Hi from a happy n00b!

[Lil' Krunkette]

Greetings, all.
I'm so happy to have found this forum. Despite my forum name, I began my kava journey looking for muscle relaxation, pain relief, and anxiolytic relief. After 20+ years taking benzos for severe anxiety, I came off of them, mainly because the side effects were worse than the anxiety. My degenerative disc disease has been getting worse, and OTC pain relievers are both dangerous and ineffective. Enter kava!
Through lurking on this forum I decided to try Kalm with Kava products and they've been outstanding. So far, I've tried their Borugu, Vula Waka, and Damu micronized. The Damu is amazing! It seems to hit the sweet spot for pain and anxiety relief without drowsiness, though when I do want to sleep, it helps with that, too (if that makes sense).
For the next step, I want to try the traditional medium-grind powders, and some of the instants (having tried micronized) and the KWK Concentrate. Your excellent reviews on here are helping with that! Thank you guys for providing this dependable resource. I'll try not to ask too many n00b questions!
LK

 

[Kimmer]

Welcome to the tribe!

 

[Groggy]

Welcome aboard. KWK has the same medium grind selection and it is much more cost effective. Preparing kava is very easy. There are some great recipes here and more on traditional preparation.

http://kavaforums.com/forum/forums/kava-lounge.14/?prefix_id=13

 

[Lil' Krunkette]

Welcome to the tribe!

Thank you so much! It's lovely to find such a knowledgeable and welcoming community.
Lil K

 

[Lil' Krunkette]

Welcome aboard. KWK has the same medium grind selection and it is much more cost effective. Preparing kava is very easy. There are some great recipes here and more on traditional preparation.

http://kavaforums.com/forum/forums/kava-lounge.14/?prefix_id=13

Thank you, Krunʞy! Kava people = nice people!
Lil K

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

The Damu is amazing! It seems to hit the sweet spot for pain and anxiety relief without drowsiness, though when I do want to sleep, it helps with that, too (if that makes sense).LK

All of what you say there makes perfect sense and that's why it's a real ace in the hole kava to keep on hand for my wife. For me it's just a brief euphoria followed by goofy mellow, but for her its everything you say above.

Despite my name, too, I haven't gotten krunk since June and mostly I just drink kava for medicinal effects, chiefly for its amazing anti-inflammatory quality. Of course, it does feel good and I enjoy it, for sure.

Cheers and welcome to the forum.

 

[Lil' Krunkette]

All of what you say there makes perfect sense and that's why it's a real ace in the hole kava to keep on hand for my wife. For me it's just a brief euphoria followed by goofy mellow, but for her its everything you say above.

Despite my name, too, I haven't gotten krunk since June and mostly I just drink kava for medicinal effects, chiefly for its amazing anti-inflammatory quality. Of course, it does feel good and I enjoy it, for sure.

Cheers and welcome to the forum.

Thank you!

 

[Myk]

Welcome ! We love questions. One thing I wish I had tried when I was a nOOb riding around on my Velociraptor was the candies . Great to take the edge of stress at work. The Ginger Mint flavor is very tasty.

 

[Deleted User01]

Welcome to the forum. Looks like you elected to get off the "Opoid Crisis Train" and get on board the "Kava Train". Reminds of the song Love Train ... I liked that song.
People all over the world (everybody)
Join hands (join)
Start a love train, love train ...

 

[Lil' Krunkette]

Welcome ! We love questions. One thing I wish I had tried when I was a nOOb riding around on my Velociraptor was the candies . Great to take the edge of stress at work. The Ginger Mint flavor is very tasty.

Thanks, Myk! I'll have to try the candies. For work situations, I am fond of chamomile tea. Don't laugh! It tastes good and helps me be less nervous and edgy. However, I have been curious about the candies....so thank you!
Lil K

 

[Lil' Krunkette]

Welcome to the forum. Looks like you elected to get off the "Opoid Crisis Train" and get on board the "Kava Train". Reminds of the song Love Train ... I liked that song.
People all over the world (everybody)
Join hands (join)
Start a love train, love train ...

