nausea

[24601]

So I've been getting nausea lately from drinking kava. I know you're supposed to drink it on an empty stomach for best effect, but would I get less nausea if I ate something small beforehand?

I usually eat crackers or something while drinking it, like a piece of cracker after each chug to try and kill the taste.

I'm not consuming large quantities of kava - my current prep is about 1/8 of a cup of powder in a stocking, squeezed in 1 and 1/3 cups of water for 5-6 minutes. And I underfill the measuring cup so it's less than 2 tablespoons of kava per prep, and after 1 or 2, I start feeling nauseated. This is noble kava, but I'm usually a lightweight.

 

[kavadude]

I find eating a small meal afterwards sometimes settles it. Eating before is also worth a shot. For some people it ruins the kava entirely, but it still works for me pretty well.

Try some ginger beer or fresh ginger tea. I like to drink some before and throughout the kava session.

 

[24601]

I've tried mixing some ginger powder into the kava after preparing it, but it didn't help. I've read that some people use candied ginger or something like that, so I might try that next.

I usually have something to eat after a few servings of kava, sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't.

 

[Edward]

You might find this thread interesting which sort of touches on your issue...

http://kavaforums.com/forum/threads/an-interesting-observation-on-chemotypes.6126/

I have to admit that I have limited experience with kava, a few months maybe, but I have been drinking almost every day so I'm learning quite a bit and I hope you don't mind me posting my insights on this? I don't tend to eat anything at all during a kava session. What I have found tends to give me the nausea is the number of shells and the spacing of those shells. Only a few kavas have given me a really bad nausea feeling and I have had one of those kavas since at a higher dosage per shell but spaced out better and it didn't cause me nausea. The first time I used cream of Vanuatu, the instant from paradise kava, I had two teaspoons to try it out, got a reasonable effect for the dose. The second time I intended doing 2 teaspoons then another 2 after 30 mins. In the event I had the first 2 teaspoons and didn't get much of an effect so went for 3 teaspoons in the second shell and got really bad nausea that died down that evening but I still felt weird into the next day. Now, after that experience, on my next try with this kava I thought I would try 3 teaspoons in one go and stop at that. Well I got a really nice glow from the first shell and after an hour I decided to reload. Had another 3 teaspoons and felt absolutely fine with no nausea at all. I didn't feel like eating at all for at least another hour, I was just in a slight haze and feeling great.

In that other thread towards the end I tried a few different things such as spacing out smaller shells against slamming a few big shells and I came to the conclusion that for me at least I like to slam some big shells to start with and then ride the waves rather than mess around with smaller shells. It seems as though some of the nausea could have been caused by the repeated addition of peppery water into my stomach rather than getting it in quick and letting your stomach settle. Finally I got back to the point, phew. I hope some of that helps?

 

[24601]

Thanks - I'll take a look at that thread. I'm experimenting tonight with going a bit slower, spacing it out more and also taking a bit longer between chugs. So far the effect seems to be decent, slower than drinking fast of course, but not bad.

I seem to get nausea from every type of kava I've tried, maybe my stomach is just sensitive.

 

[Edward]

It depends as well on what you mean by nausea because I get two different types. One is like a whole body buzz that feels like I've had too much kava and my body is rebelling, it feels like the kind of nausea you get from an alcohol hangover, you feel sick but aren't. The other is more like an upset stomach. I could call it nausea but it's more like an uncomfortable feeling, difficulty in eating anything and just feeling not right.

I find having larger/stronger shells but only a few and well spaced out is better for both types than trying to space out multiple smaller/weaker shells. This could well just be me though

 

[24601]

It's actually like I'm going to throw up nausea. Once when I went too much too fast I actually did throw up. Not an experience I'd like to repeat.

I just finished number 2 and I'm starting to feel a bit sick. I'm going to eat soon to see if that helps.

 

[Steph]

So I've been getting nausea lately from drinking kava. I know you're supposed to drink it on an empty stomach for best effect, but would I get less nausea if I ate something small beforehand?

