Will my stomach get used to this?

[Asuna]

I have gotten really sick 2 out of the 3 times I’ve tried kava. Those 2 times, I still felt so sick the next day that I had to skip a day of drinking it. (I’m assuming this might be a dehydration thing) The first time I used medium grind (tikaram’s vanuatu) and last night I did micro (BKH’s 11 year). I’m going through RT, and it’s so frustrating because I’m not able to handle doing consecutive days. I’m having to skip a day. Will I eventually just get used to it? Is my skipping a day going to ruin my chance at breaking through RT? I’m so frustrated. Any help is much appreciated.

 

[Pecorino]

Micronized may be rough on stomach. What preparation method did you use for med grind? How much micro did you use? Which kava did not cause those symptoms, and did the preparation method, dose or set and setting differed?

 

[Asuna]

Micronized may be rough on stomach. What preparation method did you use for med grind? How much micro did you use? Which kava did not cause those symptoms, and did the preparation method, dose or set and setting differed?

For med grind, I did the traditional strain and knead in water, etc. I got sick off that one because I did 9 TBS my first night, which was a mistake. I didn’t get sick off it the second time when I used only 3 TBS.
I used 2 and a half TBS of micro. The only thing is I don’t know if I can handle the med grind/traditional method on a daily basis. I’ve done everything to not taste it, but I still gag a little. It might be a mind thing since I first got sick from that one. I would really, really prefer to do micro. Am I doing too much starting out?

 

[Pecorino]

I'm not sure if 9 TBS of med grind is too much. 2 and half TBS of micro should be fine unless those were heaping. Do you know how many microns the cloth you're using for traditional preparation has? If it's too much, it may be leaking too much wood for your stomach.

 

[fait]

For med grind, I did the traditional strain and knead in water, etc. I got sick off that one because I did 9 TBS my first night, which was a mistake. I didn’t get sick off it the second time when I used only 3 TBS.
I used 2 and a half TBS of micro. The only thing is I don’t know if I can handle the med grind/traditional method on a daily basis. I’ve done everything to not taste it, but I still gag a little. It might be a mind thing since I first got sick from that one. I would really, really prefer to do micro. Am I doing too much starting out?

Traditional prep is a luxury for those who are really busy. A lot of people here do traditional prep during the weekend when they have the time to knead. Even then, it's 15 minutes of kneading and you can keep the unused kava in the fridge for a day. Kava is a haven for microbes, however, so don't keep leftover kava for longer than two days.[citation needed]

You may want to consider trying out one of @Kavafied 's Aluball shakers. If you use the shaker as is with the one included aluball, your brew will be on the weaker/mellow side, which may be a good place for you to start. Once you start feeling the effects and desire a stronger grog, you can buy a second Aluball. I myself have only used this for medium grind kava so I can't say how your mileage will go with using micronized in it, but there is no shortage of users here who will know much more than I on using the shaker in general. The reason I mention this useful tool is that it makes kava much faster than traditional prep if time is of concern. It's not the same as traditional prep, as a lot of Aluball users also do traditional prep, so keep that in mind.

This thread right here may be of assistance in helping you figure out the differences in prepping medium grind and micronized: http://kavaforums.com/forum/threads/medium-grind-vs-micronized.11590/

 

[Asuna]

Traditional prep is a luxury for those who are really busy. A lot of people here do traditional prep during the weekend when they have the time to knead. Even then, it's 15 minutes of kneading and you can keep the unused kava in the fridge for a day. Kava is a haven for microbes, however, so don't keep leftover kava for longer than two days.[citation needed]

You may want to consider trying out one of @Kavafied 's Aluball shakers. If you use the shaker as is with the one included aluball, your brew will be on the weaker/mellow side, which may be a good place for you to start. Once you start feeling the effects and desire a stronger grog, you can buy a second Aluball. I myself have only used this for medium grind kava so I can't say how your mileage will go with using micronized in it, but there is no shortage of users here who will know much more than I on using the shaker in general. The reason I mention this useful tool is that it makes kava much faster than traditional prep if time is of concern. It's not the same as traditional prep, as a lot of Aluball users also do traditional prep, so keep that in mind.

This thread right here may be of assistance in helping you figure out the differences in prepping medium grind and micronized: http://kavaforums.com/forum/threads/medium-grind-vs-micronized.11590/

Thank you! I am probably going to order one of those then. In the meantime, do you think I will screw up my chances of breaking through RT if I skip a day? I don’t know how much longer I can handle feeling so sick the next day.

 

[fait]

Thank you! I am probably going to order one of those then. In the meantime, do you think I will screw up my chances of breaking through RT if I skip a day? I don’t know how much longer I can handle feeling so sick the next day.

If you're continuing with the micronized, perhaps reduce your quantity of powder while keeping the same water quantity. I would recommend going back to medium grind at 3 tbsp because that sounded like it worked for you, but feel free to keep with micronized if it's more convenient. Reverse tolerance will go away sooner if you drink kava daily but if you're getting sick from it, you can take a day to recup. A day is not a long amount of time in the grand scheme of things. I haven't had micronized so I don't know how much stronger it is in relation to medium grind so I can't give a good recommendation on how much you should reduce your dose of micronized powder. I'd say go down to 1.5 level tablespoons or 1 heaping tablespoon since you said that 2.5 tbsp makes you sick, but your course of action is as good as my suggestions. How much water are you using?

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

I have gotten really sick 2 out of the 3 times I’ve tried kava. Those 2 times, I still felt so sick the next day that I had to skip a day of drinking it. (I’m assuming this might be a dehydration thing) The first time I used medium grind (tikaram’s vanuatu) and last night I did micro (BKH’s 11 year). I’m going through RT, and it’s so frustrating because I’m not able to handle doing consecutive days. I’m having to skip a day. Will I eventually just get used to it? Is my skipping a day going to ruin my chance at breaking through RT? I’m so frustrated. Any help is much appreciated.

you could try a completely different tack: just drink small amounts every day for a couple of weeks, not trying to provoke any effects, just trying to get used to it. And then once you can drink small amounts frequently without getting sick, then look at upping the quantity or strength. Worth a try if nothing else works.

 

[rapunzel]

For med grind, I did the traditional strain and knead in water, etc. I got sick off that one because I did 9 TBS my first night, which was a mistake. I didn’t get sick off it the second time when I used only 3 TBS.
I used 2 and a half TBS of micro. The only thing is I don’t know if I can handle the med grind/traditional method on a daily basis. I’ve done everything to not taste it, but I still gag a little. It might be a mind thing since I first got sick from that one. I would really, really prefer to do micro. Am I doing too much starting out?

You might have used a bit too much of medium grind, especially at first. You also might try a finer strainer. I have found that sometimes I can filter more sediment when my stomach is feeling icky and it makes a difference.

I would just cloud micro altogether. It hurts my stomach and I think lots of people can’t handle it. I’m jealous of those who can, because it would be a nice option, but after trying several kinds I have a given up. Good luck figuring out what works.