I use one aluball, with two level tablespoons and 250ml water and repeat about 6 times. I've been using Kava Supreme with it and it's ground so finely and works so efficiently with the aluball that I find second washes are generally pretty watery and not really worth it. I might try using more water like you and drinking less kava overall to see if it helps with my symptoms. The Kava Supreme is so strong anyways that I don't think I really need the amount I've been taking lol.
first bout with the dreaded
- Thread starter kilakila
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schatz
itchin for kava
It has not helped with my symptoms much but everyones different so might want to try using more water I dont know. I have only been drinking the kava for about a year now and learning everyday here thanks to all of you.
S
Summer
When I used the Aluball I had some reactions to kava that I don't have with traditional prep. I broke out in tiny bumps on my chest area and had some issues with my ears. I think it had to do with the sediment. I think it's a great product, just didn't work for me. I don't have any side effects with daily traditionally prepped kava, other than dry hands.
kilakila
Kava keeps me going.
Lots of interesting thoughts to ponder here!
I mainly use Aluball but have been doing so since the Aluball first came out. Maybe its a mix of the Aluball and too much kava as of late because this problem has only happened recently.
Ive used about 4tbs to 16 ozs water daily for about 8 weeks. I think this is the main problem - too much for a lightweight like me. Kind of have to think about balancing things out here - my anxiety has certainly lowered quite considerably. Its the skin issues that bother me and maybe causing a little health anxiety. If its doing this to my skin, whats happening internally??!!!
I drink coconut water, along with regular water, but maybe not enough. I've just ordered some coconut oil capsules. Ive tried eating coconut oil (I cook with it regularly) but can't stomach the taste!
Gotta try and stay off kava for another week at least! Id open the expensive bottle of red wine I love so much but honestly, it doesn't even appeal to me right now!
I mainly use Aluball but have been doing so since the Aluball first came out. Maybe its a mix of the Aluball and too much kava as of late because this problem has only happened recently.
Ive used about 4tbs to 16 ozs water daily for about 8 weeks. I think this is the main problem - too much for a lightweight like me. Kind of have to think about balancing things out here - my anxiety has certainly lowered quite considerably. Its the skin issues that bother me and maybe causing a little health anxiety. If its doing this to my skin, whats happening internally??!!!
I drink coconut water, along with regular water, but maybe not enough. I've just ordered some coconut oil capsules. Ive tried eating coconut oil (I cook with it regularly) but can't stomach the taste!
Gotta try and stay off kava for another week at least! Id open the expensive bottle of red wine I love so much but honestly, it doesn't even appeal to me right now!
When I am at home I blend a lot. I use a lot of root but keep the sediment quite low with a 80 or so micron strainer. When I am in my truck and away from home I aluball, see more below.
I know the above quote was a reply to someone else but just for info I triple aluball and try and keep the amount of root in each ball to a heaped tbsp and no more or you risk dry patches. I will reload if needed as in general I like around 5 to 8 tbsps a night depending on the root. I usually strain after aluballing as I find the aluball let's out just a fraction too much sediment for me. If I can't strain for any reason then I will use less root and drink a lot slower as I have had some pretty bad reactions to too much sediment in the past.
schatz
itchin for kava
Maybe the sediment is the problem, makes sense. And I have been Aluballin alot, its just so damned easy,i guess I will stick with 80 micron traditonal prep just to be on the safe side. Thanks Edward.
schatz
itchin for kava
Keep us informed, really would be curious how you come out of the red pimple itchy things and how long it takes you to obstain. I was thinking I might cheat tonight and do a little Fu'u, if I do I will let you guys know if it adversely affects me or not. Thanks Kilakila.Lots of interesting thoughts to ponder here!
I mainly use Aluball but have been doing so since the Aluball first came out. Maybe its a mix of the Aluball and too much kava as of late because this problem has only happened recently.
Ive used about 4tbs to 16 ozs water daily for about 8 weeks. I think this is the main problem - too much for a lightweight like me. Kind of have to think about balancing things out here - my anxiety has certainly lowered quite considerably. Its the skin issues that bother me and maybe causing a little health anxiety. If its doing this to my skin, whats happening internally??!!!
I drink coconut water, along with regular water, but maybe not enough. I've just ordered some coconut oil capsules. Ive tried eating coconut oil (I cook with it regularly) but can't stomach the taste!
Gotta try and stay off kava for another week at least! Id open the expensive bottle of red wine I love so much but honestly, it doesn't even appeal to me right now!
