Side effects: Bad Digestive Issues

[Bert07]

I couldn't help to notice that after my kava binge for the past two weeks or so of straight consuming kava everyday whether it be grog, extract, instant, candy, etc. I've been having bad diarrhea and stomach issues. I would just like to know from those who have experienced this if it subsides over time as your body gets more acclimated to the kava. It's not terrible but every now and then I get somewhat uncomfortable fart spells and indigestion especially when I wake up in the morning. And for the past week diarrhea has just started in as well. I hate to cut back on the kava consumption but if it's necessary to reduce these side effects then I suppose I'll have to muster up and do it. Any similar experiences from anyone and what they did to ease this problem would be of great help.

Much appreciation,
Bert

 

[infraredz]

I get loose stools and flatulence sometimes, but I've always found that it's correlated to the amount of root material ingested. Sometimes there is also a minor amount of nausea for a half hour (at most) which also seems to be correlated to the amount of root I end up consuming.

It hasn't been severe enough for me to stop drinking kava though. I haven't noticed any tolerance to these GI effects, but it's never been anything detrimental to my health.

 

[endwatcher]

Bert

Have you eatin any seafood lately, or any undercooked meats?
Do you have any other symptoms, such as cramps?
And, is you're "gas" exspecially worse then normal?
And are you sure its caused by Kava, rather Kava exaggerating another issue?

 

[Bert07]

endwatcher, no I haven't been eating any seafood lately, no cramps, and definitely more gas than usual. I'm almost positive this is linked to kava because before I started up I was fine. Just for the record, every time I drink grog I always end up drinking the sludge/residue or whatever you want to call it at the bottom of the bowl. I noticed this adds to the effects but maybe it's also a contributing factor to these side effects as well.

 

[kavadude]

I've had some occasional, uh, loose stools from kava and I find the main thing is to take a fiber supplement (such as psyllium husks). Seems to happen occasionally with no real rhyme or reason.. And I do drink the delicious sediment at the bottom.

 

[Deleted User01]

Bert, you are taking a taking Kavas in many forms. Why don't you lay off one or the other and see if one of the supplements is causing the discomfort. Of course everybody's money is on the Fiber at the bottom of your shell but you never know.

 

[KavaKrunked]

Everyone's digestive system is different. However when I experimented with toss 'n wash with the old Boroguru grind, I drank two kilos of actual root powder over the course of about 10 weeks and I suffered no changes in digestive function. If anything, my regularity improved due to the added fiber. I'm normally an "every other day" kinda guy, if you know what I mean, and I was quickly on a daily schedule. The dermopathy from this experiment, on the other hand, was a much different story.

I am very familiar with "loose stools" as I used to be a regular drinker of alcohol. Since quitting, that has completely subsided.

 

[endwatcher]

Bert,
I think that you might want to slow down, and see if that is the "root" cause of the problem that way you can be for sure.
It probably is.
Have you ever though of eating something that does the opposite to bowal movements, such as bananas?

 

[sɥɐʞɐs]

I definitely struggle with kava/digestive issues, often to the point where the discomfort outweighs the enjoyment. However, I do have stomach problems to begin with. I've noticed at other times in my life when my stomach was doing better, I had more leeway with kava. It was usually much, much easier on me. These days my main problem seems to be an immediate 'gut-lock' when I drink it. After my 1st shell it just seems like my digestion shuts down and then i just bloat and bloat all night long. I've started using Simethicone as Andrew has suggested here, but I haven't noticed any difference yet. Conversely, this problem can sometimes reverse and couple shells will suddenly 'get things moving' rather than lock things up.
I've had pretty good success keeping major nausea at bay by sprinkling ginger powder in my kava. And I feel like chasing kava with pineapple chunks helps too. It might just be coincidence but it seems like pineapple lessens the effect of the kava a bit though. Straining with a Fijian strainer typically helps a lot too, but it's not a sure shot and it makes a slightly weaker drink. Making a grittier batch without the fijian strainer definitely gets the 'krunk' feeling going ... but for me, almost always leads to nausea, diarrhea and smelly gas (which isn't typical for me). The only strains that have been easy on my stomach are the light colored, creamy flavored ones like Tongan Pride & Hawai'ian Mo'i, but as luck would have it, they're also the least effective on me.
I wish I could find a definitive solution 'cause I really enjoy Kava when it's not causing me problems. And annoyingly, alcohol actually alleviates my stomach problems.

