Knowing how long it takes for your kratom to kick in is crucial to having a good experience. I’m here to give you the lowdown on how quickly you’ll feel kratom’s effects and why products work at different speeds.
Kratom takes anywhere between a few minutes and an hour to kick in. The ‘toss and wash’ method works within a few minutes, whereas drinking kratom tea may take half an hour. Capsules can take up to an hour to have an effect. Weight, age, metabolism speed, and other body factors can also influence the speed of effects.
I’ve got a lot of important info to share, so let’s jump right in. I can’t wait to help you improve your experience with kratom!
Want to know more about the proper use of kratom? Don’t miss these posts!
How Long Before I Feel Kratom Effects?
The following table provides rough estimates of how long it will take for you to feel kratom effects on a semi-empty stomach.
| Mood Boost | Pain Relief | Sedation | Anxiety/Depression | |
| Toss & Wash | 10-15 min | 15 min | 30 min – 1 hr | 10 min |
| Tea | 25-35 min | 25-35 min | 45 min – 1+ hr | 25-35 min |
| Capsules | 45 min – 1 hr | 1+ hr | 1+ hr | 45 min – 1 hr |
| Tincture | 5-10 min | 10 min | 30 min – 1 hr | 5 – 10 min |
The method of consumption and the speed of a strain determine how quickly you’ll feel the benefits of kratom. Different strains produce different effects, and you might not experience them all at the same time.
Whatever you’re looking for from kratom, don’t overdo it on the dosage. You may be tempted to top up your dose if the effects aren’t as strong as you were expecting.
But if you re-dose too quickly, you could be feeling the effects of both a couple of hours later – and those effects may well be some nasty side effects.
Read More: How to Take Kratom For Maximum Results
Let’s explore some of the most common kratom effects and how quickly they kick in.
Mood Boost
If you want a euphoria, try ‘tossing and washing’ or a tincture. These methods will provide the strongest and fastest mood boost. Just don’t expect the euphoria to last too long.
30 minutes is probably a good estimate for the total time of the euphoria and about 2 hours for the mood boost, which lingers after the euphoria dies down.
I personally use Green Maeng Da when I want to boost my mood.
Green strains are not as energizing as white strains, but they provide the best euphoric effects and mental focus.
Pain Relief
According to health.harvard.edu, kratom has been used to treat pain for literally hundreds of years.
If you need kratom to combat sudden bouts of neuropathic pain or inflammation flare-ups, take a red kratom extract or try out the toss-and-wash method. With these, you’ll start experiencing relief in just a few minutes.
If pain is something you live with throughout the day, and it isn’t overly intense, kratom capsules or tea may be more suited to your needs.
The extended relief means you won’t have to top up your dose every three or four hours. You should still get the painkilling effects within an hour or so of consumption.
Sedation
Red vein kratom strains are the best for sedative effects, which can last for several hours. The best red strain for sleep is undoubtedly Red Bali.
I’m not kidding when I say I’ve felt the sedation effects of Red Bali the following morning.
The long-lasting effects of kratom tea and capsules are ideal for relaxation.
Sedation is usually the last effect you will experience. Even when using the toss-and-wash method, you may still not feel sleepy for a minimum of 30 minutes.
When taking large doses of green strains, I’ve been known to experience, in chronological order, anxiety relief that is immediately followed by a mood boost and much later concluded by sedation.
Keep in mind for sedation effects, it’s better to take what would be considered a larger dose for you. For example, if you normally take 2-4 grams, take 4 for sleep.
Even though the benefits take between 30 minutes to an hour to kick in with these consumption methods, it’s worth the wait to get an extra hour or two of effects.
Anxiety / Depression Relief
It’s possible to take kratom for anxiety and start reaping the rewards within a few minutes. This is vital if you have social anxiety that crops up without warning.
‘Tossing and washing’ (directly consuming the powder and washing it down with a cup of water) your kratom or using a kratom extract tincture can bring about near-instant relief.
Read More: Best Kratom Strains For Anxiety: From Personal Experience
Red vein kratom can be good for anxiety, but the anxiety relief is often accompanied by relaxation, which isn’t always ideal unless you plan on going to bed. If red strains are what you’re looking for, I recommend Red Maeng Da for anxiety.
However, a medium dose of Green Maeng Da kratom reduces your anxiety almost straight away and keeps you energized, motivated, and focused for several hours.
The effects of kratom on depression depend on how severe your symptoms are. A single dose could have an uplifting effect in just minutes for mild depression.
For deeper depression, it could take a few days or weeks of kratom consumption before you start seeing the benefits.