No worries. Thing to remember is that there is a lot of the good stuff stuck around the sediment. It's about striking a balance between effects, nausea and dermo. You need effects or there's no point drinking the stuff but you want to minimise nausea and dermo. I'm yet to find a completely perfect answer and change my routine from time to time but I feel good when I drink kava and it keeps me off the booze so something is going right
kilakila
Kava keeps me going.
Now Ive read all this I'm thinking maybe do a prep in the Aluball and then strain (I love Cactus Kava's strainers) Get rid of that excess sediment. It certainly makes a shell tonight seem more of an option!! Just depends what time I get home and how much I eat, I guess. There's always Sunday afternoon!
I can drink after aluballing without straining but I go a bit more steady, say maybe only 3 to 6 tbsps depending on the root. I get good effects after blending or aluballing and then straining with a cactus kava strainer. I get slightly better effects if I don't strain but I usually get more nausea and feel more itchy the next day which doesn't make the marginal extra effects worth the negative downside.
schatz
itchin for kava
Last night I broke down and traditionally prepped useing a Wakacon strainer bag with 5 Tbs and 2 cups of water. Extra itchy and breaking out a little more today so I am sure it is kava and not my chinese herbal formula that my doc has me on. Unless it is a combo of the two. Today I am going to try based on suggestions here to Aluball and then strain, maybe use a Cactus strainer bag per Edwards suggestion. By the way I drank a quart of coconut water and about 5 Tbs of coconut and didint really help. Thanks for all the help here, I guess after this if it dosent get any better I will just have to take break from kava till itchy scratchy goes away to reset everything. I can say i really enjoyed the kava feeling more so lastnight after taking a week off than doing every night. Thanks
kilakila
Kava keeps me going.
Found this interesting post from @KrunkMunster ..........
I wanted to start a thread that pulls together information that I've found in this forum and a few other sources related to the Kava Rash. The Kava Rash is a rash that some have likened this to a food allergy while others have described it as a kind of demopahty. I believe it's probably somewhere in the middle, having characteristics of both.
The symptoms of the Kava Rash, which differ from demopahty, are:
One user on another forum described the rash quite well with this post: "I believe I am experiencing this (Kava Rash), but I don't believe it is likely allergic, but some other sort of negative reaction. Since I began taking kava occasionally, a couple weeks in I began to develop a strange rash. The rash was characterized by many small, red spots that were not raised and only much later on began to itch. Beginning on the hands amd slowly up my arms, to my face where then my nose and ears swelled painfully and my forehead became covered in itchy, raised, red bump"
Some sources indicate that between 1-2% of those who consume Kava are allergic and will develop a classic food allergy shortly after consuming Kava. This isn't surprising, as there will always be someone allergic to just about any food/drink we might consume. However, I believe the Kava Rash is different from a typical food allergy. The Kava Rash appears to be related to an allergic reaction, but not quite an allergy. The reason I'm coming to this conclusion, as have others, is that this rash seems to hit some after months or years of consumption and then disappear after a period of time only to return again later. I had been drinking Kava for over a month pretty consistently, when I was hit with classic Kava Rash symptoms the day after I'd consumed Kava. This rash had some of the characteristics of an allergy, but seemed to be more similar to a reaction to poison oak than a food allergy. I also want to point out that some of the Kava Vendors and Bar owners have indicated that this condition is quite rare. I am not convinced that this is true. I believe it is much more common than the 1-2% they report. Most of the reports I found related to the Kava Rash has the user reporting symptoms at least a day after consumption. Therefore, the user would have been long gone from the Kava Bar when the rash hit. This is supported by this excerpt about Fijian Kava drinkers: "Kava drinkers are thus sometimes recognizable by their bloodshot eyes and ulcerous skin" (Lebot, Merlin, & Linddr. 1997. Kava: The Pacific Elixir: The Definitive Guide to Its Ethnobotany, History, and Chemistry). Reports by Kava Bar owners would seem to be related only to those individuals who have a classic food allergy to Kava.
Following are two forum threads that really helped me:
http://kavaforums.com/forum/threads/kava-dermopathy.25/
http://kavaforums.com/forum/threads/allergy-—-itchy-rash.1734/page-2#post-17349
Note the referenced post in the second link. This contributor seems to capture the Kava Rash really well. Following this contributors advice and those provided by Infraredz in the first link, I've been able to continue to consume Kava with minimal occurrences of the Kava Rash.
