First time Kava, not so good

[Cris]

Hey guys happy to have found this forum! I am a newcomer to Kava. Only heard about it 6 months ago & finally got the nerve to buy/try it as I'm looking for a way to end my day without having a beer (or 4. You know how drinking "one" beer goes). Anyway, I bought Nagol Noble from the bulakava house & tried my hand at a batch. I added 2c h20 & 1c silk to a blender with 1/2c Kava. blended for 2 min, strained twice with a mesh strainer then took a shot. I spaced it out, drinking a 2oz shot every 10-15min for the first 40 min. I kind of felt a little something so at 1 hour drank a huge 6oz portion to get the full effect. Total I had 2 6oz shells in about an hour & a half. They tasted terrible & even 40 min later I felt nothing, maybe a bit dizzy. And here's where I might have gone really wrong, I had a glass of wine. I heard that it can up the effect of Kava. Well, it sure did. After that I experienced extreme nausea for the rest of the night. I even threw up. I was freaking chill as shit about it though, despite feeling like every sip of water or bite of food was going to make me retch. I was nauseous well into the next day, stuck on the couch trying to keep my mind off the fact I could feel the earth moving. I thought I strained the kava well enough does the sediment upset stomachs? I really want to try drinking Kava again but I want to have a good experience.

Thanks for any advice,

Kava Noob.

 

[kavadude]

Don't mix alcohol and kava. This is assuredly why you had such a bad time.

2 minutes is not very long. Try 5-10 minutes of blending, or kneading in some kind of strainer if you have one (nylon stockings are a favorite around here). Mesh strainers will probably let a lot of sediment through. Drink it on an empty stomach.

 

[Edward]

Nangol noble is strong to the point I didn't feel too good the day after a good amount of it. Perhaps try something less potent for now until you find your feet. Maybe Borogu med grind from Kalm with Kava? I used to drink alcohol every day and know exactly what you mean about 1 beer. I haven't had a beer for weeks now and the cravings have finally gone so it can be done. It's worth mentioning there are plenty of people here who have got off much stronger things than alcohol so it can work, stick with it. Coming from 20 or so years of heavy drinking I like to get a good strong shell in first and then wait 45 mins to an hour or sometimes more before topping up. You need to experiment with different shell strengths, sizes and spacing to find out what works for you.

 

[Kojo Douglas]

Kava is an unusual medicine, with subtle and nuanced effects. You need to learn how to hear the Kava.

 

[Cris]

Nangol noble is strong to the point I didn't feel too good the day after a good amount of it. Perhaps try something less potent for now until you find your feet. Maybe Borogu med grind from Kalm with Kava? I used to drink alcohol every day and know exactly what you mean about 1 beer. I haven't had a beer for weeks now and the cravings have finally gone so it can be done. It's worth mentioning there are plenty of people here who have got off much stronger things than alcohol so it can work, stick with it. Coming from 20 or so years of heavy drinking I like to get a good strong shell in first and then wait 45 mins to an hour or sometimes more before topping up. You need to experiment with different shell strengths, sizes and spacing to find out what works for you.

Perfect! Maybe I'll do one shell and then wait a long time

Kava is an unusual medicine, with subtle and nuanced effects. You need to learn how to hear the Kava.

Deal. I guess I'll just have to experiment and make sure I wait at least a couple hours between shells. Going to buy nylons as we speak

 

[Edward]

@Cris yes but make that one shell pretty strong then just sit quietly for an hour or so and try to notice all of the effects unfolding.

 

[nakamalathome]

Hey guys happy to have found this forum! I am a newcomer to Kava. Only heard about it 6 months ago & finally got the nerve to buy/try it as I'm looking for a way to end my day without having a beer (or 4. You know how drinking "one" beer goes). Anyway, I bought Nagol Noble from the bulakava house & tried my hand at a batch. I added 2c h20 & 1c silk to a blender with 1/2c Kava. blended for 2 min, strained twice with a mesh strainer then took a shot. I spaced it out, drinking a 2oz shot every 10-15min for the first 40 min. I kind of felt a little something so at 1 hour drank a huge 6oz portion to get the full effect. Total I had 2 6oz shells in about an hour & a half. They tasted terrible & even 40 min later I felt nothing, maybe a bit dizzy. And here's where I might have gone really wrong, I had a glass of wine. I heard that it can up the effect of Kava. Well, it sure did. After that I experienced extreme nausea for the rest of the night. I even threw up. I was freaking chill as shit about it though, despite feeling like every sip of water or bite of food was going to make me retch. I was nauseous well into the next day, stuck on the couch trying to keep my mind off the fact I could feel the earth moving. I thought I strained the kava well enough does the sediment upset stomachs? I really want to try drinking Kava again but I want to have a good experience.

Thanks for any advice,

Kava Noob.

Drinking alcohol and kava may be a reason for the adverse effects.

As for not feeling the effects of the kava, I have noticed that many people experience a "reverse tolerance" with kava. Sometimes the first couple of times it is consumed the the effects are not felt. I'd encourage you to give it a try a few more times to see if it is something you enjoy.

 

[Blinkyrocket]

Idk about the subtlety of Kava, yesterday I once again brewed 3 heaping tablespoons of Kava and brought it to a slight boil etc.

The result from drinking half was being completely overwhelmed with the strongest buzz I've ever felt, my ears were ringing and I was actually paradoxically feeling anxiety. This could all be from the heating prep method, or it could just be the strength of the particular brew I brewed... But those effects were absolutely not subtle, lol.

Of course, I have heard about people with anxiety having norepinephrine sensitivity, so this could be a highly personal situation, maybe the heating method wouldn't completely floor you like it did me... Only one way to find out...

 

[nosuni]

The sediment can really upset your stomach, I have the same issue. I use a very fine strainer and sometimes strain multiple times. I don't blend, I kneed or use the Aluball. Nangol is indeed very strong, but I've never felt it the next day. I also had no reverse tolerance with kava, but for some people it may be an issue. Perhaps try eating a light meal after a kava session to help with the nausea, and make sure to drink lots of water with your kava

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

Yeah definitley the alcohol