Hello! New Member

[Skylar]

Hi All! I am just discovering Kava after doing a little homework... which brings me here. Hello!

I am about to admit something I have not disclosed to anyone before. I am a professional and relatively successful woman but have been addicted to prescription pain killers for many years (Codeine - but usually only with paracetamol blend) and have been taking too many risks with trying to find OTC drugs containing Codeine but which always have a high level of paracetamol included - thus taking far too much of that evil drug. My health WILL take a turn for the worse if I continue, so I am looking to use Kava as an alternative way of finding the stress relief and euphoria I seek with Codeine.

My problem is that I live in Switzerland, and frequent my homeland, the UK, and Spain where I own property. I assume that having Kava shipped to me in any of these places could be a problem... so any advice for both kava use and how to obtain it would be greatly recieved.

For now - Happy New Year to you all!

 

[Groggy]

Hi All! I am just discovering Kava after doing a little homework... which brings me here. Hello!

I am about to admit something I have not disclosed to anyone before. I am a professional and relatively successful woman but have been addicted to prescription pain killers for many years (Codeine - but usually only with paracetamol blend) and have been taking too many risks with trying to find OTC drugs containing Codeine but which always have a high level of paracetamol included - thus taking far too much of that evil drug. My health WILL take a turn for the worse if I continue, so I am looking to use Kava as an alternative way of finding the stress relief and euphoria I seek with Codeine.

My problem is that I live in Switzerland, and frequent my homeland, the UK, and Spain where I own property. I assume that having Kava shipped to me in any of these places could be a problem... so any advice for both kava use and how to obtain it would be greatly recieved.

For now - Happy New Year to you all!

Welcome to KF ,

First of all you are not alone, many of us came to kava for similar reasons including myself.

I believe @Edward will\ be able to shed some light on ways to get lava in the UK and abroad. There was a member that suggested third party shipment but I can't remember his user name now.

There are several members that transitioned from opiates to kava successfully and I am sure they will pop by sooner or later.

 

[Skylar]

Welcome to KF ,

First of all you are not alone, many of us came to kava for similar reasons including myself.

I believe @Edward will\ be able to shed some light on ways to get lava in the UK and abroad. There was a member that suggested third party shipment but I can't remember his user name now.

There are several members that transitioned from opiates to kava successfully and I am sure they will pop by sooner or later.

Thank you so much for your reply and support Krunʞy it is appreciated. It is a lonely thing being an 'addict' and it takes a lot to admit that you are addicted to a 'legal' drug like Codeine. Absolutely no-one knows so this is a big leap for me. I considered telling my Doctor but she will either make me go cold turkey or prescribe more and perhaps insist I see her more - I doubt Swiss health insurance would cover that so will be way too expensive!

I am determined to turn this around but will need all the help I can get - especially in the face of rules and regulations across borders. I can actually feel and see the negative effects of these prescription drugs, and now I have a Grandson who adores me so I really feel a need to look after myself. There was a long period when I didnt see that need.

I return to Switzerland from the UK on Saturday and will be there for some months before going over to Spain. I am not sure where Kava is prohibited and I fear customs seizing it in transit if I order from any of these recommended sites. Also - I travel a lot so I would appreciate advice on taking in luggage - if indeed that is wise.

Thanks again!

 

[Groggy]

Yes I know the feeling, this is a wonderful community with very caring individuals, a family if you will, a bit dysfunctional but at the end of the day we all look out for each other.

Kava is like that and unlike any other substance, there are many choices ans strains some focus on light euphoric feeling and others have a more sedative and body numbing quality. I am sure if you read a little here and there you know a little bit of I am talking about. There are many members from Europe so I am sure one of them will be more helpful with the questions you have in reference to sourcing and traveling with kava.

 

[Zaphod]

Hi All! I am just discovering Kava after doing a little homework... which brings me here. Hello!

I am about to admit something I have not disclosed to anyone before. I am a professional and relatively successful woman but have been addicted to prescription pain killers for many years (Codeine - but usually only with paracetamol blend) and have been taking too many risks with trying to find OTC drugs containing Codeine but which always have a high level of included - thus taking far too much of that evil drug. My health WILL take a turn for the worse if I continue, so I am looking to use Kava as an alternative way of finding the stress relief and euphoria I seek with Codeine.

My problem is that I live in Switzerland, and frequent my homeland, the UK, and Spain where I own property. I assume that having Kava shipped to me in any of these places could be a problem... so any advice for both kava use and how to obtain it would be greatly recieved.

For now - Happy New Year to you all!

Welcome! I think you will find d what you need with kava and these forums. I have two suggestions (1) go on over to the sub forum addiction and recovery for more specific advise on transitioning and (2) while noble kava is just fine by itself for the liver there is some evidence that it should not be taken with paracetamol/Tylenol. So be very careful and don't mix the two.

 

[Skylar]

Thank you so much for the pointers Zaphod - I will do that.
My plan is to totally eliminate both the codeine and paracetamol (infact all pharma!) - as soon as I can source and some Kava. My background has always been alternative medicines and herbs so I will be SO happy to return to this.... I hate the addiction I have formed - a Motorcycle accident had me on strong pain killers many years ago and I became hooked on the high I got from the Codeine...then with a few other crappy life events my self worth plummeted... and the addiction became deep rooted. Anyway... enough of that... I will take it to the recovery sub-forum.

Thanks all xx

 

[Deleted User01]

Welcome to the forum! You will find many of us in the same boat as yourself. If it ain't one drug then it's another. I have cut waayyyyy back on alcohol since I started with Kava and I wake up with more bounce in my step. I hope Kava can help you too and assuming you can get it.

