Kratom Strains

What Is Red Elephant Kratom? Benefits, Dosage, Safety, & More

Red elephant kratom is a popular novelty strain of kratom. Vendors will tell you that the reason red elephant kratom is special is that the leaves are much bigger than the average leaf, hence the name “elephant.”

This unique red vein kratom variety might not be the most powerful strain on the planet, but then again, that’s not always what you need.

In this article, we’re going to talk about Red Elephant kratom. We will explain its effects, the doses you should take for certain benefits, and any side effects you should be aware of.

Written by Nigel Ford
Last Updated 2 years ago

Nigel Ford

Medical Herbalist

Nigel is a certified herbalist, avid kratom user, and one of the leading members of our Kratom Vendor Review Board. 

What Is Red Elephant Kratom?

Elephant kratom strains possess abnormally large leaves. Many vendors like to claim that because these leaves are big, they pack an extra punch.

However, this isn’t accurate. The dose of kratom is measured in grams of powder — so having larger leaves has no bearing on the amount of active ingredients you’re actually consuming. All it means is that the leaves provide more doses than smaller-leaved varieties.

The colors of the leaf veins are more important than the size of the leaf.

This particular strain is a red vein kratom strain that is the most reliable variety for kratom’s heavier effects, like promoting sleep, managing pain, or alleviating muscle tension.

Kratom contains several different alkaloids, and during the fermentation process, some of these alkaloids are changed into different ones.

Red elephant kratom contains a higher concentration of alkaloids like 7-OH-mitragynine and mitraphylline.

These alkaloids produce more relaxing benefits as opposed to some of the more stimulating effects people experience when using green vein or white vein kratom strains.

What Does Red Elephant Kratom Do?

Red elephant kratom is well-balanced for a red strain. It’s not going to knock your socks off, but it’s a great strain for casual use.

It’s sedating at high doses but generally won’t be so intensely sedating as to prevent you from operating on a day-to-day basis.

Here’s a quick summary of red elephant kratom’s effects ranked from 1-5 (5 being the strongest level of intensity):

  • Energy: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Red Elephant kratom can produce a decent energy boost at low doses.
  • Mood enhancement: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Red Elephant may produce some improvement to your mood.
  • Anxiety relief: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Red Elephant kratom can be helpful for managing anxiety.
  • Pain relief: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Red Elephant can be used to manage mild to moderate pains.
  • Sedation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Red Elephant kratom is not the most sedating of the red strains, but it can still put you to bed.

1. Fights Pain

Red elephant kratom can be useful for helping people manage pain, although it’s not generally considered the go-to strain for this. Any red strain has a higher concentration of pain-killing alkaloids. Red Elephant is no exception.

Because of its balanced effects, red elephant kratom can help fight pain during the day without making you feel too tired or lethargic during the day.

However, this is also the same reason why it’s not the go-to strain for this. Any of the best kratom strains for pain are also going to be more sedative.

2. Improves Sleep Quality

Just because Red Elephant isn’t the strongest strain doesn’t mean that it’s not sedating at all. At high doses, Red Elephant can provide powerful sleep-supportive effects.

This is a good option for those who want something a little more gentle in the evenings to lull them off to sleep. Everybody thinks going straight for the super potent sedatives is the best option if they can’t sleep — but this is often overkilling.

The very strong sedative kratom strains can leave you feeling somewhat groggy in the morning and make it hard to get up. This strain is gentler and far less likely to make you feel overly groggy or lethargic the following day.

3. Supports Mood & Productivity

Pretty much every kratom strain will have some influence on your mood. Red Elephant is no exception, although many of its mood-boosting benefits may be more apparent to people who are actively struggling with a condition like depression or anxiety.

On its own, Red Elephant may produce a small mood boost as the mitragynine and related compounds stimulate the body’s opioid receptors and dopamine system.

However, anyone struggling with anxiety or depression will likely notice that these unwanted feelings are stifled when they use kratom. This, coupled with the biochemical mood boost resulting from the different alkaloids, can lead to feelings of excitement and euphoria.

This elated sensation is one of the main reasons that kratom can cause addiction. It can seem so effective at “eliminating” emotional problems that people wonder why they shouldn’t take it all the time.

Unfortunately, kratom isn’t a cure-all. In fact, nothing but interpersonal work can help you manage emotional problems permanently. Any other solution, be it herbal, pharmaceutical, or illicit, is just temporary support, not a cure.

Learn more about the best kratom strains for anxiety or depression.

Best Places to Buy Red Elephant Kratom

The effects of this red vein strain are very well-rounded, however, it is particularly popular among kratom users that aim for better sleep quality. Red Elephant Kratom is ideal for those with insomnia or anxiety.