I usually eat crackers or something while drinking it, like a piece of cracker after each chug to try and kill the taste.

I'm not consuming large quantities of kava - my current prep is about 1/8 of a cup of powder in a stocking, squeezed in 1 and 1/3 cups of water for 5-6 minutes. And I underfill the measuring cup so it's less than 2 tablespoons of kava per prep, and after 1 or 2, I start feeling nauseated. This is noble kava, but I'm usually a lightweight.

The crystallized (candied) ginger is a life saver for me. I line up kava, ice water, and a piece of ginger. Takes care of my nausea.

 

[Edward]

Oh :-( . By the sound of it you are straining well enough so probably not that. I hope you find out what the cause is.

 

[24601]

I think the problem was the empty stomach. I had something small to eat before my third shell, and now I'm done. It was much slower than usual but plenty strong enough. I'm going to eat something now and relax for the night.

Still nauseated but not as much. I'll probably try candied ginger at some point.

 

[Doobie Doo]

I swear by these things for post kava nausea.... Ginger Chews

 

[Megan]

Someone (I think in the other thread) had a theory that the numbing effects of kava may cause the nausea. I think that's really interesting because I don't experience any nausea (Did a few times during RT) but I also don't experience the mouth numbing effects of kava. I do snack on the ginger candies though, just because I love ginger. I think eating an apple would help too before you drink the kava. Apples seem to have a tonic/stomach settling effect and would be light enough to not interrupt the kava.

 

[Edward]

How much sediment is getting through in your prep?

 

[24601]

Some sediment is getting through, enough that it settles on the bottom a little bit and I need to stir or shake it before drinking, but I can see while squeezing that most of what is getting through are the oils.

As far as cultivar and grind, I've only ever tried med grind, and the nausea happens with every cultivar - I've tried GHK Boroguru, Mahakea, and Moi, and KWK Fiji Loa Waka and Pouni Ono. I think some of the nausea is anticipatory - memories of other times the kava makes me feel nauseated, so sometimes just the taste is enough.

 

[Edward]

Loa waka gave me nausea one time but I haven't had the others.

I find that if I use a stocking after using a blender I get almost no sediment but the mix is well strong enough. Someone said that the sediment can be where the KL's are sitting but maybe you should try straining a bit more to remove all the sediment and see if you still get the same problem? I used to use a tea strainer and a lot of sediment got through. I found less stomach problems after I switched to using a stocking although I do need more powder to get the same effect.

 

[24601]

I don't have a blender, I just use the wringing/squeezing method with a stocking. I just accidentally ripped the last stocking so for my second shell, I went out and got stockings that are reinforced - takes longer for the kava to stop feeling oily, so more work, but there was much less sediment in the bottom. So I have one shell of the old stocking and one shell of the new stocking for today's kava. I'm about to start drinking the first shell.

 

[24601]

I think I've found the answer - I'm halfway through shell number 2 with no nausea. It was either
1) eating something small an hour beforehand
2) straining better with a reinforced stocking
3) eating something small between - in this case, I chase the kava with a small cracker with a bit of cream cheese on it. Completely kills the taste, and my stomach isn't completely empty which may have caused the nausea in the first place.

The only problem is I think I'm going to start feeling full soon... but that's still better than feeling like throwing up.

 

[Kavakaize]

I use nut milk bag to strain and fresh ginger root in my prep=no nausea

 

[24601]

No nausea at all this afternoon. Probably a combination of better straining, and eating while drinking.

 

[Bubba Bula]

Thanks - I'll take a look at that thread. I'm experimenting tonight with going a bit slower, spacing it out more and also taking a bit longer between chugs. So far the effect seems to be decent, slower than drinking fast of course, but not bad.

I seem to get nausea from every type of kava I've tried, maybe my stomach is just sensitive.

Could be your kava strainer is too coarse. Also, if you have a strong batch try cutting it 50-50 with water to make it weaker.