So About Drug Tests

[KavaKitty]

Noob here, both to the forums and to Kava. I have a question. My daughter and I are both recovering addicts; due to the charming behavior that we addicts engage in when we're active in our disease, she's currently under the supervision of Drug Court and living in a sober house. Because of this, she has to give a urine screen every week.

She and I both suffer from anxiety and panic; her drugs of choice were alcohol and benzos. She's been having a hard time of it lately, so I offered to send her some of my Ozia candies, because they're wonderful for on-the-spot panic relief. She told me that Kava shows up in drug screens. I told her that's not possible, and she said that the screens they use in NY drug court will find it.

I find this really hard to believe, since Kava is legal and it in no way chemically resembles and illicit substances. Can someone enlighten me, please? I don't want to force the issue, obviously, and if she's uncomfortable taking it I certainly don't want to press her to do so. I would really just like to know if this is true. It feels like every time you turn around, some regulatory agency somewhere is trying to eliminate a wonderful botanical solution to Big Pharma's hold on the wallets of the people (wow, that sounded ridiculously political, lol).

Thanks in advance. If this is covered somewhere else, I apologize for the redundancy. As I said, I'm new.

 

[Groggy]

Welcome to the forum fellow NYer, I will let someone that actually knows anything on the topic, answer that. Just wanted to say good to see more people from the East coast round' here.

To my knowledge, kava doesn't show up on drug tests and as you said it's legal.

 

[blindy107]

I haven't heard of it showing up either. Maybe toss and wash in a stool sample

Also, welcome!

 

[KavaKitty]

Thanks, @winfab ! Yeah, I don't see a lot of Kava people here on the Right Coast, I'm trying to spread the word as much as possible. And I know, it's legal, but she seems to be convinced that they will somehow find it, or that she's not allowed to use it. I get super annoyed at the whole regulatory thing. It's not like she's looking to get wrecked or anything, and I would honestly rather she pop a candy with a botanical in it than take a bunch of pills with hideous side effects. Le sigh.

 

[The Kap'n]

Welcome! I completely understand your concern, having had quite of bit of personal time spent in or around recovery in some form or fashion.

I've had U.A.s and hair tests (the big one) and kava has never caused a positive or false positive. No lab out there in the united states tests for kava in standard, or even in extended analysis. While scientifically possible to test for, it isn't normally tested. And by "isn't normally tested" I mean: Never tested. You would have to specifically have a reason to test someone for kava (if you could even find a lab that would be willing to test).

If someone told her they test for kava, they were trying to scare her into not touching anything. A common tactic in sober living arrangements. In most cases, I would wholeheartedly agree, but with kava, I do not. Kava has been something that literally curbed my addictive cravings and tendency long term. Something I think should be noted, and definitely studied further. The anti-addictive properties of kava have been very apparent in my life.

 

[KavaKitty]

I haven't heard of it showing up either. Maybe toss and wash in a stool sample

Also, welcome!

Ugh, ew, hahahahaha! I really don't see how it could get her in trouble, but if she's reticent about using it, I'm not going to push it.

 

[KavaKitty]

Welcome! I completely understand your concern, having had quite of bit of personal time spent in or around recovery in some form or fashion.

I've had U.A.s and hair tests (the big one) and kava has never caused a positive or false positive. No lab out there in the united states tests for kava in standard, or even in extended analysis. While scientifically possible to test for, it isn't normally tested. And by "isn't normally tested" I mean: Never tested. You would have to specifically have a reason to test someone for kava (if you could even find a lab that would be willing to test).

If someone told her they test for kava, they were trying to scare her into not touching anything. A common tactic in sober living arrangements. In most cases, I would wholeheartedly agree, but with kava, I do not. Kava has been something that literally curbed my addictive cravings and tendency long term. Something I think should be noted, and definitely studied further. The anti-addictive properties of kava have been very apparent in my life.

