Anxiety after kava?

[metalman]

Lately I've been getting some initial anxiety after taking kava, when I have a history of having it actually relax me. It's paradoxical, but I think it may have something to do with he fact that a few weeks ago I had a drop of 2+ years old kava that I made. I think I psyched myself up since I already have crazy bad anxiety.

I just bought a bag of Manga Ono Kava. You can tell it's quality stuff. The vendor shipped it out to me within days and his prices are great. So I don't wanna get into a discussion about the quality of the product. I can tell it was doing something and that it's potent. I just think I'm psyching myself up because I've really been suffering lately with my anxiety disorder. Trying to get more kava into my system to help with my GABA receptors.

Anyone ever experience actually having more anxiety after kava? Again... I think this is all in my head. I just wanna take some kava every other day to try and feel better, but ultimately I know that I need to actually keep working on my issues through therapy, learning coping exercises, etc.

 

[ThePiper]

Yes I get anxiety right after kava sometimes. The best advice I can give is to start slow and beyond that, for me routine is the best way to beat anxiety. I have pretty severe anxiety too, and going through an intense couple of months on the physical side of anxiety. You are not alone! For me I am trying to stay active and engaged with as many things as I can

 

[fueledbykava]

Can absolutely relate. As someone who developed severe anxiety during COVID (random panic attacks, constant shortness of breath, angina, etc...), I can definitely attest to kava's ability to help manage acute instances of anxiety. However I've also experienced times where my anxiety felt worse after having some.

Personally I chalk it up to being the same as with most drugs or other mental status changing substances, set and setting matter and if you go into having some kava feeling stressed and anxious, it could end up "greasing the wheels" for those feelings to get worse. For me anxiety was developing due to a restless sense of unaccomplishment and lack of control over my circumstance. Kava helped me feel better at times but at times where I was feeling a lot of stress and anxiety, what worked(and still works) better for me is meditation, exercise, and in the very beginning when I started seeing a therapist, medication. I'm now able to manage my anxiety with exercise, mindfulness and meditation, and being open and vocal about how I'm feeling so that my support system consisting of family and friends can be there for me and now that I have it under control, I can usually enjoy kava without it making those feelings. worse.

Best of luck to you. Anxiety management is a journey, but the hardest part is often taking the first step, and you're certainly well supported by this community.

 

[metalman]

Yes I get anxiety right after kava sometimes. The best advice I can give is to start slow and beyond that, for me routine is the best way to beat anxiety. I have pretty severe anxiety too, and going through an intense couple of months on the physical side of anxiety. You are not alone! For me I am trying to stay active and engaged with as many things as I can

Thanks man! Hoping you continue on a path that works for you

 

[metalman]

Can absolutely relate. As someone who developed severe anxiety during COVID (random panic attacks, constant shortness of breath, angina, etc...), I can definitely attest to kava's ability to help manage acute instances of anxiety. However I've also experienced times where my anxiety felt worse after having some.

Personally I chalk it up to being the same as with most drugs or other mental status changing substances, set and setting matter and if you go into having some kava feeling stressed and anxious, it could end up "greasing the wheels" for those feelings to get worse. For me anxiety was developing due to a restless sense of unaccomplishment and lack of control over my circumstance. Kava helped me feel better at times but at times where I was feeling a lot of stress and anxiety, what worked(and still works) better for me is meditation, exercise, and in the very beginning when I started seeing a therapist, medication. I'm now able to manage my anxiety with exercise, mindfulness and meditation, and being open and vocal about how I'm feeling so that my support system consisting of family and friends can be there for me and now that I have it under control, I can usually enjoy kava without it making those feelings. worse.

Best of luck to you. Anxiety management is a journey, but the hardest part is often taking the first step, and you're certainly well supported by this community.

Thank you dude! Yea I've tried so many things... NLP, Hypnotherapy, CBT, EFT, Exposure... I'm in EMDR currently and seeing a therapist to help guide me. I feel like I may have to try meds. Kinda scares me but at this point it's the one thing I feel I haven't tried. Did you go SSRI or the benzo route? Definitely wanna stay away from long term benzo use. I have a benzo stash but only in case of emergency

 

[fueledbykava]

Thank you dude! Yea I've tried so many things... NLP, Hypnotherapy, CBT, EFT, Exposure... I'm in EMDR currently and seeing a therapist to help guide me. I feel like I may have to try meds. Kinda scares me but at this point it's the one thing I feel I haven't tried. Did you go SSRI or the benzo route? Definitely wanna stay away from long term benzo use. I have a benzo stash but only in case of emergency

I went the SSRI route for about a year with a psychiatrist doing talk therapy. That coupled with exercise and continued mindfulness seems to be the recipe that worked for me. As my Drm described it, the SSRI can stop the panic attacks and help your body to "forget" what they are and feel like while you build up the coping techniques and deal with your tramas/issues with the therapy, at which point I was able to stop them and continue with the coping techniques such that the panic attacks haven't come back since.

 

[metalman]

I went the SSRI route for about a year with a psychiatrist doing talk therapy. That coupled with exercise and continued mindfulness seems to be the recipe that worked for me. As my Drm described it, the SSRI can stop the panic attacks and help your body to "forget" what they are and feel like while you build up the coping techniques and deal with your tramas/issues with the therapy, at which point I was able to stop them and continue with the coping techniques such that the panic attacks haven't come back since.

Mind if I PM you and ask a few more questions. Feel like I'm at the end of my rope and talking more with you may give me some insight

 

[the_wilderness]

dropping a line to say it's worth looking into inositol. one of those things that can be a highly specific match, but a recent discovery for me that's halved my benzo use.

 

[metalman]

dropping a line to say it's worth looking into inositol. one of those things that can be a highly specific match, but a recent discovery for me that's halved my benzo use.

Yeah I used to take that stuff. It kind of tasted like sugary when you would mix it in water and drink it down. I don't know I hear it's really good for women that have PCOS. But maybe I should try taking it again and see if it does anything for my anxiety.

 

[Mixnpickngrinnin]

You may want to try a heavier kava, like something that starts with 2 in the chemoptype lineup. I love Manga Ono but like most Tongans, it is on the headier side and I can also experience some nervous energy at the beginning of a session. For me this subsided pretty quickly but it is different for everyone. I recommend a Solomon Kava from Kava Depot. The Solomon Gold to me is the anti-heady. Good luck!

 

[kavapros]

I understand what you mean. I get the same feeling with some Vanuatu varieties, and can imagine how it would affect someone's who suffers from anxiety. It's definitely related to the cultivar you're drinking.