Yeah! The O'Jays? Fortunately, I never took opiates themselves, just benzos for anxiety and carisoprodol (Soma) , but the side effects were unbearable, and I'm glad to be free of Big Pharma. I'm still amazed at how effective the Kava is at lessening the symptoms and making me feel better. I just hope it remains legal!
Lil K

 

[Lil' Krunkette]

All of what you say there makes perfect sense and that's why it's a real ace in the hole kava to keep on hand for my wife. For me it's just a brief euphoria followed by goofy mellow, but for her its everything you say above.

Despite my name, too, I haven't gotten krunk since June and mostly I just drink kava for medicinal effects, chiefly for its amazing anti-inflammatory quality. Of course, it does feel good and I enjoy it, for sure.

Cheers and welcome to the forum.

It's all part of the kava journey, I guess...that is, how two different people can have such different reactions to the same strain/same preparation. I hate that it didn't help you the way it did your wife and me. But all of these great reviews are signposts that help us n00bs make the best informed decisions we can. It'll also help us save money. So thanks again!
Lil K

 

[HeadHodge]

It's all part of the kava journey, I guess...that is, how two different people can have such different reactions to the same strain/same preparation. I hate that it didn't help you the way it did your wife and me. But all of these great reviews are signposts that help us n00bs make the best informed decisions we can. It'll also help us save money. So thanks again!
Lil K

I wrote the code for the product reviews and krunky and others provided valuable testing, feedback, and documentation. So your feedback has definitely made my day and Im sure theirs too!!

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

Thanks, Myk! I'll have to try the candies. For work situations, I am fond of chamomile tea. Don't laugh! It tastes good and helps me be less nervous and edgy. However, I have been curious about the candies....so thank you!
Lil K

The candies are GOOD!

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

It's all part of the kava journey, I guess...that is, how two different people can have such different reactions to the same strain/same preparation. I hate that it didn't help you the way it did your wife and me. But all of these great reviews are signposts that help us n00bs make the best informed decisions we can. It'll also help us save money. So thanks again!
Lil K

oh, it's ok, I didn't need it to help me beyond the baseline anti-inflammatory effect I get from all kavas. I was just looking for a good time, which it is, oh yeah, definitely. Damu is everything I ever wanted in a kava and more! Excellent excellent root, outstanding. A major kava, IMO, up there with the very best. Don't feel bad, I'm very very very happy with Damu. I got a pantry full.

 

[Myk]

Thanks, Myk! I'll have to try the candies. For work situations, I am fond of chamomile tea. Don't laugh! It tastes good and helps me be less nervous and edgy. However, I have been curious about the candies....so thank you!
Lil K

The candies actually have chamomile and lemon balm in them . I've had good results with chamomile tea calming down a friend teetering on the edge of a full blown melt down, it works. The ritual of steeping tea is of some value as well , a meditative benefit but the candy you can keep in your pocket and there's no wait, instant access .

 

[Lil' Krunkette]

The candies actually have chamomile and lemon balm in them . I've had good results with chamomile tea calming down a friend teetering on the edge of a full blown melt down, it works. The ritual of steeping tea is of some value as well , a meditative benefit but the candy you can keep in your pocket and there's no wait, instant access .

I'm going to order them this week. They sound great! Thanks!

