Kava Dosages Figuring out dosage

[TrevC]

Hey guys! This is my first post here, but I've read some of the info while initially researching Kava.
I've been on K@ for around a year and gained interest in Kava as something to alternate between. When I realized quitting K@ is, in fact, not as simple as quitting coffee (ie. your body becomes dependent on it, even if you want to discontinue use for a while... RLS, sleeplessness, etc.) I was already to a point of bodily dependence. I did quit for 5 days and, for the sake of getting sleep, got back on K@.

At this point I accept it is either take K@ or an SSRI for my Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and if I want to discontinue use in the future, I'll taper off instead of going cold-turkey. Supplementing with Magnesium and rotating strains, however, has kept me down to a relatively low dose each day.

My first Kava was the instant Solomon from Happy Hippo. My first dose was 8 grams, which did nothing for me. Through reading, I found more preferable sources, like GHK and BKH. I'm currently trying GHK's Mo'i and BKH's 11-Year Waka, along with some non-instants like BKH MeloMelo.

After stepping up multiple times in dose, I nearly gave up. But reading about "reverse tolerance" encouraged me to keep on. It wasn't until I used 40 grams of MeloMelo powder, strained through warm water and milk, distributed across 3 cups, that I felt anything. It was a pretty profound, cheery feeling, beginning around 20 minutes and lasting into the next hour. But what happened was I had no desire to drink Kava for the next couple days, as the thought of it made me nauseous. (I had to fight to get that last cup down. Really strong taste.)

To get some feeling (sense of well-being, etc. is what I'm taking it for) from GHK's Mo'i, I take around 20 grams, in a cup or cup-and-a-half of water + almond milk.

So getting all that out of the way, my question is: Am I drinking too much? Will I eventually get to where I can take "2-4 tablespoons", as recommended on some of these packages? Or do I just have a naturally high tolerance? I've read that Noble Kava is safe on the liver, and dermo/skin issue would be the only concern, but I'm also wondering about my stomach or what else might be going on.

I really want to enjoy Kava and wanted to share my specific experience here for feedback. Thank you all so much for any help you can give!
- Trevor

 

[SelfBiasResistor]

Most of the recommendations on the packages are lower doses than what most people would take, especially if using it to treat a medical issue. Unless you are vomiting, seeing double, unable to walk, etc, you are not taking too much. Even if you are experiencing those kind of side effects, any amount of kava is unlikely to harm you. Stomach discomfort or upset is a common side effect. For me, it got better over time (but never went away completely). Non noble kava hasn't been linked to liver damage but until you are well experienced, you'll want to stick with noble.

 

[Intrepidus_dux]

I hope you are kneading and straining your root in a strainer bag? Not just floating it around in the mix? Have w light meal or snack before your session. That helps me and as long as it’s not a huge amount of pasta or bread, it doesn’t negate the effects.

 

[PapaMoi]

When I first started I'd use micronized kava alongside kava candy during daytime and it helped tremendously with withdrawals from the herb you mentioned. I was using about 4 oz a day of that stuff which is insane. It cost me a fortune. Kava can be relatively pricey but a little goes a long way once I broke RT. I can feel it longer and faster when using it now. Don't give up. I find kava continues to grow exponentially better over time and I see it paying in huge dividends in my life.

 

[TrevC]

Most of the recommendations on the packages are lower doses than what most people would take, especially if using it to treat a medical issue. Unless you are vomiting, seeing double, unable to walk, etc, you are not taking too much. Even if you are experiencing those kind of side effects, any amount of kava is unlikely to harm you. Stomach discomfort or upset is a common side effect. For me, it got better over time (but never went away completely). Non noble kava hasn't been linked to liver damage but until you are well experienced, you'll want to stick with noble.

So glad to read this! I did 40 grams of Akau last night, across 3 cups, and had a great experience. Lazy Sunday afternoon. Then before bedtime I made up 40 grams of 11-Year Waka, which is micronized, but BKH sent out a notice that this particular batch went out with some thicker sediment, so I strained it. Much less profound effects, and more of a bloated-feeling tummy. Will definitely have to get some more Akau.

I hope you are kneading and straining your root in a strainer bag? Not just floating it around in the mix? Have w light meal or snack before your session. That helps me and as long as it’s not a huge amount of pasta or bread, it doesn’t negate the effects.