Following are things that really helped me:
Here are some general posts about Kava Rash:
http://kavaforums.com/forum/threads/kava-rash.9206
http://kavaforums.com/forum/threads/sudden-severe-itching.9214
http://kavaforums.com/forum/threads/allergy-itchy-rash.8425
http://kavaforums.com/forum/threads...ing-giving-up-kava-for-good-here-is-why.6584/
http://kavaforums.com/forum/threads/instant-itchiness-after-drinking-kava.9051/
Last edited: Sep 3, 2016
I wanted to start a thread that pulls together information that I've found in this forum and a few other sources related to the Kava Rash. The Kava Rash is a rash that some have likened this to a food allergy while others have described it as a kind of demopahty. I believe it's probably somewhere in the middle, having characteristics of both.
The symptoms of the Kava Rash, which differ from demopahty, are:
- Bloodshot eyes;
- Hives or body rash that is very itchy. The rash typically starts on the flanks and moves to the chest, neck, arms, and face. I found that the rash can jump around a fair bit.
- Hot feeling skin, the feeling of a sunburn.
One user on another forum described the rash quite well with this post: "I believe I am experiencing this (Kava Rash), but I don't believe it is likely allergic, but some other sort of negative reaction. Since I began taking kava occasionally, a couple weeks in I began to develop a strange rash. The rash was characterized by many small, red spots that were not raised and only much later on began to itch. Beginning on the hands amd slowly up my arms, to my face where then my nose and ears swelled painfully and my forehead became covered in itchy, raised, red bump"
Some sources indicate that between 1-2% of those who consume Kava are allergic and will develop a classic food allergy shortly after consuming Kava. This isn't surprising, as there will always be someone allergic to just about any food/drink we might consume. However, I believe the Kava Rash is different from a typical food allergy. The Kava Rash appears to be related to an allergic reaction, but not quite an allergy. The reason I'm coming to this conclusion, as have others, is that this rash seems to hit some after months or years of consumption and then disappear after a period of time only to return again later. I had been drinking Kava for over a month pretty consistently, when I was hit with classic Kava Rash symptoms the day after I'd consumed Kava. This rash had some of the characteristics of an allergy, but seemed to be more similar to a reaction to poison oak than a food allergy. I also want to point out that some of the Kava Vendors and Bar owners have indicated that this condition is quite rare. I am not convinced that this is true. I believe it is much more common than the 1-2% they report. Most of the reports I found related to the Kava Rash has the user reporting symptoms at least a day after consumption. Therefore, the user would have been long gone from the Kava Bar when the rash hit. This is supported by this excerpt about Fijian Kava drinkers: "Kava drinkers are thus sometimes recognizable by their bloodshot eyes and ulcerous skin" (Lebot, Merlin, & Linddr. 1997. Kava: The Pacific Elixir: The Definitive Guide to Its Ethnobotany, History, and Chemistry). Reports by Kava Bar owners would seem to be related only to those individuals who have a classic food allergy to Kava.
Following are two forum threads that really helped me:
http://kavaforums.com/forum/threads/kava-dermopathy.25/
http://kavaforums.com/forum/threads/allergy-—-itchy-rash.1734/page-2#post-17349
Note the referenced post in the second link. This contributor seems to capture the Kava Rash really well. Following this contributors advice and those provided by Infraredz in the first link, I've been able to continue to consume Kava with minimal occurrences of the Kava Rash.
Following are things that really helped me:
- Try a different brand of Kava. I had the worst reaction from a specific brand of Kava (a noble). I do get a slight rash from other Kavas, but it is very manageable
- Take 50-mg of Benadryl. This mostly eliminates the rash and the itching. I don't always need to do this, but I do this if I start feeling especially itchy or I develop a rash on my face or arms that would be embarrassing in public. Note: Type-2 antihistamines such as Claritin were not effective for me.
- Keep well hydrated.
- Use a Vitamin E lotion on areas of skin that seem very dry. I have noticed that I have felt itchy from dry skin and there is no rash. It goes without saying that Kava drys out your skin and so perhaps I'm more sensitive to dry skin
Here are some general posts about Kava Rash:
http://kavaforums.com/forum/threads/kava-rash.9206
http://kavaforums.com/forum/threads/sudden-severe-itching.9214
http://kavaforums.com/forum/threads/allergy-itchy-rash.8425
http://kavaforums.com/forum/threads...ing-giving-up-kava-for-good-here-is-why.6584/
http://kavaforums.com/forum/threads/instant-itchiness-after-drinking-kava.9051/
Last edited: Sep 3, 2016
schatz
itchin for kava
Thank you, very helpful and now I need to take time and read through all of that great info. I have been daily consuming kava by the way for about a year and finally hit me. In the first month in I remember I started to get the itches, not anything you could see, so I thought it might be from the Wakacon I was using off Amazon and quit using that and it went away. Maybe the Wakakon and what I am primarily using now does not agree with me for some reason, very interesting, now back to reading and thanks again, hope you get yours sorted out and keep us informed as well I will do so.
