Trainwreck Kratom by Earth Kratom is by far the best version I have found, and it literally relieves my pain as much as hydrocodone would on most days. It’s a mix of 11 different kratom strains and they seem to work better together.

But even with all the drawbacks, kratom has some serious advantages.

First and foremost, I have access to it. There’s no need for a prescription or a trip to the doctor — just a quick stop by the local smoke shop and I’m all stocked up. And it’s completely legal in most states, so there’s no need to worry about some of the issues that come with marijuana usage.

In addition to helping with pain, it also helps with depression and anxiety, which is great seeing as how most people in chronic pain have one or both.

It’s also the perfect way to get through a physical opioid withdrawal, as it will eliminate your symptoms in most cases. Yes, then you’ll have to go off kratom after that, but it’s much easier than the withdrawal that hydrocodone tends to bring with it.

One drawback is that most doctors don’t know much about it, so it can be hard to explain to them that you’re using it and they likely won’t be able to tell you how it will interact with other medications. There’s also been some bad press around it, including reports of deaths, so doctors may be wary about you using it at all. The FDA considers kratom to be an opioid and says it should not be used to treat any medical condition.

But if you’re dealing with serious chronic pain, and you’re sick of jumping through hoops to get an opioid prescription or your medication just isn’t cutting it, I would highly recommend you give kratom a try.

Just don’t try to take it with a carbonated beverage. The bubbles will lift it into your sinuses, and it feels like you’re being waterboarded with dirt. But other than that — it’s awesome!