I am definitely kneading and straining, in a bag I got from BKH. Seems to only permit the really fine sediment to get through. Thanks for the tip about a light meal! Coming from a K@ background, I'm all about having an empty stomach for best effects, so I'll have to try with a light snack next session.

When I first started I'd use micronized kava alongside kava candy during daytime and it helped tremendously with withdrawals from the herb you mentioned. I was using about 4 oz a day of that stuff which is insane. It cost me a fortune. Kava can be relatively pricey but a little goes a long way once I broke RT. I can feel it longer and faster when using it now. Don't give up. I find kava continues to grow exponentially better over time and I see it paying in huge dividends in my life.

Thanks so much for this. Really encouraging to me. I still take an AM and PM K@ dose, but the total never exceeds 12 grams. (ie. 5g in the morning, 7g at night, for sleep) But yesterday I got by on 8g total (3g AM, 5g PM) and feel great this morning. Really happy to read that Kava gets better over time. The fact that you don't build tolerance to it is huge, as that's actually a stress point with the other herbal substance.

Thank you all again! You've been super helpful!

 

[Kavashua]

I hope you are kneading and straining your root in a strainer bag? Not just floating it around in the mix? Have w light meal or snack before your session. That helps me and as long as it’s not a huge amount of pasta or bread, it doesn’t negate the effects.

Agreed on this one. Maximum effect happens on an empty stomach for me but I pay for it in nausea. Having some food in my stomach goes a long way in preventing any upset

 

[TrevC]

Didn't want to start a new thread for this, but had to say that last night I tried BKH's Nambawan. Wow. The warnings about this one were warranted. STRONG stuff. I used half the amount I'd normally use which, for me, was 20 grams. I blended, soaked, kneaded, strained in 2.5 cups of water with a little milk. Drank three "shells" of this, spaced around 10 to 20 minutes apart. The relaxation I felt was phenomenal, compared to what I've become used to with other Kavas. I did take it on a completely empty stomach, but managed to keep it all down, despite the taste. (I'm hoping to get past the point I've developed, which is to have an automatic stomach-ache reaction at the smell of Kava in warm water.)

I've also just ordered Kavafied's Kava Supreme, which I initially overlooked simply because it was on Amazon, but have since read great things about.

Thanks again for all the help here!

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

Didn't want to start a new thread for this, but had to say that last night I tried BKH's Nambawan. Wow. The warnings about this one were warranted. STRONG stuff. I used half the amount I'd normally use which, for me, was 20 grams. I blended, soaked, kneaded, strained in 2.5 cups of water with a little milk. Drank three "shells" of this, spaced around 10 to 20 minutes apart. The relaxation I felt was phenomenal, compared to what I've become used to with other Kavas. I did take it on a completely empty stomach, but managed to keep it all down, despite the taste. (I'm hoping to get past the point I've developed, which is to have an automatic stomach-ache reaction at the smell of Kava in warm water.)

I've also just ordered Kavafied's Kava Supreme, which I initially overlooked simply because it was on Amazon, but have since read great things about.

Thanks again for all the help here!

to me, nambawan tastes so good I salivate just thinking about it.

Last night when I came home late after a long day of various types of work my wife had ready for me a nice frosty glass of nambawan on ice. It was heavenly. And that was before the effects began to kick in. That was icing on the cupcake.

 

[TrevC]

to me, nambawan tastes so good I salivate just thinking about it.

Last night when I came home late after a long day of various types of work my wife had ready for me a nice frosty glass of nambawan on ice. It was heavenly. And that was before the effects began to kick in. That was icing on the cupcake.

Oh man... how delightful it would be to reach the level you're on! If I *enjoyed* the taste, that would be phenomenal.

I'm about to go prepare some and chill for later this afternoon. First time I've ever done that. Usually I just put a couple cubes of ice in the shell (or Solo cup :/).

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

Oh man... how delightful it would be to reach the level you're on! If I *enjoyed* the taste, that would be phenomenal.

I'm about to go prepare some and chill for later this afternoon. First time I've ever done that. Usually I just put a couple cubes of ice in the shell (or Solo cup :/).

I went from hating the taste of kava to liking it almost overnight, around about 7 months after I had started drinking kava. And now it is a really big part of my enjoying kava. If I recall, using ice cubes was a big part of it. It became a refreshing pleasant beverage. And I am being honest when I say there are several kavas I would drink even if they didn't "do" anything.