Does anybody know why kava has no tolerance or wds?

[yepimonfire]

Pretty much every psychoactive substance seems to have some sort of tolerance, but I've found with kava it's practically zero. I sometimes go through periods where I'm drinking kava from sunup to sundown because of anxiety and it seems to just keep working the same no matter what. As far as withdrawals, it sort of makes no sense either because anything with a sedative action seems to be the worst offender in this department. Unfortunately unless I'm overlooking something, there also seems to be very little information on how kava actually works from a pharmacological stand point. Anyone have any insight on this?

 

[verticity]

There actually are other psychoactive drugs that do no exhibit tolerance or withdrawal, but in general they are not "recreational". For example, anti-psychotics, antihistamines (sedative effect) or antidepressants. It would seem that kava has more in common with these in the way it effects the brain than with the "classic" drugs of abuse, although it is certainly more fun than Benadryl or Risperdal. This is pretty vague, I know, but just pointing out that it is not completely novel for a psychoactive to not have tolerance or WD.

 

[yepimonfire]

There actually are other psychoactive drugs that do no exhibit tolerance or withdrawal, but in general they are not "recreational". For example, anti-psychotics, antihistamines (sedative effect) or antidepressants. It would seem that kava has more in common with these in the way it effects the brain than with the "classic" drugs of abuse, although it is certainly more fun than Benadryl or Risperdal. This is pretty vague, I know, but just pointing out that it is not completely novel for a psychoactive to not have tolerance or WD.

Benadryl actually does lose its sedative effect rather quickly.

 

[verticity]

Benadryl actually does lose its sedative effect rather quickly.

You are correct. It is a pretty annoying exercise to Google for information about drugs with no tolerance or reverse tolerance, since everything that comes up is actually about tolerance and addiction. Maybe kava actually is kind of unique in that respect.

 

[Steve Mariotti]

Benadryl/diphenhydramine can be taken on two consecutive days at the same dose, but after that it's no more effective than placebo.

 

[Bert07]

I asked the same thing. If only there was a biochemist on here. You'd think there would be one out of the almost 1,500 members.

 

[yepimonfire]

Being a biochemist doesn't help with a lack of research on moa. Usually if I have a question relating to biochemistry such as this I can easily go through medical journals on pubmed and find an answer. Problem is we only know very very broad things. All we know is it has weak Mao b inhibiting properties, NRI properties, and other then that it simply makes GABA more effective at functioning by enhancing its binding and by blocking production of a known antagonist. It also blocks voltage gated sodium ion channels, which Dampens action potential on nerves. This is probably whats responsible for the lack coordination, numbness, and anti seizure activity. I suppose the reason tolerance and withdrawal is because unlike most psychoactive substances it really has no direct action on neurotransmitters. It doesn't directly hit GABA like benzodiazepines, no more GABA or GABA receptors are required because it simply makes the existing action more effective.

 

[Bwiggy]

I took two Sudaphed and two Benadryl before sleeping for about a year and a half. It was the only way I could sleep... sinuses open! Sudaphed is a stimulant. I didn't sleep when I ran out of Benedryl.

 

[verticity]

I took two Sudaphed and two Benadryl before sleeping for about a year and a half.

Good Morning, Rip Van Winkle!

 

[Bwiggy]

Haha @verticity I meant to say I depended on it to sleep. If the efficacy was reduced over time, it wasn't noticable.