Kava "overdose"? Vertigo?

[anongirl]

Hello

I have been a near daily kava user for about 3 years now. I preferably take gaia capsules because i am less likely to vomit w/ those. I have several chronic illnesses and take a lot of medications of all sorts.

A few times this past year I have experienced what I called a "kava overdose" even though I don't know if it is possible to overdose.

I lost complete control of my body, could not get out of bed, the entire world was spinning, I was vomiting all over the place. I ended up calling 911 because I was so freaked out n couldn't move or talk. They diagnosed it as vertigo. It has happened probably about 4 times in the past year. I used to take 45 capsules every time, but since the last "overdose" I have cut down to no more than 28 at a time.

I am just wondering if anyone else has experienced this, or if anyone knows what caused this particular reaction? It never happened with pure root. It's happened when I took kava within a close period of time of taking other medications (excedrine, imitrex, muscle relaxers, sleeping medications, reglan [stomach med]) and also not within a close period of time of taking those meds.

Is it possible to overdose on kava?

 

[Prince Philip]

Sounds like an overdose.

I think we're looking at about three capsules equaling the content of a standard shell, but I could be wrong. If I'm write you were at 15 shells, which is a lot, but not unheard of. Frum knows I've done more myself some nights. Usually, I'm about a third that... one could argue less.

I'm going to trust that you're spacing the pills out in a Kastom manner, rather than all at once.

One suggestion I have, assuming it's in stock, is the extract made by Paradise Kava. It's sublingual, rather than oral. It may be more expensive, but bypassing the stomach entirely could be your best bet.

 

[BULABUCK]

Also mixing kava with those meds also would play a role in that as well. Bummer ....

 

[sɥɐʞɐs]

I'd be expecting adverse reactions if I was mixing kava with muscle relaxers, sleep meds, etc...
Your kava dosing is high, even if you were taking it alone...throw in everything else and you're asking for trouble.
But anyway...kava on it's own is capable of immobilizing you, losing muscle control and making you vomit, so I guess you could call that overdosing on kava. But your problems are more likely due to mixing with other sedatives and GABA drugs.

 

[Niko]

Also mixing kava with those meds also would play a role in that as well. Bummer ....

I was about to say that.

Personally, I would talk to my doctor. Your doctor may not like Kava usage, but If competent, he/she should look Into It. That was my experience with my doctor when doing a bit of "experimenting" a long time ago. I had a pretty cool doctor though.

Sometimes It's risky business mixing things up.

 

[Roaddog]

From the words of Hunter Thompsons lawyer, " You did too much. You did too much, man."

Just what ever you do, watch for the FXXKING BATS, Man. Good God.

Sorry, I could not resist. No I do not think it is possible for anyone to "Overdose, on Kava" I mean I have been so crunked I tossed my cookies, and the room was spinning, but through out all of It I feel confident I could drive a car. Now with that said, Your situation, was most likely induced by other meds. Unfortunately The research has not been done, with interactions with all meds. So, If I was you, I would either use much less, or not at all. Furthermore, I echo, everyone else's reply, by saying, talk to your Doctor about it. Sorry you went through such a horrible experience. Hope kava finds its way into your life. Next time, skip the capsules, and use ground root, only. Wishing you the best.Much Love Roaddog...

 

[Prince Philip]

No I do not think it is possible for anyone to "Overdose, on Kava" I mean I have been so crunked I tossed my cookies, and the room was spinning, but through out all of It I feel confident I could drive a car.

1. First, don't drive on kava unless you need to drive on kava. I'd rather see you all driving krunk than shooting each other in road rage, but I'd much rather see you listening to music, watching a movie, talking with friends, masturbating furiously, or doing homework than driving.
2. Second, I think we need to define our terms. Urban Dictionary defines overdose as "An excessive dose, especially of a narcotic." I believe that's the usage that @anongirl is using. Wikipedia continues this definition with, "An overdose may result in a toxic state or death," and I believe that's what @Roaddog is defining as an overdose.

I don't know what the lethal dose of kava is, and one might not exist. It's hypothetically possible to take so many kavalactones so quickly that the muscle relaxant effect stops the heart or lungs, but I don't think you could do that with what's normally available. Toxicity is also controversial. Noble kava prepared traditionally isn't toxic. Tudei may be hepatotoxic, but it's not the kind of thing that will kill you outright in one night. Well, maybe if you have an underlying liver health issue anyway. Don't say "Prince Philip says I can't kill myself with kava no matter what" and consume US$1K in purified extracts in one sitting.