 

[Mr. Falcon]

Greetings, all.
I'm so happy to have found this forum. Despite my forum name, I began my kava journey looking for muscle relaxation, pain relief, and anxiolytic relief. After 20+ years taking benzos for severe anxiety, I came off of them, mainly because the side effects were worse than the anxiety. My degenerative disc disease has been getting worse, and OTC pain relievers are both dangerous and ineffective. Enter kava!
Through lurking on this forum I decided to try Kalm with Kava products and they've been outstanding. So far, I've tried their Borugu, Vula Waka, and Damu micronized. The Damu is amazing! It seems to hit the sweet spot for pain and anxiety relief without drowsiness, though when I do want to sleep, it helps with that, too (if that makes sense).
For the next step, I want to try the traditional medium-grind powders, and some of the instants (having tried micronized) and the KWK Concentrate. Your excellent reviews on here are helping with that! Thank you guys for providing this dependable resource. I'll try not to ask too many n00b questions!
LK

I've suffered with severe, chronic anxiety, OCD, and moderate ADHD my whole life (in my 30s now). I'm intrigued to find if kava works for me. That site you mentioned is sold out of every type except Borugu. Are there any others you suggest? Starwest Botanicals has 425mg capsules of kava root. 425 seems like a lot though. I just want to find something better than the numerous antidepressants/antipsychotics/whatevers all the psychiatrists have prescribed in the past. Thanks!

 

[Lil' Krunkette]

I've suffered with severe, chronic anxiety, OCD, and moderate ADHD my whole life (in my 30s now). I'm intrigued to find if kava works for me. That site you mentioned is sold out of every type except Borugu. Are there any others you suggest? Starwest Botanicals has 425mg capsules of kava root. 425 seems like a lot though. I just want to find something better than the numerous antidepressants/antipsychotics/whatevers all the psychiatrists have prescribed in the past. Thanks!

Mr. Falcon,
As a fellow kava newbie, I defer to the experienced forum members. The kava capsules did not work for me. 425 mg refers to the amount of ground root in the capsules. Normally, people seem to take 1-4 TBSP of root (and 1 TBSP would be 7 grams - 7000 mg) so that's really a small amount. Plus, I found that the capsules really upset my tummy. With micronized kava, I am taking 2-3 TSP for my initial dose. I'm sorry they're sold out of everything but the Borugu...KWK is a great vendor! There are TONS of good threads about kava as an anxiety med. Also, check out the threads discussing the active properties of kava, the substances such as kavain...some are better to uplift, others to sedate, etc.
I hope you find the right kind...it really does help. Sorry my reply isn't better but I'm still new...
Lil K

 

[Lil' Krunkette]

I'm sorry...that was a crap answer. I started with 2 oz Borogu micronized and 2 oz Vula Waka micronized from KWS. Honestly, the Borogu in that form worked well for me. It took the edge off the anxiety but also did not sedate me much. I began with a 1 tsp dosage in 1/4 cup whole milk. Like you, I can be ADHD and OCD, and I didn't find that it made my scatter-brain worse. The Vula Waka worked better on my anxiety but it was sedating to me. I liked that at night, because half the time, I can't get to sleep as my mind won't shut down nagging at me with replaying scenarios/worrying about tomorrow, etc. The VW really shut that off as well as the benzo I had taken for 19 years, but your mileage will almost certainly vary. In my brief kava journey I've found that to be true. I mention the KWK micronized because they may still have those in stock, and I'm very impressed by KWK's super-fast shipping, product quality, etc.
I am using Kava King's Cocoa Blend right now and have more KWK on order. I personally am getting good results with this, too. It takes the edge off of my anxiety and seems to be uplifting to my mood, again it's subtle but noticeable. I've also tried and liked Root of Happiness's Polynesian Gold 10g kava concentrate. It gave me a noticeable mood uplift but was less antianxiety for me. Personally, I liked that lift, but YMMV. It's a TINY jar and will fit in a jeans pocket. Lastly, I tried KWK's Damu micronized (it's all sold out now I think). It, too, was VERY uplifting...it made me feel really happy. Not drunk/krunk, etc., but just happy like the first day of college 36 years ago..a feeling of starting a new cycle in life, if that makes sense.

Anyway, I'm also trying the Ginger Mint kava candies listed elsewhere on the forum. They seem as though they'd be great to take with you and most folks seem to find them good for taking the edge off.
Now I've gone and written a book...sorry...just wanted to give you the notes I've collected so far...Kava seems like a life-changing thing for me and I hope it will be for you. Bula!