Kava Kava (Piper methysticum)

[sleepytime]

Experiment 1:

Well I tried some of the kona kava root powder tonight. I used 2 tablespoons, put in a the blender for a couple of minutes, then strained it through a muslin bag.

It had no noticable effect on me at all. Either this brand of kava isn't very potent, I didn't use enough root powder, or I experienced the 'reverse tolerance' I've been reading about.

Next time I'll try 3-4 tablespoons and post the result.

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Update: Experiment 2:

Ok...So I gave my kona kava root powder another go...this time I took 3 tablespoons but I'm sitting here with no noticable effects once again. According to a lot of forums this brand of kava is extremely weak and doesn't give you anything like a real kava experience at all, I'm beginning to believe that too

Next time I'll go for 5 tablespoons and actually use it before a social event, not sitting at home waiting for some kind of buzz ....I'll update again once I do that.

[keke71]

I have tried this and for me a I'm not sharp enough to do my job. I wish I could and it is a diaretic so I had to go to the bathroom all the time. It will be okay for home use but not for work for me.

[optimistic realist]

I am very strongly suspicious that if someone experiences no obvious
effects from Kava it is because they are not using good enough stuff in enough of a dose. Also, it seems that you may need to take it multiple times (or take alot of it at first) so that it builds up in your system.

I have recently started taking a potent Kava Root extract . I was previously suffering from intense general anxiety... Dr. wouldn't prescribe me sedatives... they worked but made me tired... Drank alot for a long time ... a terrible solution that was a lot more dangerous than sedatives . I researched and found that Kava was the thing to try.

The stuff, ( if you don't get ripped off by buying crappy stuff) after you've taken it for a few days is very potent! Don't drive or do anything dangerous at least until you've figured out a dosage that isn't too high to drive (if possible)! I am still trying to figure out a safe amount to take to drive.

I was amazed about how effective the stuff is... Now that the stuff is built up in my system... a fairly small amount will, within 30 minutes.. remove a lot of anxiety (or all if u take too much!) and... It is a mood elevator... didn't make me stoned (gave me a very brief feeling of euphoria... like a sedative) but the negative thoughts were for the most part gone ! Socially it made me a damned social butterfly almost. My sense of humor was way up. My confidence was very good. Makes you a bit talkative.

Although I feel slightly tired, I am not sleepy and am able to do complicated things like win poker tournaments . Reaction time is off . No "hang-over effects" noted. Have gone from heavy alcohol drinking to no drinking... Damn stuff seems to be like a miracle drug for me ... more effective and powerful than many prescriptions... I take some on an "as needed" basis and am planning on cutting down the dosage. I like the fact that I am getting into the habit of not being miserable... After a while I may not need so much. Am a bit concerned that it is known for creating "false positives". On drug tests shows up as a benzo..

Worst thing is I feel tired and a bit restless at the same time... I am not sure how well I would be able to focus to learn something new, also, I feel kind of unmotivated to do things... but...that restlessness kicks in to get things done so I am actually getting more things done than I used to.

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel... and its been a damned long long dark tunnel for me! Good luck!

Warning... known to have reactions with other drugs... consult your doctor!

[The Professor]

anyone use this?

Does anyone know the highest quality brand? I don't care about how expensive it is.

[Afterburner]

Originally Posted by The Professor

anyone use this?

Does anyone know the highest quality brand? I don't care about how expensive it is.

I have used it from time to time over the past couple of years. It does work; it is not a placebo. In fact, it is the only effective non-prescribed alternative treatment I have come across.

But it is certainly not risk free, apparently especially for non-natives.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0222111446.htm

As regards brands, stay well clear of Kona Kava, which is absolutely useless.

The brand I have returned to most frequently is Kava Kauai (RealKava). They have an instant Kava product which takes away all the hassle involved in preparation.

But it's advisable to let your doctor know that you are going to take it, as he can monitor for raised liver enzymes.

[Escapist]

Hmm I find kava kava useful in immediate situations that you don't have time to prepare for. But it lasts for only 30 minutes, so it seems to be good for things like getting out the door, or getting to school, basically taking the first step kind of thing. Wears off fast, so you will have to face some fears though. Kava does feel like it is sort of toxic to me. When I've done detoxes, sometimes I get the effect of kava and the taste of it in my mouth... Also I feel car sick during car rides after taking it

Kona Kava powder works for me, so I don't know what the guy above me ordered. The powder version works, but the pastes from kona kava do NOTHING... Beware of that.

[Afterburner]

Actually it lasts for about two hours.

But it is not entirely dependable ; it's kind of hit and miss even with reliable brands.

It's also relatively expensive.

Still, as I said, in the long list that I have tried, it's the only non-prescribed treatment that actually works (apart perhaps from phenibut, which has an idiosyncratic effect).

[cured1]

Very unhelpful. It makes me drowsy and feel out of my own skin. Any sort of awkwardness in my own body only makes my SA worse so even though it helped a bit for GAD, it did nothing for SA whatsoever. Also I heard it's not great on the liver and can be somewhat habit forming over a long time.

[optimistic realist]

There is a difference from when I first started taking it till now. While initially It made me kind of spacey and drowsy, and a touch of euphoria, those side effects have diminished quite a bit I think. Taking too much can cause some insomnia ( I avoid taking any after 5:00), and possibly put me right out of focus.
The right amount still works very well for SA for me. Night and day difference. It has some long lasting effects, (cumulative) and shorter term effects.. the shorter term SA relief lasts about 4 hours. Until you no longer feel the side effects, after taking it for a long time, you should avoid driving or doing anything requiring quick reactions. It will slow you down.

