Duration of effects

[Bert07]

The other night I drank a very potent batch of the well-regarded "nambaguru" mix (the unusual potency was partly due to a highly "sedimented" brew) and decided to chug 3 shells (1 1/2cups worth) of it all at once. I don't like using drug references when referring to Kava but it sure was one hell of a Kava rush that was extremely satisfyingly pleasant to say the least . Beside the point here, I noticed, in general not just this one case, that the actual "plateau" or the most desirable of effects of Kava wear off rather quickly--I'd say for me around the 45min-1hour mark. And then after that I just feel relaxed and sleepy but not all that much else. Does this happen to some of you guys or is this only with me? I have a notion that it could most likely be due to my fast metabolism. I'm the guy who can eat anything and everything and never get fat. Which is why I must also ask those especially who don't have fast metabolisms if this is the case for you as well or if Kava stays with you longer?

 

[sɥɐʞɐs]

I've had some questions I've been thinking about posting, regarding different Kava dosages/timing and how they effect the overall experience.
I've never done quite the monster chug that you did and i've never really messed around much with my routine, so i can't really say for sure....but...my guess is that you got a huge blast from all the Kavain, but that one wears off fast...and you're left with only the heavier sedating kavalactones.

 

[Deactivated Account]

That's about right for me also. I really hook in with powdered kava & will do 3 x 600ml chugs in a night from maybe 1-2 cups of kava to each brew if I get on it. I separate them to span it out.

Bloody 3rd one is a tough call !

 

[Deactivated Account]

That said...in (I don't know) maybe 15+ solid years as a kava drinker ive never noticed any difference with any powdered kavas apart from strengths.

There's crap kava...acceptable kava & lastly ...'maybe I shouldn't have had that 3rd one' kava.

 

[kavadude]

I drink on a half-empty stomach; I usually find the intoxicating sort of effects last for 1-2 hours (perhaps a little longer, but less intense than for those of you who drink on a totally empty stomach) and the muscle relaxation/general feeling of peace lasts for a lot longer (usually until I fall asleep).

 

[violet]

Initial effects for me dissipate within an hour or less, that's drinking on an empty stomach. I think my metabolism is pretty normal, maybe even a little slow. A heavier kava does what I need it to do for my anxiety... one with higher kavain and less body effects, not so much, even if I drink it in the morning. While I sleep better, I haven't found that kava makes me sleepy. If I drink kava late in the evening, my anxiety makes itself loudly known by some point mid-morning. The only time I've noticed the "shielding" effect was following the days where I'd had a couple of kava sessions.

Soon after drinking kava, the chest pain I get with my anxiety disappears and stays gone usually until the next day. While I don't really notice the muscle effects (I am often busy on my feet) they must be pretty significant and long acting for me, since my daily tension headaches have disappeared almost completely since I began drinking kava.

 

[Dan]

I'd concur with those of you reporting under an hour for kava's most pronounced effects. Its subtle, uninhibited social effects seem to linger for me for at least an hour longer, however.

I used to be in the chug-it-all-at-once camp, but now I give the second half of my brew a good fifteen or twenty minutes before downing it. It's a gentler arc overall.

 

[Deactivated Account]

When i first started drinking kava it was always fijian powdered with local fijians here & it was with them that i saw the whole moderation thing of a shell with a reasonable strength that didnt gag you & to drink quite a few but space them out accordingly to allow you to enjoy it over several hours.

….but im a kava chugging pig & am yet to follow this method.

It is easy to do with fresh kava though as its strength is such that you only need a small amount with a decent time space between them.

 

[Deleted User01]

Since I start drinking at around mid afternoon, I have to do a shell every 30 minutes or risk losing my motivation to work. The one time that I pigged out, I felt somewhat uncomfortable and even queasy. So I do a shell every 20-30 minutes like a good little lad and the effects last into the night and I sleep like a log.

 

[Doobie Doo]

The empty stomach thing is key for me. A couple of times now, I've gotten home from work (hungry as heck) and decided to eat a snack or dinner before mixing kava. That seems to cut down on the initial easing that I get, and in turn a few more shells go in, and in turn more sleepy and groggy... Mental note to stomach: be patient...

