You're smart. I take Kratom in place of painkillers but I do know Kratom is addictive. For some withdrawals might not be so bad but for people like us who have previous opioid addictions they are worse. At least for me they are. But weighing my options, Kratom is definitely far better for me than pain pills.
As, so you do have withdrawal from kratom. Like I said I only used it when I was actively taking opiates. I'm very glad I didn't try any since. That's the last thing I need to do.