I don't mean to gloat but is it weird that I've never had dermopathy? I've been drinking a moderate amount of strong kava 5-7 days a week for about six years. Are there other long term moderate to heavy kava drinkers out there that haven't had even the slightest dermo attack?
kilakila
Kava keeps me going.
Gloat away. Guess I'm one of the unlucky ones. But I can deal with the dermo - Amlactin fixes that fairly fast - its this rash that is just so ugly! Thank goodness I've already had my vacation and don't have to bare skin just yet! But summer is not too far away, especially when today after all our rain and cold it got to 82 degrees in my courtyard. I'm definitely not trying any kava until this red spotty rash disappears. I did succumb to having a nice Wailua Wheat beer though! Haven't had one in a while and must say it was kind of refreshing! Not a daily thing though for sure! Nor will kava from now on - 2-3 times a week at most I think.
And I just bought some 'Eua from you, Judd! Can't wait to try it, but gonna have to.
schatz
itchin for kava
O.k., after reading all of the links you gave,Kilakila thanks. I have come to an unscientific conclusion as to why I may be getting pimply itchy small rashes on 5 or 6 spots of my body, and I dont think this is traditional dermopathy I think it is different. Yesterday while watching U of A basketball game and pro bowl all day with a friend, I decided to go back to drinking my beloved Borogu. And I drank it all afternoon and finished the evening with Stone, and I Aluballed all of this and then filtered through a Cactus kava filter and am definately less itchy and bumps are almost gone. I did have a chicken dinner last night also. I think low histamine diet and extra filtering of the kava helped. Also I hate to face it that the Fu'u might not agree with me personally and that sucks because I have 3 pounds stashed away cause I love it. I also have read where some other kava drinkers were experiencing what I have were also drinking Fu'u. Another person talked about kava drinkers in Tonga have a high rate of dermo, although I dont think I necessarily have the dermo. I wonder if it is due to higher usage or Tongan strains in general or nothing. For now I will stick with the other strains that I have been enjoying over the past year and not necessarily obstain but just cut back my daily consumption like Squanch mentioned in one of the threads. Well I will try Fu'u again in a month or so to definately determine if it is culprit. Thanks again.
kilakila
Kava keeps me going.
Interesting, Schatz! I haven't had any kava in about a week and the red spots are finally diminishing. Going to wait until the worst ones on the back calm down before starting again. And wow, you mentioned Fu'u. I just checked my stash and I've had maybe 6 tbsps of Fu'u since I purchased it not so long ago. Can't remember when I had it so can't definitively connect it to the rash, but that seems to be a definite possibility. However, I have been drinking other Tongan kavas which I love. So you're right - it could be due to any combination of things, or nothing at all! I've read that some of Northern European ancestry also tend to have more skin issues - I'm English with I'm assuming most of my ancestors coming from Northern Europe. So theres that too. Although I do think that I would have had issues way before this bout if that was the case! At least that's what I'm hoping.
I'm really looking forward to trying BKH's 'Eua in the hope its the same root that Kavafied used to sell.
Good luck with your journey and I too will be cutting down on how much I drink. I'm in a good place emotionally, so fingers crossed I stay that way and make the weekend kava sessions the highlight of my week!
Oh, you could try selling your Fu'u on the forum marketplace. I've always had great success finding buyers!
I'm really looking forward to trying BKH's 'Eua in the hope its the same root that Kavafied used to sell.
Good luck with your journey and I too will be cutting down on how much I drink. I'm in a good place emotionally, so fingers crossed I stay that way and make the weekend kava sessions the highlight of my week!
Oh, you could try selling your Fu'u on the forum marketplace. I've always had great success finding buyers!
schatz
itchin for kava
Let me know how you like the 'Eua, I may have to try that, is it from Tonga? also I tend to lean towards headier kavas in my preference and am also northern european descent,Russia and half Norwegian, although dark skinned. I dont want to sell my Fu'u yet, but great idea,for you Fu'u lovers like me. There may be some F'uu available in a couple months on market place.I am going to have to order some more Borogu for now though, thanks.
kilakila
Kava keeps me going.
'Eua is also from Tonga, but I'm eventually going to take the chance! If its the same as Kavafied's former offering, to me its a beautiful kava. Fits me just about perfectly. I'll let you know how it goes when I get mixing again - and will definitely go with Aluball and then a Cactus Kava strainer.
schatz
itchin for kava
It was amazing how much sediment was left in the strainer bag after Aluballin. Is the Eua a heady kava?
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