Sudden severe Itching

[payers24]

I have been using Kava King Instant for about 2 months now. I tried Kava several years ago and it was bad for my stomach, but since I now take Prilosec I don't get the stomach pains any longer. At the end of last week, I started having a possible new side effect.

I have itching virtually all over my boy. Benedryl and Claritin help some, but they do not completely get rid of the itchy feeling.

My question is, does Kava Dermopathy start this way. I have noticed dry patches of skin on my face and scalp, but in other places with itch, I don't see anything different on my skin.

I ordered myself a liver panel (you can do this in the US) and will get the blood work tomorrow morning just to make sure I am not experiencing any liver damage. Doubtful, but want to make sure.

Please share your experiences on Kava Dermopathy and if I am in the beginning stages of this condition.

Thanks,

Patrick

 

[Deleted User01]

I never get Dermo but I have heard complaints about itchiness before. Some will lay down the kava for a few days until it calms down. Many will tell you to make sure you are drinking lots of water. @kavadude can probably give you some good advice. I get blood work down 2 times a year to check on my cholesterol. I always include the liver panel. It's just good practice to have your blood checked periodically. Ya never know what's sneaking up on you and it may not be kava related.
P.S. Some of the members may tell you to switch kavas. To that I would say, switch to GHK Nene Instant. That kava has the least side effects of any.

 

[chandra]

Several users here have said that they had problems after drinking Kava King. My understanding is dermopathy is more of a rash than all over itching. I experience that type of itching sometimes, but I believe mine is fibromyalgia related. No rash just intense maddening itching everywhere. Lots of water and coconut or fish oil are supposed to help with dermo or help prevent it. If you don't have any rash, it may not be kava related.

 

[kavadude]

What you want is a cream that includes alpha-hydroxy acid (this is sold in the US as Amlactin, I get the kind with the green top).

I would also say that if you have stomach problems, micronized can make them worse, particularly the kind without the makas removed. I generally have an iron stomach and am impervious to stomach issues of any kind, but consuming micronized can give me nasty gas. Some people don't seem to get this, so I dunno.

 

[Deleted User01]

It's funny, I do a ton of GHK micronized with no gas and no stomach problems. But I eat potato chips, and I get potato chip farts. But don't worry, they smell just like potato chips. As a matter of fact, I think Micronized Kava and probably any kava helps settle my stomach. Perhaps 'cause it settles me down.

 

[Groggy]

It's funny, I do a ton of GHK micronized with no gas and no stomach problems. But I eat potato chips, and I get potato chip farts. But don't worry, they smell just like potato chips. As a matter of fact, I think Micronized Kava and probably any kava helps settle my stomach. Perhaps 'cause it settles me down.

I never hear you talk about any other kava then GHK, have you tried any other vendor in the last year?

 

[Deleted User01]

I never hear you talk about any other kava then GHK, have you tried any other vendor in the last year?

Back in the old days I tried them all. That was back GHK even made an appearance. I used to buy the powder and knead it. Then I tried the Micronized from GHK and I never looked back. I do a lot of kava drinking at my desk and the micronized is a 2 minute setup and gulp. Plus, no makas, no kneading, and 100 percent noble. Never had any dermo. I had some excellent kava by @Squanch72 earlier in the year and I made an exception and got out my kneading utensils. IN reality, I just don't have time to knead. So GHK Micronized is all I do. I don't even do the instant or the powder. It's a perfect fit for me and Moi and Nene are the perfect strains for what I need. I got lucky!

 

[Groggy]

@Deleted User01 I ask because any kava in excess can lead to dermo including GHK, if anything Micro may cause more problems than medium grind. I am glad it works for you but the reality is Amlactin, more water intake, less kava intake & a proper diet will all be contributing factors to healing dermo.
Granted some kavas are stronger than others, I just find odd that you recommend switching to GHK as the means to rid of kava dermopathy when in reality any kava can cause it.

 

[Deleted User01]

I did not specifically recommend GHK, I recommended Nene (sold by GHK) because (in my opinion) it is a mild kava that seems to have less side effects than others. I always recommend Nene to newbies who are having problems with other kavas. For example, if you have dermo, I'm not going to recommend Hanapaki Ai or Hiwa or any of the heavy kavas. I'm going to go with Nene (which means Baby in many languages). The Islanders supposedly used it for "a fretful child". It's mild.

 

[Deleted User01]

Ok, I got an idea. Why don't the members post the strains they consider to be the mildest in terms of side effects. I guarantee you they will score on the top of any Nobility list. FYI, Nene is number 1 on TKs list but I almost didn't want to bring it up. So when members are suffering from side effects, we can tell them to either taper off or switch to a milder kava so at least they can sleep. So, we already have a member in need of a solution. Any other suggestions on mild kavas?
And remember, Nene is not that strong. It gives "mild effects" and I like it for sleep. Certainly not a weekend kava if you know what I mean.

