# Kava Kava



## nightwalker (Nov 20, 2008)

Does it work? I did a bit of research on it and it sounds really convincing..


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## hiimnotcool (Apr 28, 2009)

If you use it, make sure to get the powder and then add it to liquid. Don't buy the pills. You also need to drink quite a bit to get any effect. I used to drink it while I was in the military to calm down. I can't really say if it worked or not for me. I think it did help a little bit. The one thing that was interesting was how it makes your mouth go numb after you drink it. I knew it was going to happen so it didn't bother me, but it still felt weird.

Lemon Balm extract and Valerian Root are also other things you can take.


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## Helen (May 16, 2009)

hiimnotcool said:


> If you use it, make sure to get the powder and then add it to liquid. Don't buy the pills. You also need to drink quite a bit to get any effect. I used to drink it while I was in the military to calm down. I can't really say if it worked or not for me. I think it did help a little bit. The one thing that was interesting was how it makes your mouth go numb after you drink it. I knew it was going to happen so it didn't bother me, but it still felt weird.
> 
> Lemon Balm extract and Valerian Root are also other things you can take.


Hi , you familiar with the extracts, maybe we are the same line in our business. :clap:boogie

PS: we devote to export healthy medicine, most of them are extract :boogie


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## wxolue (Nov 26, 2008)

the way kava kava works is you have to build up the kavatones or something like that in your brain until they start working. thats why some people dont get the effect the first time or first couple. having a little bit extra the first time should counter this effect.

Ive tried valerian root. it worked rly well the first time. i felt amazing. after a few days it started wearing away so i had to take more and more untill i was taking 5 times the recomended dose with barely a noticeable effect for less than an hour. so i stopped taking it.

same thing happened rhodilia rosea.

valerian root makes you feel drowsy in a way. not like you want to sleep, but it would be effortless to sleep.

rhodilia rosea lessens the effect stress has on you brain. so usually if you would get stressed and anxious at some close scheduling, it wont make you feel stressed at all.


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## sawyoushine (Nov 21, 2008)

Bought some really potent stuff from hawaii, it does work no doubt...but the taste is so horrid it's almost unbearable. But there are recepies out there to combat this. I would only use it for really stressful situations and not as an everyday occurance as your body will get adjusted.


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## euphoria (Jan 21, 2009)

If you're making a kava drink, it might work to use carbonated water to numb the mouth even more and mask the taste. Also, you could try extracting the kavalactones in vodka for a more concentrated dose.


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## ThirdEyeGrind (Feb 7, 2006)

is Kava Kratom?


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## wxolue (Nov 26, 2008)

euphoria said:


> If you're making a kava drink, it might work to use carbonated water to numb the mouth even more and mask the taste. Also, you could try extracting the kavalactones in vodka for a more concentrated dose.


do NOT use kava kava with alcohol. Its like mixing opiates and benzos. it can really mess you up badly. Even after a couple drinks, you will become completely smashed and you wont be able to move your muscles and you will have breathing problems. rly not a good combo


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## euphoria (Jan 21, 2009)

wxolue said:


> do NOT use kava kava with alcohol. Its like mixing opiates and benzos. it can really mess you up badly. Even after a couple drinks, you will become completely smashed and you wont be able to move your muscles and you will have breathing problems. rly not a good combo


It depends on dose. If you only use a small amount of vodka as a solvent, it's not gonna affect you. I've mixed kava and alcohol a few times, without anything happening.


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## Panic Prone (Mar 5, 2006)

I did a real experiment with kava kava last year. To feel it more it is said you have to build up a lack of tolerance.. if that makes sense? haha.. so the more you drink it the more you should feel it. The kavalactones need to build up in your system. I started out with king's kava brand with quite numbness of the mouth but no real noticable cognitive effects. The only thing I noticed was a strong aphrodisiac effect. While still taking it weekly I went down to a kava bar in boca raton florida. Had a few "shots" of kava and noticed a slight head rush and motivation to read. I ended up picking a book up they had there and just started reading. A few of my other friends felt buzzes similar to alcohol. After that I switched to powdered kava from nakamalathome.com. Still taking it regularly.. it seemed to work minimally for stress. I can't say really if it is really worth it. You feel different from it but not necessarily better. I have noticed increased focus at smaller dosages and slight loss of motor skills at higher after awhile. After 3 months however I noticed withdrawl effects like increased anxiety.. so it must have been doing something but it's hard to put yoru finger on it. My friends pretty much said the same thing.. "you think it's working but your not sure".

There's no real credible evidence out there that it is safe or effective.


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## euphoria (Jan 21, 2009)

> There's no real credible evidence out there that it is safe or effective.





http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10653213 said:


> The meta-analysis of three trials suggests a significant difference in the reduction of the total score on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety in favor of kava extract (weighted mean difference, 9.69; 95% confidence interval, 3.54-15.83). These data imply that kava extract is superior to placebo as a symptomatic treatment for anxiety. Therefore, kava extract is an herbal treatment option for anxiety that is worthy of consideration.


^

It's also been proven that liver toxicity arises from an alkaloid called pipermethystine in stems and leaves, not the root:

http://biopsychiatry.com/kava.htm

Buy pure root and you'll be fine. Those capsule forms were about as useful as a capsule of sawdust for me.