Is it possible to have too much kava? Depending on your definition of too much, of course it is. If you're in a state where you're unable to move and are calling emergency services, you've probably had too much kava. Now, if you experience this state without vomiting, (since that can choke you to death if you're already having problems moving), what I've heard is waiting will cure the condition. I think it may be cured in as little as 15 minutes. There's a story of a supplement maker whose exact fell into the hands of a younger teenager, who downed the whole bottle. Young lad became paralyzed with eyes like saucers. By the time he was on the stretcher, he said, "I'm OK, no really" and walked away from the scene, only to ask the supplement guy if he had any more. This may be apocryphal - I heard it on an mp3 by said supplement dude about five years ago, and the specifics escape me.

 

[Roaddog]

@Prince Philip , I was not suggesting anyone drive on Kava. I was merely saying I felt that I could. But with that said, I have driven a few times, heavily under the influence of Kava. I would not recommend it. But I have driven the tractor, crunked as hell. Would not recommend that either.

Also, You are 100% correct, of my definition of overdose. I guess it might be possible to fatally ingest enough Kava. I may have to give it a try. But I can guarantee the Dermo, would be hell. I guess in my own head, If Kava was a killer, the bodies would be stacking up by know. But with that said, there are some very rare cases of death, and sickness, from kava. I don't mean to dismiss that. Also your dead on, about the definition, of overdose. But personally, being a heavy drug user, in my past, OVERDOSE to me, means, someone is about to die. But actually the definition means to do too much. I personally overdosed on Heroin, and I woke up in the ER, not having a clue. Those were my bad years.

I guess, anything is possible. Meaning if you mix meds, and Kava, who knows the outcome. I have just personally found if I do way too much, I puke. It seems to me that is the mechanism, that keeps me from overdosing. But by definition, Simply puking from it, is essentially doing to much, thus resulting in an overdose. I was a bit worried my reply would come off, a bit uncaring. If that was the case I am sorry. Because I most definitely think one, can do too much Kava, resulting in bad effects. I'm just not sure those results could lead to death. But on average 10 people a year, world wide, die from ink pen lids. Or at least I read that some where. So if that's the case, death could result from almost anything. I guess. Much Love. Roaddog...,

 

[The Kap'n]

Yep, an overdose of kava causes your body to violently rid itself of said excess kava. Not pretty, but your body won't let you consume a stupid amount of kava without harfing it back up.

 

[Prince Philip]

To disagree with myself, and to agree with what Kapm just said... at the point where I'm about to "overdose," I usually wind up having a bad gag reflex. My body will let me go one shell too far, and that's it. (I guess I could go another shell, but it would probably go directly from my mouth to my nose, and I have an unused Neti pot for when I really want to experience that sensation).

I understand that @anongirl can't handle the drink, for whatever reason, and is reliant on capsules. The problem is that human beings and kava have co-evolved in such a way that the gag-reflex really will prevent overdose, but it requires the tongue to recognize the taste, the mucosa of the mouth to recognize the immediate presence of kavalactones, to put the kibosh on kava.

Is there any way you could do a compromise, anongirl, like maybe instant or micronized dissolved in Knudson ginger echinacea juice? I have a powerful intuition that we can reduce the occurrences of this by increasing the immediacy of the feedback.

 

[Supra2jzzzz]

Hello

I have been a near daily kava user for about 3 years now. I preferably take gaia capsules because i am less likely to vomit w/ those. I have several chronic illnesses and take a lot of medications of all sorts.

A few times this past year I have experienced what I called a "kava overdose" even though I don't know if it is possible to overdose.

I lost complete control of my body, could not get out of bed, the entire world was spinning, I was vomiting all over the place. I ended up calling 911 because I was so freaked out n couldn't move or talk. They diagnosed it as vertigo. It has happened probably about 4 times in the past year. I used to take 45 capsules every time, but since the last "overdose" I have cut down to no more than 28 at a time.

I am just wondering if anyone else has experienced this, or if anyone knows what caused this particular reaction? It never happened with pure root. It's happened when I took kava within a close period of time of taking other medications (excedrine, imitrex, muscle relaxers, sleeping medications, reglan [stomach med]) and also not within a close period of time of taking those meds.

Is it possible to overdose on kava?

-I know this is a SUPER old post, but it was bc
of the medication Im 90% sure of it. It has happened to me with combining 3 grams Phenibut with half a cup of 11 year old micronized kava.

I had come back inside from smoking a cigarette, and was stumbling to my fan to turn it on, and when I finally was going to my bed I had just collapsed and hit my face on my desk chair lol. I couldn't see ANYTHING either, my eyes were wobbling so hard and fast up and down, that I couldn't read a big sign that was infront of me. Anytime I moved I would vomit, and everytime I put my head back down on the pillow Id get this crazy sensation like my head was being pulled off of my body and spun around. It SUCKED.

I never went to the ER though, I just tried to sleep, and under the influence of two GABA drugs it wasn't too hard...yenno except for the excessive vomiting.

You also said sleeping medication? Was it ambien? Cause that was likely to cause the bad interaction, not a doctor, just would make perfect sense as its an "anti-anxiety" type of medication.