 

[Amarone]

Hi, I am based in the UK and new to Kava. In the last month I successfully ordered Kava from Kalm with Kava and Kavafied. With the latter, the package was intercepted by Customs in order to charge me some import duty! Basically the UK Medicines Control Agency has placed a restriction but I don't honestly think that the average British Customs officer knows much about the substance. The worse that would happen is that they would seize the package but can't believe they would take any criminal action.

I personally would not risk carrying it in your luggage

 

[verticity]

Welcome to the forum. You are definitely not alone in your struggle with addiction to prescription medications. Many people with a similar struggle have found help with kava.

The legal status of kava in most Europe is confusing at the moment. It is not illegal exactly (except in Poland, where it really is illegal), but it is not quite understood or accepted. Kava Forums members from various European countries do import kava from the United States on a regular basis without getting in trouble, however there are occasional hassles with customs.

I should mention that if you use kava, you should not mix it with Paracetamol/acetaminophen/Tylenol at all, because that combination can be bad for your liver. Kava by itself is not harmful to the liver at all, however Paracetamol is, and the combination of Paracetamol with kava can make it more harmful. (In my opinion, it is really evil that pharmaceutical companies use a substance that is toxic to the liver to "denature" opiates.)

Another thing to keep in mind is that kava is not a "drop in" replacement for opiates. Kava is non-addictive, and works in the brain in a completely different way from opioids. That means that if you stop using codeine, and start using kava, you will still have to go through withdrawal symptoms from the codeine, unfortunately. Kava might make the withdrawal more tolerable, but won't prevent it.

 

[verticity]

@Honeystar one thing you might consider to help you transition away from OTC opiates is K@. K@ is a herbal opioid that is legal in the US, and I think is legal in many European countries also. It is a quite "mild" opioid that people use to help withdraw from harder stuff, and a big advantage of it is that it is a plant that is not mixed with any acetaminophen or other crap. This is a kava forum here, not a K@ forum (and K@ is addictive like other opioids) so I wouldn't normally recommend K@, except in special cases like this.

 

[moff000]

I'd be a total mess if not for Kr@t0m for sure. I can tell you i live a totally normal life now due to this plant.
Cheers Paul.

 

[Vekta]

First of all good on you for making the effort to change for the better

Second of all *big loud ki--....awkward internet forum hug*

And third... Welcome to the tribe.

 

[The Kap'n]

@Honeystar one thing you might consider to help you transition away from OTC opiates is K@. K@ is a herbal opioid that is legal in the US, and I think is legal in many European countries also. It is a quite "mild" opioid that people use to help withdraw from harder stuff, and a big advantage of it is that it is a plant that is not mixed with any acetaminophen or other crap. This is a kava forum here, not a K@ forum (and K@ is addictive like other opioids) so I wouldn't normally recommend K@, except in special cases like this.

I think you're dead on. Temporarily only though, maybe 2-3 weeks max, but yeah, this is probably one of the only situations I'd recommend that route.

and @Honeystar welcome to kavaforums. You're among like minds here. I'm an ex-opiate addict myself. You're in the right place.

 

[Amarone]

The situation with K@ in the UK is also confusing. Almost every UK vendor shut up shop after the Psychoactive Substances Act was passed earlier this year. The supplier I used told me that their lawyers advised that K@ would be illegal to supply / import under the Act. More recently I read one vendor's site suggesting it is not covered by the Act which was primarily aimed at the 'legal high' market. It's a grey area at best

 

[Skylar]

What an amazing welcome and such great advice- Thank you all
I fear neither K@ or Kava will be easy to obtain but I will look into it all and try. Meanwhile I think I am going to have to go cold turkey... If I find it hard I may open up to my Doc and see where that takes me. She is actually open to the idea of alternative ways of dealing with things so I might get lucky... but still so much to learn.

I will take myself over to the Addiction and Recovery forum for the support I need - but thank you all again so much for such a warm welcome

 

[Amarone]

@Honeystar you can obtain either easily from overseas suppliers. I have ordered both in this way. For Kava check @Edward list of suppliers happy to ship to the UK. There are many K@ vendors that will sell to UK customers. If you need further details feel free to PM me

 

[Vekta]

What an amazing welcome and such great advice- Thank you all
I fear neither K@ or Kava will be easy to obtain but I will look into it all and try. Meanwhile I think I am going to have to go cold turkey... If I find it hard I may open up to my Doc and see where that takes me. She is actually open to the idea of alternative ways of dealing with things so I might get lucky... but still so much to learn.

I will take myself over to the Addiction and Recovery forum for the support I need - but thank you all again so much for such a warm welcome

You be careful with that other thingy. *news paper smacks*

AFAIK kava seems to be more accessible in Europe then it used to be.

 

[Skylar]

Thanks @Amarone and @Vekta
I reside mainly in Switzerland but frequent UK and Spain... The next few months I will be in Switzerland. Customs could be tricky... Do we have any other members residing in Switzerland?

 

[Vekta]

You could give Kava Candy a try. Popping 2 candies might be just enough to hold you over until you find a more permanent solution.

 

[verticity]

First of all good on you for making the effort to change for the better

Second of all *big loud ki--....awkward internet forum hug*

And third... Welcome to the tribe.

Pardon me. I meant to say "k r a k e r s" (A little "old timer" joke...the word 'K@' used to be censored on this forum to avoid Google making this forum attractive to seekers of 'legal highs', so we had find creative ways of implying the k word without actually using it)