 

[infraredz]

Another endorsement for Ginger! It works wonders for nausea and I always have an extra-strength ginger ale after my kava and it is a perfect chaser although some say that it's too "spicy", but you get used it it quickly and it really works well for the aftertaste of some of the more bitter ones.

If diarrhea is a problem, I feel like a banana or pectin afterwards would help with that. Also, if it really is diarrhea and not just loose stools, then be very careful since you will be loosing lots of fluids and kava is already a diuretic so dehydration and loss of electrolytes could be a problem. If it is a common occurrence, I would say to stop drinking it as often because dehydration and loss of electrolytes is not good. Make sure to drink some Pedialyte or other such electrolyte replacement drink if it really is diarrhea and make sure to stay extra hydrated.

Good luck!

 

[endwatcher]

Shakas
Pineapple contains Bromelain, which is a really good anti inflammatory.
Have you ever been checked for inflammatory issues by the Dr.?
Or Candida?
Usually when a person has a overgrowth of Candida, the symptoms seem to get better when you add more yeast "to feed the beast"
I would suggest a good pro biotic, lots of garlic, NO SUGAR, NO YEAST

Look up a anti Candida diet, I am about 75% for certain that's what the problem is.

 

[Bert07]

Since you guys mention ginger, I actually never skip out on taking a few ginger capsules or a pot of freshly brewed ginger tea before starting my session. I can say it helps tremendously with the sickness and nausea that may arise at any point in time during a session. For those who have never tried and have a problem with nausea I too highly recommend getting a bottle of ginger capsules at your local health food store or fresh ginger root at any food market. Unfortunately though it still doesn't help in concern to these bowel issues.

I do stay plenty hydrated throughout the day and try to drink around 3 liters daily which was always a habit for me even way before my kava consumption. More potassium intake could be worth a try--though I'm pretty sure my potassium levels aren't too far off the charts since I do keep up with eating fruits, sometimes a banana during the day.

 

[Bert07]

It's a shame, I just today got my batches in from the mail and was really looking forward to diving right in and whipping up a bowl. I might have to hold back for a bit..maybe give my body a rest.

 

[kavadude]

I really feel like nobody should be having nausea on a regular basis with kava. May be time to get more conservative with spacing shells/preparation methods. I used to get nausea until I started splitting my batch in half and waiting at least 30min before drinking the second half. The other day I was like man why do I bother doing this, and just chugged the whole thing and sure enough I had to fight to keep it in there for about 5 minutes.

 

[pjim]

Sometimes you have to pick your battles. I'd rather have a little nausea than anxiety or insomnia. I've always eaten a little snack if it gets bad. Considering the strong recommendations, I may have to try the ginger tea, though....

 

[Deleted User01]

Every ethnic person I know swears by Ginger. So my wife always has Ginger Ale in stock for her digestive ills. I got rid of my Heart Burn a long time ago when I got the stress out of my life and quit smoking. So far, Kava has been "bery, bery, good to me". No digestive stress yet but I only take it 3 times a week. You could consider drinking it every other day and see if that helps. There is a residual Kava effect the next day that keeps ya mellow, yellow.

 

[The Kap'n]

I've been drinking kava daily for 7 years and so far the only real nausea I've experienced was from non-noble kavas, and for some reason Solomon kava, but it felt different. Solomon kava was so wickedly strong that I'm pretty sure the nausea was brought on from my stomach and esophagus being numbed completely out. I've switch to boroguru/borogu only and have yet to have a nausea instance. The digestive problems seem proportional to the amount of sediment you consume in any giving sitting. Most of my kava digestive problems are sympathetic reactions I get when I know I'm about to drink kava. The symptoms do taper down, and eventually you just get used to the small things. Hey, to live a low-to-no anxiety lifestyle it's 100% worth it to me.

 

[Deleted User01]

I drink my Kava ice cold (I prebottle it). The cold seems to subdue the "Kava Gag Reflex". And I don't drink the sediment at the bottom of the bottle though I know there be Kavalactones down there.

 

[Captain Spaulding]

Just got some 11 year from BKH and was sick the next day with a lot of gas. After a couple of hours after taking it I had to really fight to keep it down, but wow!!! I just bought a cup at Walmart with a little blender ball in it, and I think that I'm going to try shaking vigorously for a couple days when I'm bored and keep it in the fridge. After I think it's ready, I got a fine coffee filter and are going to try to filter out 99% of the root material.
Has anyone ever tried this???