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## Panic Prone (Mar 5, 2006)

"Therefore, kava extract is an herbal treatment option for anxiety that is worthy of consideration" 

A consideration doesn't say too much. That's as good as any person saying.. " kava worked for me.. try it!" It also doesn't mention how much kava was used and what part of the plant. Where they got it from or anything. There's not enough information there. I wish they would be more thorough.. Good find though.


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## wxolue (Nov 26, 2008)

btw the whole thing about kava kava causing liver damage: Has since been disproved by MANY medical studies. The root is what you want. Companies making the product wanted to get their moneys worth. When they saw the plant going into the trash, they decided to maximize productivity by making kava kava out of a the root and the plant. The plant causes the liver damage. The root is fine.


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## Futures (Aug 27, 2005)

Someone recommended that stuff to me for when I took speech class in school. I never noticed a damn difference.


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## euphoria (Jan 21, 2009)

Futures said:


> Someone recommended that stuff to me for when I took speech class in school. I never noticed a damn difference.


Did you take kava capsules?


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## sawyoushine (Nov 21, 2008)

Panic Prone said:


> The only thing I noticed was a strong aphrodisiac effect. While still taking it weekly I went down to a kava bar in boca raton florida.


huh, I didn't know there was a kava bar here


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## Panic Prone (Mar 5, 2006)

sawyoushine said:


> huh, I didn't know there was a kava bar here


http://www.nakava.com/


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## wxolue (Nov 26, 2008)

Always make sure you take the root or the root extract. The plant causes liver cancer (hence why it is banned in Europe and theres an FDA warning in the States).

Some people claim it did nothing for them. You have to build up the kavatones in your brain before you start to feel anything. The amount you need depends on dose, the product, and your personal kavatone threshold.

You can either take a large dosage in one sitting, or take a regular amount each day until they are built up. If you choose option one, make sure you do it slowly since an overdosage can cause temporary paralysis.


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## MP5A4 (Jun 25, 2009)

Many people do not feel the effects of Kava because

a. they are using it incorrectly
b. they are using inferior product
c. they are not aware of their natural state of consciousness enough to tell when it is being altered

I can say that for me Kava has been a life saver. I don't believe it is for everyone, but it is an amazing medicine that can make small changes in your life and after a while you'll discover that the small changes have built up and you are now a totally different person.


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## juineaux (Jul 4, 2009)

I use a tasty kava tea as a sleep aid, it works well(although it may be other active ingredients in the tea). As far as helping with SAS I haven't noticed any improvement, but I don't use it on a regular basis.


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## Scotso (Jul 11, 2009)

sawyoushine said:


> Bought some really potent stuff from hawaii, it does work no doubt...but the taste is so horrid it's almost unbearable.


It IS unbearable, not almost so.

It's extremely effective, but with the dosage I need for the desired effects, I'm more likely to throw up before getting it all down. It's revolting. It's also pretty expensive.

The pills and such are completely useless, you'd need to take the entire bottle to get any effect.


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## PickleNose (Jul 11, 2009)

I tried the pills. I noticed some subtle euphoric effects after about an hour and a half when I took three of them at a time. I didn't want to take more because of the liver warning. 

Does anyone know where I can buy this stuff in the US without ordering it?


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## Unlikely hero (Jan 20, 2009)

I bought the instant kava powder. I mixed the whole little jar into a drink, while thinking it wasn't going to effect me. Man, I was wrong. I felt like I drank 10 beers.


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## PickleNose (Jul 11, 2009)

:haha Where did you buy it?


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## Unlikely hero (Jan 20, 2009)

This is exactly what I bought http://www.nakamalathome.com/buy_kava/product.php?productid=16258

I guess I downed 11 servings


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## hiimnotcool (Apr 28, 2009)

21 dollars to feel like you drank 10 beers? sounds like a rip off.

i'd rather just drink alcohol and save money.


i drank some of this stuff a couple years ago and don't really remember any effects. i mixed it with apple juice. i have been tempted to buy the paste because i hear that it's the most potent. i'm also interested in trying Kratom or Phenibut. Has anyone tried those?


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## Scotso (Jul 11, 2009)

Phenibut is great in small doses, it really makes me feel calmer and happier. It's also great in large doses if you want to sleep all weekend.


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## Scotso (Jul 11, 2009)

PickleNose said:


> I tried the pills. I noticed some subtle euphoric effects after about an hour and a half when I took three of them at a time. I didn't want to take more because of the liver warning.
> 
> Does anyone know where I can buy this stuff in the US without ordering it?


The liver warning is really only related to the plant stems and leaves. As long as you get products that are root-only, you'll probably be fine.

Some health food stores sell the pills. I haven't seen the powder sold in stores anywhere, but that doesn't mean it isn't.


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## PickleNose (Jul 11, 2009)

Scotso said:


> Some health food stores sell the pills. I haven't seen the powder sold in stores anywhere, but that doesn't mean it isn't.


1. The ones I tried were the Vitamin Shoppe brand. The label was confusing to me. I have no idea whether they used the stems and leaves in this or not. I just didn't want to take chances after I saw the liver warning on the bottle because I already take Depakote for epilepsy and Excedrin for headaches.

2. Regarding the taste, it really isn't quite as bad as some posters said. It isn't intolerable. I let the capsules dissolve in my mouth (just out of curiosity of the taste) a few times. It did numb my mouth and throat.


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## kanarazu (Jul 4, 2009)

I really like Yogi kava tea from like Target... I did feel calmer but I don't know if it was just the placebo effect. But it does taste really good.


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