of debilitating pain, and dependence on over 26 different medications, Sherry's life spiraled further when her medications were cut back. To cope, she turned to alcohol while also serving as the caregiver for both her husband an...

In this episode, Madalyn sits down with Tracey Slack, who opens up about her decade-long struggle with heroin and meth addiction and the life-changing discovery that helped her turn it all around: Kratom. Tracey shares how it became the key to easing her withdrawals, lifting her mood, and ultimately breaking the cycle of craving and despair. What began as a desperate search for relief turned into...

In this powerful episode, Madalyn sits down with Stacy Wismer, who has faced decades of complex health challenges, including interstitial cystitis, depression, and a rare Tarlov cyst that left her in debilitating pain. After surgeries, medications, and therapies failed to provide lasting relief, a 2022 car accident worsened her condition, and then a friend introduced her to Kratom. Starting with s...

In this powerful episode, Madalyn sits down with Scarlett, a resilient survivor who opens up about her decades-long struggle with substance use and how Kratom became a turning point in her life. Scarlett shares her deeply personal journey, starting with addiction to heroin at age 16 and years spent in and out of treatment, mental hospitals, and methadone and Suboxone programs. After 14 years on Su...

In this gripping episode, Madalyn sits down with Bunny, the creator of Budget Van Life and a resilient survivor who overcame a years-long meth addiction while living on the road. Bunny shares the harrowing story of how she was first exposed to meth against her will and how her life spiraled into years of painful addiction and delusion while trying to survive in places like Slab City. She details t...

In this powerful episode, Madalyn Sklar sits down with Abram Jacobson, a longtime Kratom consumer and passionate advocate who shares his journey from recreational use to leadership in the Kratom industry. Abram opens up about discovering Kratom and Kava a decade ago in St. Petersburg, Florida, and how the sense of community at his local Kava bar helped him connect with others from all walks of lif...

In this episode of the Kratom Stories Podcast, Madalyn Sklar sits down with John, a longtime grappler and Kratom consumer who shares his powerful, no-holds-barred journey with the plant. After a devastating back injury in 2005 left him bedridden and desperate for relief, John discovered Kratom at a local kava bar—and it changed everything. What began as a way to manage pain turned into a life-enha...

In this episode of the Kratom Stories Podcast , Madalyn Sklar sits down with Jeremy Steding, founder of 1836 Kratom, to share his powerful journey from touring musician to full-time Kratom advocate and business owner. Jeremy opens up about his personal struggles with alcohol during his years on the road and how a chance encounter at a local shop introduced him to Kratom. That moment sparked a tran...

In this powerful episode of the podcast, Stephanie Sue opens up about her remarkable journey with Kratom, which began during a challenging period marked by addiction. After an initial unsuccessful attempt with the plant in 2014, she rediscovered Kratom in 2016 during a pivotal time when the DEA was attempting to ban it. This discovery not only changed her life but ignited a passion for advocacy th...

  This episode features Kacey, a 40-year-old mother battling chronic pain from multiple conditions, including hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and scoliosis. After years of failed surgeries and inconsistent pain management, often facing dismissal and being ghosted by hospitals, Kacey discovered Kratom as a vital tool in managing her pain. This interview details her difficult journey through the...