 

[yepimonfire]

I've had some questions I've been thinking about posting, regarding different Kava dosages/timing and how they effect the overall experience.
I've never done quite the monster chug that you did and i've never really messed around much with my routine, so i can't really say for sure....but...my guess is that you got a huge blast from all the Kavain, but that one wears off fast...and you're left with only the heavier sedating kavalactones.

This is correct. Try drinking a kava with mostly kavain like fu'u or lawena, you get the kavain buzz but once it wears off you're done.


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[violet]

^^^^nemo you crack me up

I've gotten better with chugging my kava down. I'd been splitting my sessions into 3 shells, but 2 are easier. After a little while the 3rd for me was sometimes not the best idea. I have discovered chugging a couple of large shells down one after another quickly is the best way for me to push through the kava anxiety I seem to have developed.

 

[Deactivated Account]

^^^^nemo you crack me up

I've gotten better with chugging my kava down. I'd been splitting my sessions into 3 shells, but 2 are easier. After a little while the 3rd for me was sometimes not the best idea. I have discovered chugging a couple of large shells down one after another quickly is the best way for me to push through the kava anxiety I seem to have developed.

oh yeah...you can get a full body shiver just looking at it, even worse if half way through the chug you get a floater (any small thing that catches in your throat)

I tend do do a good Sideshow Bob impersonation.

 

[violet]

yeah, it's so mental I get the shivers just thinking about it. My husband won't touch kava anymore because of it. I would watch him sip it down all Spartan-like, and he wouldn't chase it with anything, not even water. Then one day he just stopped drinking it, he says he can't even think about it now because of the taste.

 

[Deactivated Account]

yeah, it's so mental I get the shivers just thinking about it. My husband won't touch kava anymore because of it. I would watch him sip it down all Spartan-like, and he wouldn't chase it with anything, not even water. Then one day he just stopped drinking it, he says he can't even think about it now because of the taste.

In vila they spit after a shell & spit like there's no tomorrow...it's everywhere on the ground, it's all you hear in the dark streets. You don't fit in if you don't spit. The expats I drink kava with taught me to have a can of soft drink (soda) with you & in between shells...take a small sip & rinse your mouth & spit it. The frothy sweet froth takes the taste away a bit. I do it if the nakamal sells them.

 

[kavadude]

I hear you. I almost always chug right after making my kava, but yesterday I accidentally plopped a little mud into my kava...I fished most of it out but there was still some left. Man that was nasty. Today it took me like an hour to get psyched up to drink my kava.

 

[The Kap'n]

ooooh yeah. If I feel any chunks in my kava.... Kava and I go on non-speaking terms for a while.

 

[violet]

I hear you. I almost always chug right after making my kava, but yesterday I accidentally plopped a little mud into my kava...I fished most of it out but there was still some left. Man that was nasty. Today it took me like an hour to get psyched up to drink my kava.

It helps me too to not even look at the kava after it has been made and when I'm chugging it down, except for when I get towards the end so I don't get any of the sand from the bottom. I did lot of pacing beforehand until I got my chugging technique down.

In vila they spit after a shell & spit like there's no tomorrow...it's everywhere on the ground, it's all you hear in the dark streets. You don't fit in if you don't spit. The expats I drink kava with taught me to have a can of soft drink (soda) with you & in between shells...take a small sip & rinse your mouth & spit it. The frothy sweet froth takes the taste away a bit. I do it if the nakamal sells them.

That is great imagery, nemo, thank you for sharing . I now have some bonus soundtrack to go with the pictures

I don't usually drink much soda, but use it to chase my kava. A good ginger brew, cream soda, and my latest favorite, an apple sparkling water, have all worked quite nicely for me.

 

[KavaGurl]

Hmmm Apple sparkling water, really?? That sounds quite lovely!

 

[pjim]

Ginger ale or a ginger tea helps with digestion and minimizes nausea. Great Chaser.