Chronic Bronchitis: Kratom as an Alternative

An interview with Josh

An American Expat, Josh is a coder and software developer currently living in Singapore. Josh tells us his history of Chronic Bronchitis and how he is now utilizing kratom to manage his symptoms.

Adam: Hey Josh, glad we could get in touch. I’m calling you from here in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.

Josh: Thanks, Adam. I’ve spent some time in the Midwest, some sledding in Wisconsin. Beautiful. I’m from Chicago originally. 

A: Yes, the Midwest can be beautiful with the seasonal extremes. So that brings us to your story, where it sounds like you’ve been having some extreme health difficulties. You said you’ve been suffering from a sort of Chronic Bronchitis?

J: I’ve been coughing for five years, now. It’s been very difficult, stressful. 

A: Any idea what started it?

J: I was pretty young when the coughing started, and my mom was getting concerned about me. It was really bad. I think it even cost me my job, they just didn’t want me around because the coughing was so bad. I went to the doctor, went through an ordeal with tests and X-Rays, but they told me I was fine. The doctor insisted I was healthy, but my cough was still persistent and was really impacting my life. I tried some natural remedies, antibiotics, everything – but nothing really worked. My mother has chronic respiratory issues, so I think the Chronic Bronchitis must just be genetic.

A: Right, maybe that’s why the doctor was unable to diagnose anything. So what is it that led you to kratom?

J: So I ended up moving to Bali (Indonesia). I continued to seek treatment, but couldn’t find anything to help. But then I met a few guys. One of them was a Russian guy who used kratom. He introduced it to me. At first, it didn’t work, and I wasn’t dosing right or using potent product – it must have been some clow grade stuff. A while later, I was in a rough spot, a little depressed. My girlfriend and I had broken up. And that’s when I learned that kratom did more than just help with the Chronic Bronchitis. So here I am, still coughing, feeling kind of down, and I come across some Maeng da. I had just read about steeping the kratom in hot water, how that could work better for some people. This was a quality product and I dosed it right. I started feeling better, having better focus – enjoying mundane tasks, all this helping me get out of the depression.

A: Wild, huh? It can really give you a new perspective on everything.

J: Right, I began to appreciate things more, feeling better. I thought, ‘This kratom stuff is pretty cool!’ Then about a week later, I noticed my cough was gone. So now I was really curious. I stopped taking it to check it if was what was helping, and sure enough, a week later I started coughing again. And this cough, this cough would keep me from sleeping, an unproductive cough that would sometimes make me sweat from how violently I would cough. But now? Now it’s gone. As long as I take kratom, and my preferred strain of this high quality Maeng Da, this cough that I’ve had for five years just goes away. The doctors didn’t help, the other natural alternatives and antibiotics didn’t help. But now I can wake up in the morning without going through a huge coughing ordeal, I can go back to doing normal things. 

A: You know, a lot of people have said that the White Maeng Da, like what you take, gives effects of improved focus and mood. But it’s really interesting that the White Maeng Da has helped so much with your cough, too. The White Maeng Da you take reminds me a lot of our White Horn.

J: And honestly, I’m not sure either. I’m still experimenting with other strains. I gave some Red Bali to my girlfriend, who had gotten in a scooter accident. She said she was surprised at how much it has helped reduce the pain from her accident. 

A: Your story is very unique. Many of the medical conditions we hear about kratom helping are things like arthritis, fibromyalgia. But now hearing that it is helping with a respiratory illness is really fascinating. More and more science is starting to come out on kratom (still understudied), it’s really exciting.

 J: And when my cough started, I don’t think people wanted to be around me. I’m still convinced that is why I lost my job, and I even had to take a remote job – that’s also why I was able to fly out to Bali, kind of start fresh. With the cough, people were scared to be around me, I think. 

A: It’s pretty awesome that you’ve found something to help. And it sounds like in Bali, you’re close to kratom’s natural environment.

J: Yes, it’s beautiful out here in Bali. Even though they’re deforesting a lot, some of the world’s best kratom is grown in these jungles. Oh, damn – hold on. There’s a huge spider.

A: How’s that for exotic wildlife?

J: I’m not a huge fan of the bugs. Everything out here is twice as big.

A: Well it’s a good thing that South East Asia is also home to kratom, then, home of the biggest kratom leaves in the world!

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Adam: Josh, thanks a lot for taking the time to talk to me today. Really enjoyed hearing your story.

Josh: Thanks, Adam. Take care.

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Josh says that he will stay in Indonesia for the foreseeable future, enjoying nature and the people, who he says are always smiling. And it can’t hurt that the miraculous salve he has found for his chronic cough, White Maeng Da kratom, grows in the surrounding jungles. We wish Josh all the best.