The same colored strains and dosage for treating anxiety apply to depression.
What Form Of Kratom Consumption Provides The Fastest Effects?
For the fastest kratom effects, the toss-and-wash method is the way to go. Toss some powder into your mouth with a measuring spoon, take a big swig of water, swill it around for a few seconds, and then swallow.
You’ll start getting the benefits within a few minutes.
Read More: Finding The Perfect Kratom Dose
Toss and wash work so efficiently because the stomach can start absorbing kratom alkaloids into the bloodstream immediately. The fast relief is excellent for remedying anxiety, neuropathic pain, and any other symptoms that come on strong and without warning.
This form of consumption has a few drawbacks. You’re fully exposed to kratom’s taste, which not everyone can get used to. Some find tossing and washing a little messy, and it’s not easy to use this method while on the move.
Tea
Kratom tea works more quickly than kratom capsules, but not as rapidly as toss and wash. The alkaloids are more diluted in tea, as opposed to toss-and-wash, where you get them all in one big gulp. But you should still start noticing the effects within roughly 25 minutes.
Kratom effects from tea last for around four to six hours, slightly longer than from tossing and washing. As a rule, the faster kratom hits, the faster the effects wear off, and vice versa.
Like with toss and wash, the flavor of kratom tea can be a dealbreaker. But it’s easier to mask the flavor in tea. Add sugar, stevia, or honey to sweeten the brew, or give your beverage a zingy twist with some citrus juice – the latter also helps potentiate kratom’s effects.
Capsules
Kratom capsules have the slowest onset of effects. Depending on other variables, you could be waiting up to an hour to start feeling anything from capsules. The alkaloids can’t start plugging into receptors until the stomach digests the capsules and releases the powder.
But capsules could still be right for you. Perhaps you have chronic pain and want longer relief from a single dose. The gradual release of kratom alkaloids into the bloodstream works as a treat in this case.
You could also make your own capsules and mix kratom powder with a potentiator, such as turmeric or cayenne pepper.
In addition, capsules are great for eliminating the intense, bitter taste that many just cannot get to grips with. Capsules are a discreet way of taking kratom, too.
Extracts
Kratom extracts are ultra-refined and bursting with alkaloids. These products are made by boiling kratom leaves or powder for many hours and then straining to maximize alkaloid concentration.
Kratom extracts are sold in both powder and tincture form and are much stronger than regular kratom products.
You can take kratom extract powder like normal powder – either by brewing kratom tea or using the toss-and-wash method. The effects will kick in at the same rate.
Kratom tincture oils arguably offer the fastest relief of all – via sublingual absorption. Drip a few drops of kratom tincture under your tongue, and your sublingual glands will fast-track the alkaloids into your bloodstream.
Five minutes or so is all it takes to start experiencing the effects of a kratom tincture. Just be extra careful with the high potency!
How to Feel Kratom Effects Faster
There are a few little tricks you can use to speed up how quickly your kratom takes effect. These are especially useful if you like tea or capsules, which hit a little slower in normal circumstances.
Take Kratom on an Empty Stomach
An empty stomach is perfect for speeding up kratom consumption. If your stomach isn’t busy digesting something beforehand, it’s going to start working on the kratom straight away.
The stomach will start absorbing kratom alkaloids into the bloodstream almost instantly, and the effects will follow shortly after. And trust me, these effects hit hard and fast.
The increased risk of side effects is a downside of taking kratom on an empty stomach. These include:
- nausea
- headache
- constipation
- belly weakness
Experienced users should be just fine. Consider taking a low dosage the first time you take kratom in this way.
If you’re new to kratom, you should probably avoid this one. The faster onset of effects and increased intensity can be a little overwhelming.
First-timers are usually advised to take kratom on a full stomach to moderate the experience and limit side effects.
Drink Fruit Juice
Citrus fruit juice – grapefruit, lemon, and lime are all good – is a powerful potentiator that can fast-forward your kratom effects. The acidity in citrus fruit juice helps improve kratom absorption, extracting more of its benefits from the alkaloids.
Simply drink a glass of fruit juice along with your kratom dose. You could squeeze some lemon or lime juice into your kratom tea.
This will enhance and speed up the effects while hiding kratom’s bitter flavor, too. You can also use fruit juice instead of water as part of the toss-and-wash method.
Choose a Fast-Acting Strain
Some strains just feel “faster.” Maybe it’s a psychological thing. The energy boost from a white vein strain is usually going to be noticeable more quickly than the gradual relaxation from a red vein kratom.
Maeng Da kratom also has a reputation for potent, fast-acting effects.
