Ep 84: Kaden Bradway's Journey from Medical Gaslighting to Finding Relief with Kratom
Kaden shares his journey with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, years of medical dismissal, and how discovering Kratom finally gave him real relief and a way to manage daily pain.
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 connective tissue disorder affecting the entire body. But the diagnosis didn't solve everything. Many doctors remained unfamiliar with EDS or skeptical of its impact, forcing Kaden to self-manage his condition while dealing with constant pain and severe nerve flares that left him unable to stand for more than a few minutes.
Then came the breakthrough. After two and a half years of overwhelming daily symptoms, Kaden discovered Kratom. He shares the emotional moment on an Amtrak train when he first felt his pain ease, a relief so profound it brought him to tears. Today, Kratom allows him to function, move, sleep, and care for himself in ways that seemed impossible before.
Kaden walks us through his approach to using Kratom, his dosing strategy, the dramatic difference in his pain levels, and his perspective on 7OH products. He also offers essential advice for new consumers: choose reputable, lab-tested vendors and do thorough research. This conversation is a powerful reminder of why advocacy matters and the critical need for accessible plant-based options for people who have been ignored or failed by traditional medicine.
🍃 RELATED LINKS
Ep 82: Living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: How Kratom Changed Everything for Araya Light
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THE KRATOM GALS is a dose of real talk, real stories, and relentless advocacy. Every week, we dive into the latest Kratom headlines, react to videos, and call out misinformation with facts and fierce passion. It's not just a show, it’s a movement to protect the plant we love and the people who rely on it. YouTube.com/@KratomStories
Please note: The views and experiences shared in this episode are personal and unique to the guest. Kratom, while featured prominently in these stories, is a botanical substance that is unregulated in the U.S. and various countries around the world. The Kratom Stories Podcast and its host, Madalyn Sklar, do not endorse, promote, or encourage the use of Kratom. We simply aim to shed light on personal experiences and narratives related to this plant. If you're considering using Kratom, we strongly urge you to seek professional medical advice, conduct thorough research, and comply with all local laws and guidelines.
Kaden Bradway
Advocate, Son
I’ve lived a life defined by constant change and resilience. By the time I finished high school, I had attended seventeen different schools. Between the ages of four and six, I traveled across many states with my mother before we eventually returned to California. Even after that, stability was something I rarely knew — I lived with different family members for much of my childhood. Through it all, it was always me and my little sister, and from a young age I took on a caretaker role for her. She became like my own child, even though she was only a year younger than me.
I wasn’t chronically ill growing up. My early life challenges were mostly external — emotional instability, moving often, and learning to survive in environments that weren’t always secure. The first real sign that something might be physically wrong came when I was around eleven or twelve. I experienced severe abdominal pain that led to an ambulance call and was later diagnosed with IBS, though that diagnosis was hidden from me at the time. At thirteen, I began developing symptoms of cholinergic urticaria — an allergic reaction to my own sweat and acetylcholine, triggered by heat and strong emotions. Living in California’s summer heat made that incredibly difficult to manage, but I pushed through.
Around fifteen and a half, I started experiencing fainting spells, breathlessness, and what I thought were panic attacks. They felt different though — more like sudden adrenaline surges that left me drained and confused. Six months later, chronic pain set in. It began as an all-over ache, almos… Read More