Exactly. I had a hard core heroin habit, I started using when I was 15 (my boyfriend shot me up for my birthday, he was quite a guy) and I got clean over a year ago. I had false starts in recovery before, naturally, but honestly, since I've started eating the kava candies, I have ZERO cravings, and my anxiety is totally manageable without benzos or other pharmaceuticals.

I don't want to pressure her, though, and if she's scared then I'd rather she not use the kava until she's comfortable. It's pointless for her to drink it or take it if she's just going to stress over her UA every week.

 

[Groggy]

Exactly. I had a hard core heroin habit, I started using when I was 15 (my boyfriend shot me up for my birthday, he was quite a guy) and I got clean over a year ago. I had false starts in recovery before, naturally, but honestly, since I've started eating the kava candies, I have ZERO cravings, and my anxiety is totally manageable without benzos or other pharmaceuticals.

I don't want to pressure her, though, and if she's scared then I'd rather she not use the kava until she's comfortable. It's pointless for her to drink it or take it if she's just going to stress over her UA every week.

Congratulations on your recovery, Lord knows it's not easy, one day at a time...Maybe she'll come around.

 

[KavaKitty]

Congratulations on your recovery, Lord knows it's not easy, one day at a time...Maybe she'll come around.

When she lived in Florida, she drank kava brews all the time, but I think she now views it as recreational. I'm trying to dissuade her of that mindset, because I think kava is a wonderful, spiritual, healthy part of life, not something to use to get wasted (although it does have great potential for buzzing, lol). If I can help her to view botanicals as the gifts that they are, and help her to realize that they can be used in a positive way as a part of her recovery, I'll be happy.

And thank you. It's not easy, but it's infinitely better.

 

[The Kap'n]

Exactly. I had a hard core heroin habit, I started using when I was 15 (my boyfriend shot me up for my birthday, he was quite a guy) and I got clean over a year ago. I had false starts in recovery before, naturally, but honestly, since I've started eating the kava candies, I have ZERO cravings, and my anxiety is totally manageable without benzos or other pharmaceuticals.

Same here. The long arm of opiates literally has everyone in reach. Congratulations on your time! I know it takes determination and effort.

I don't want to pressure her, though, and if she's scared then I'd rather she not use the kava until she's comfortable. It's pointless for her to drink it or take it if she's just going to stress over her UA every week.

I totally agree with you too about your daughter. Thinking you're going to be caught for something and stressing about it is one of the worst feelings. Just as I did in NA, I'll suggest to you. Continue doing what's right for you. Those that see the positive change will ask you about it. If she shows interest, lead her here. Spreading the awesomeness of kava is what we do best

 

[KavaKitty]

Same here. The long arm of opiates literally has everyone in reach. Congratulations on your time! I know it takes determination and effort.



I totally agree with you too about your daughter. Thinking you're going to be caught for something and stressing about it is one of the worst feelings. Just as I did in NA, I'll suggest to you. Continue doing what's right for you. Those that see the positive change will ask you about it. If she shows interest, lead her here. Spreading the awesomeness of kava is what we do best

I shall. And yeah - "take what you need and leave the rest" is my motto when it comes to the 12 Step thing.

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

Yeah ultimately it seems that kava helps calm the mind down and so destroys psychological addiction at the closest to its root you can get.
The incessant mental stream that we identify with. Pulling us like a wild river.
Kava blocks for a moment this momentum and who you are beyond that thought stream emerges. You are complete. You are home. That is the message of kava.
Now, I also used kava and successful stoppes my opiate addiction with it. It helped me regain a sense of wholeness that I had before kava and opiates but that was covered up before the opiates and somehow kava brought back full swing and now I don't need kava for it( who I am )
That's a liberation!
Florida seems to be the center of "recreational kava use" and can definitley have that effect.
If she won't get in trouble if you send them then just send em and if they get taken away then you can have a discussion with them about that.
If to no avail then she will sadly have to wait to finish up the program and hopefully by then have a strong rootedness in sobriety and then when she goes to try kava it will be even more powerfull.
I recently wrote a letter to the editor for school to some Dr Rodriguez out there who seems to also be one of the idiots devaluing kavas pro sobriety effects.