As far as liver toxicity goes, my limited bit of web research showed me that some studies have shown that that could be an issue but there doesn't seem to be strong evidence that I could find either way. One thing I do know... drinking as much alcohol as I used to is definitely bad for you. Also have gotten the odd looking 1 inch. sq.patch of raw looking but painless rash on a dry area of the body ( ie. elbow). Looks like the side effect I've seen pictures of on the net. Disappeared on it's own.

I have the correct thinking as far as SA is concerned, ex. (1/don't worry about what people think... it doesn't matter 2/ people, probably aren't thinking about me much at all..) so that helps.

[sleepytime]

Ok, after giving up on getting any effects from the kona kava farm root powder I bought, I decided to try another vendor. After doing some searches I found a lot of people recommending 'melo melo' from bulakavahouse for anxiety because it doesn't produce any drunk or intoxicating feelings, making it practical for a lot of day to day situations such as interviews etc. Good review here...

http://kavalounge.yuku.com/topic/362/Bula-kava-house

I tried my 1st bowl yesterday (1 cup of water + 2 heaped tablespoons of root powder). I had no real idea what to expect but the effects are very different to alcohol or dope, that's for sure. This is not something you'd use as a substitute for beer or dope to get high or drunk, it's effects are very subtle, in fact they were almost unnoticable until I got up and left the house to go shopping. I felt a sense of calm and my thoughts were much more still than usual, at the same time it's not mentally or physically imparing at all. If you need to concentrate you can, otherwise the pointless random thoughts that race through the mind continuously seem to have vanished.

This stuff is definitely no placebo. I'm not convinced it's the magic bullet that would make extreme anxiety situations easy to manage (at least not the dose I took), but it definitely would take the edge off in a lot of moderately anxiety inducing situations. I'm going to try 2 cups (4 tablespoons kava) before my next social outing and I'll report back here afterwards!

[daniel11206]

kona kava sucks dude yeah try another. Kava only lasts for a while though.

[Wacky Wednesdays]

This is so interesting! I'm Fijian and we drink a lot of Kava socially. It's a social drink that we have from a traditional wooden bowl. The power is grounded from the root plant and a silky cloth is used to trap the residue when mixing with water. It gets passed around using the smaller bowl, everyone gets a turn to drink. The taste is really bitter and a lot of people say it's like muddy water but if you eat something sweet afterwards, that'll take the bitterness away.



Kava is so relaxing! After an hour or so, you'll feel quite good, it doesn't get you drunk like alcohol but it definitely makes you more mellow and relaxed. It also helps you sleep. I'd suggest Fijian/Tongan kava. We grow it ourselves so I reckon it's better quality but I haven't tried any non-pacific kava so I wouldn't know.

[Healix]

Does anyone know if you can just blend the powdered root into a smoothie without straining it? Is it unhealthy to ingest the actual grains?

[sleepytime]

Originally Posted by Healix

Does anyone know if you can just blend the powdered root into a smoothie without straining it? Is it unhealthy to ingest the actual grains?

I wouldn't recommend it. The problem is that it would be like drinking grit or sand.. It's not going to cause you any long term damage, but you might have a rough couple of days waiting for all that grit and pulp to pass though your digestive system.

http://kavalounge.yuku.com/topic/398...ava-extraction

[Healix]

Darn. Well I purchased the sampler of the "CO2 Extract" from Paradise Kava to see how it affects me... If I want more, I'll probably do it the old-fashioned way to make things more economical. Melo Melo sounds like the ticket. I'm just wondering if I could get the same quality from Kule'a Kava Farm (aka kickbackwithkava) as from Bulakavahouse...

[sleepytime]

Originally Posted by Healix

Darn. Well I purchased the sampler of the "CO2 Extract" from Paradise Kava to see how it affects me... If I want more, I'll probably do it the old-fashioned way to make things more economical. Melo Melo sounds like the ticket. I'm just wondering if I could get the same quality from Kule'a Kava Farm (aka kickbackwithkava) as from Bulakavahouse...

That stuff got some pretty good reviews, let me know how it works for you

http://kavasseur.blogspot.com/2011/0...a-extract.html

^^ That guy's blog is a great source of info on all kavas.

[Healix]

Yes, I'll let you guys know how it goes with the CO2 Extract.

I also ordered an herbal mixture from KT Botanicals called "Anxiet-ease" - "Extracts and Isolates from Magnolia Officinialis, Piper methysticum, Salvia Miltiorrhiza, and Erythrina Spp."

Of course, all of their products say "not intended for human consumption", so I hope that's just a strong disclaimer to keep them out of the firing range of the government. There seems to be a lot of good talk about their products.

[sleepytime]

Originally Posted by Healix

Yes, I'll let you guys know how it goes with the CO2 Extract.

I also ordered an herbal mixture from KT Botanicals called "Anxiet-ease" - "Extracts and Isolates from Magnolia Officinialis, Piper methysticum, Salvia Miltiorrhiza, and Erythrina Spp."

That's a site I intend to buy from sometime too. I've seen 'Anxiet-ease' recommended on another forum before, I'm also keen to try their 'Mulungu' which is meant to have kava-like anxiolytic effects.

http://www.ktbotanicals.com/erythrin...rk-p-7384.html

[Wacky Wednesdays]

Originally Posted by Healix

Does anyone know if you can just blend the powdered root into a smoothie without straining it? Is it unhealthy to ingest the actual grains?

You need to strain it. Highly discourage consuming any of the residue. Really bad idea.

[StayingMotivated]

thanks everyone for contributing info I'm looking into this more!