 

[Squanch72]

I rarely get any dermo. One mild touch about 1 year ago. And recently this last month I was itching like a fiend and noticed some mild dermo. I know this brutal summer already gave me grief with keeping hydrated. But it also had me taking imitrex daily for migraines. I was blaming my yerba mate usage on the dermo and stopped drinking that for a while. I think it is the summer, combined with imitrex which is very dehydrating, and topped off by daily kava usage. I trimmed back to medicinal levels and saved heavier sessions for the weekend. Started slamming water and using amlactin and it eased up fast. Point is I am pretty sure the summer heat wave and some medicine can increase your chance of dermo. Oh and mild sunburn too. The only part of my body that itched was my forearms. And they are the most tan part on me. But I never had the red streaks or dry looking skin there, just a burning, itchy feeling.

 

[Deleted User01]

@Squanch72, you bring up a good point. I normally only do 2 doses a day. Maybe 3 on the weekend and I have never gotten dermo. Maybe it is the volume of kava that aggravates the condition? We need a thread like "Why do you NOT GET DERMO". Post the kavas you drink and the quantity you do in a week.

 

[TheKavaSociety]

Yea, quite a few people have had problems after drinking Kava King. Not sure if it's kava or some of the additives (flavourings, preservatives etc) they use? Some people might be allergic to these. I've only tried their kava once and it wasn't very nice.

 

[Deleted User01]

One more thing I wanted to mention and this is like a private theory of mine. If we post, "Why we don't get Dermo", I want to know if you are light skinned or dark skinned. Dark skin might mean you tan easily or it might mean you were born with a tan. I was born with a tan and in my large family, half of us are light skinned and half of us are tan. I wonder if that makes a difference? Really, I don't wonder, I think it does but I need evidence. Do the pigments in your skin make a difference?

 

[TheKavaSociety]

One more thing I wanted to mention and this is like a private theory of mine. If we post, "Why we don't get Dermo", I want to know if you are light skinned or dark skinned. Dark skin might mean you tan easily or it might mean you were born with a tan. I was born with a tan and in my large family, half of us are light skinned and half of us are tan. I wonder if that makes a difference? Really, I don't wonder, I think it does but I need evidence. Do the pigments in your skin make a difference?

Not sure but most of my FijianTongan friends (regular kava drinkers) have a bit of dermo

 

[Deleted User01]

Not sure but most of my FijianTongan friends (regular kava drinkers) have a bit of dermo

Ok, so on the survey, you have to put down whether you are a wussy or not.
Ok, you shot down my theory. But how much do they drink in a day or a week? Let's follow that avenue down kava lane.

 

[TheKavaSociety]

Ok, so on the survey, you have to put down whether you are a wussy or not.
Ok, you shot down my theory. But how much do they drink in a day or a week? Let's follow that avenue down kava lane.

Heaps.
It seems that dermo correlates with quantity consumed, but it can also happen faster/be more serious if you drink tudei or makas. No idea why. I get a bit of dermo on my hands when I drink a lot of kava, but I then just eat more fish and drink hemp seed oil to make it go away. No idea why these seem to be helpful

 

[Groggy]

I did not specifically recommend GHK, I recommended Nene (sold by GHK) because (in my opinion) it is a mild kava that seems to have less side effects than others. I always recommend Nene to newbies who are having problems with other kavas. For example, if you have dermo, I'm not going to recommend Hanapaki Ai or Hiwa or any of the heavy kavas. I'm going to go with Nene (which means Baby in many languages). The Islanders supposedly used it for "a fretful child". It's mild.

So you have been drinking nothing but GHK for the last 3 years (give or take) aside from a gift you got of (squanch kava) several months ago. Wouldn't it be fair to say your opinion is a bit biased? You have not drank anything else. What are you comparing it to?

Ok, I got an idea. Why don't the members post the strains they consider to be the mildest in terms of side effects. I guarantee you they will score on the top of any Nobility list. FYI, Nene is number 1 on TKs list but I almost didn't want to bring it up. So when members are suffering from side effects, we can tell them to either taper off or switch to a milder kava so at least they can sleep. So, we already have a member in need of a solution. Any other suggestions on mild kavas?
And remember, Nene is not that strong. It gives "mild effects" and I like it for sleep. Certainly not a weekend kava if you know what I mean.

What does TK and nobility have to do with a dermo thread?
Excessive kava consumption leads to dermo sooner or later. I drank a lot of GHK in the beginning, I got dermo, in fact that's all I drank for the first 2-3 months of my journey.

 

[Squanch72]

I rotate several Kavas during the week and mostly drink small amounts. Like 2.5 to three tablespoons, two aluballs a day, and I do three washes. The strange thing is I never stop drinking and it still goes away. It is like I need either factors outside of the kava to give me dermo. Like the drying medication or not drinking enough water. Even a heavy kava day is what maybe 5 tablespoons of root.

 

[KrunkMunster]

Patrick,

You'll see I posted another thread with similar issues. If you look at pictures of dermo versus hives, you'll see they are quite different. I think dermo is more an issue of flakey/scaly skin, whereas what I am experiencing is more like classic hives (lots of itching). My rash seems to move around from one part of my body to the next and the spot it was in looks totally fine when the rash goes away (which can be minutes or hours). If did a bunch of searching last night and this is a known issue with kava and some people.

I'm going to tough it out for awhile and see what happens. I'm hoping I can push through.