You can buy Red Elephant Kratom with peace of mind at Kona Kratom and Star Kratom. These vendors figure at the top of our list of trusted kratom suppliers and offer the strain at fair prices.

Aka GMP Certified yes
Pricing $35 — $95
Verified Vendor

Star Kratom

4.9 / 5
Ranked 2 out of 190 vendors

Red Elephant Kratom Dosage

With this strain, you can follow the same general advice on the kratom dosage we offer for most strains. It isn’t particularly potent, so the normal dosage range should be just right.

However, it’s important to remember that everybody is different. What works for one person may be too much or not enough for another.

Kratom has biphasic dosages — which means the effects are completely different from a low dose to a high dose.

Low dose kratom is stimulating; high dose kratom is sedative.

Here are some general dosage recommendations to get you started for some of the common applications of red elephant kratom:

  1. Dose for energy and focus between one and three grams. Red elephant kratom still possesses some decent stimulatory effects when compared to other red strains.
  2. Dose for anxiety relief and relaxation — between three and five grams. At this level, you’ll notice less sharp focus and more smooth relaxation.
  3. Dose for sedation and pain relief — between five and eight grams. These doses are for seasoned kratom users or for people who are in need of serious sedation and pain relief.

Remember, always start on the low end of the dosage estimations. Even if you’re just dosing for focus, start with a gram for your first attempt. Work your way up until you find your sweet spot.

Once you hit your sweet spot, stay there. You don’t want to go overboard and start causing side effects.

Related: Can You Overdose on Kratom?

Red Elephant Kratom Side Effects

Red elephant kratom is very useful and has helped people stop using pharmaceutical medications — which are notoriously nasty in terms of side effects and addiction.

That said, kratom is still a herb to be cautious with. It can cause addiction and dependence and can lead to unpleasant side effects if used incorrectly.

While you’re not going to be able to ingest enough kratom to kill yourself or do damage, you can certainly consume enough to feel sick.

Common side-effects of red elephant kratom:

The Kratom Wobbles

The wobbles are a triad of common symptoms that tend to occur alongside each other at high doses.

If you take too much kratom, you might find yourself ‘wobbling,’ meaning uncoordinated, dizzy, nauseous, and lethargic. These are sure signs that you’ve dosed too high.

If you experience the wobbles, the best bet is to drink a lot of water and get comfortable for a while. Most people report that the wobbles subside when they lie down.

Addiction & Dependence

Kratom can be addictive, but the severity is nowhere near as serious as addiction to comparable pharmaceutical drugs.

When you’re taking substances that change the way your body acts, it naturally tries to compensate by pushing against these changes. It always wants to find balance.

Since you’re introducing opioid painkiller alkaloids, your body a) stops producing these compounds on its own and b) reduces the sensitivity of the opioid system.

Over time, this causes you to need increasingly higher doses of kratom to feel the same effects.

This is called tolerance.

If you’re at this stage and you stop using kratom, then you’re probably going to experience withdrawal. Some people report the symptoms as being like a mild flu. Heavy users find the symptoms much more uncomfortable.

On the light end, symptoms can range from sniffles, sneezing, and low energy. On the high end, however, symptoms can include restless legs, shaking, nausea, vomiting, and insomnia.

The only way to reverse tolerance is to stop using kratom for a while — for most people, tolerance is reversed within about 2 or 3 weeks.

Related: How to use kratom to manage opioid withdrawal.

Similar Kratom Strains

If Red Elephant doesn’t sound like the perfect strain, check out these related ones.

1. Red Maeng Da Kratom

Red Maeng Da is probably the closest strain to Red Elephant that you’ll find. Maeng Da strains are known for their potency and power, and this one allows you to enjoy a good energy rush followed by profound sedation.

2. Green Elephant Kratom

If you like the elephant leaves, then Green Elephant might be an exciting choice for you. It’s much more stimulating than its red cousin, but it provides a similar level of anxiety relief. It’s a good strain for getting work done.

3. Red Bali Kratom

If you’re looking for a strain that will simply knock your socks out, check out red Bali kratom. This strain is one of the most popular and iconic strains. It’s among the most sedating and will certainly allow you to witness the full range of kratom’s effects.

Summary: What is Red Elephant Kratom?

Red elephant kratom might be a bit of a marketing gimmick, but that doesn’t mean that it’s worth using.

This is an excellent “mild” kratom strain to help with sleep, mild to moderate pain, or anxiety.

Keep a lookout for deals on this strain. While it’s an interesting option, I would avoid buying it when prices are more than about 10% higher than other red veins from the same vendor.

Further Reading