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Has anyone had experience with using kava to help with headaches?

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Joannerd

Kava Curious
i feel a cluster headache coming on, my eyes are getting swollen and the light hurts but I wasn’t sure if kava would help or if it would dehydrate me
 

The Kap'n

The Groggy Kaptain (40g)
KavaForums Founder
i feel a cluster headache coming on, my eyes are getting swollen and the light hurts but I wasn’t sure if kava would help or if it would dehydrate me
It will dehydrate you. I would experiment on smaller, less serious pain before I put anything on top of a cluster headache. Only from what I've read, it looks like one of the most painful things to experience.
 

sɥɐʞɐs

Avg. Dosage: 8 Tbsp. (58g)
Review Maestro
I occasionally get ocular migraines, though apart from the first time it happened, a headache doesn't typically come with it, I just get the 'blind spot' psychedelic aura thing. Anyway, if I drink a strong shell of kava when one is starting to kick in or is already pretty well kicked in, it makes it go away within 5 minutes. Not sure if this relates to what you experience though.
 

Joannerd

Kava Curious
I was prepping a batch for later with my blender since I found my sieve, and after I poured it through the strainer and into the jar, I kind of licked the bowl. I felt a bit more relaxed, I’ll have a small sip later and see if it does anything. The throbbing isn’t as intense, but I think that’s a coincidence, not from a taste of kava ;)
 

Krunkie McKrunkface

Kava Connoisseur
I was prepping a batch for later with my blender since I found my sieve, and after I poured it through the strainer and into the jar, I kind of licked the bowl. I felt a bit more relaxed, I’ll have a small sip later and see if it does anything. The throbbing isn’t as intense, but I think that’s a coincidence, not from a taste of kava ;)
well, if you were going to be using kava to treat a headache, that's how you'd go about it. Small amount, wait and see, then slightly larger amount, wait and see, and so forth, and pull back real fast if you run up against a wall. Basically you just want to establish a range of safety where you get good effect but without makng it any worse, above all.

Almost forgot to add, I sure hope you feel a lot better soon!
 
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Zaphod

Kava Lover
i feel a cluster headache coming on, my eyes are getting swollen and the light hurts but I wasn’t sure if kava would help or if it would dehydrate me
I don't get cluster headaches but I do get very particular headaches on occasion that can be classified as migraines. To date kava has not done anything useful for these types of headaches. Slight "normal" headaches from stress or muscle strain, bad sleep, or low caffeine kava is mildly helpful if I am fully hydrated and counterproductive if I am slightly dehydrated. In general I have given up on attempting to use kava to help with headaches and tend to avoid it until the headache has gone away.
 

Krunkie McKrunkface

Kava Connoisseur
I don't get cluster headaches but I do get very particular headaches on occasion that can be classified as migraines. To date kava has not done anything useful for these types of headaches. Slight "normal" headaches from stress or muscle strain, bad sleep, or low caffeine kava is mildly helpful if I am fully hydrated and counterproductive if I am slightly dehydrated. In general I have given up on attempting to use kava to help with headaches and tend to avoid it until the headache has gone away.
That would be my inclination but I'd be curious if this is the norm or some find it effective. I would greatly hesitate to do anything that might make a headache situation worse.
 

Joannerd

Kava Curious
I ended up drinking very little, but it was effective because it helped me get to sleep, so I was able to ride out the storm, so to speak
 

Zac Imiola (Herbalist)

Kava Connoisseur
I take 200 mg of high quality magnesium and a naproxen or whatever you have aspirin ect. And chug water. Try to lay down and the head ache is gone almost every time
 

Zac Imiola (Herbalist)

Kava Connoisseur
It's essential for over 300 functions/chemical reactions in the body. Primarily spasm related conditions such as migraine, seizures, and cramping like RLS
 

muddywaters

Kava Enthusiast
I rarely get migraines but when I do usually nothing can completely stop the pain train once it's in full swing but I have had kava to see what it would do while on one and it helped me relax enough to be able to get some rest, mostly just dulled it to lesser pulsing ache but when it really started to wear off it was there until it was gone. So it can help for me with ordinary head aches but migraines are still the kings of pain that don't even back down to kava.
 

Alia

'Awa Grower/Collector
i feel a cluster headache coming on, my eyes are getting swollen and the light hurts but I wasn’t sure if kava would help or if it would dehydrate me
Here is a small excert from the 'Awa Mo'i pages of Hawaiian 'awa book- note the comment on headaches:
"The priests of old use this kind of 'Awa in the sacrificial ceremonies to Pele." According to Kāwika Winter, "Pele is one of the very few akua who is offered ‘Awa in all three forms—as drink, whole plant, and whole root section" (2004, 47).
In all probability, the chiefs could also partake of this ‘awa, and it had its place in medicine. Mō‘ī is one of the varieties most effective against urinary problems. It was also used to treat "splitting headache" (Chun 1994, 53-54).
Kamakau ([1869] 1976, 41) says "the stems of … the mo‘i [variety] grow straight up, with sections like those of the honua‘ula sugar cane." It has a normal growth habit".
 

Krunkie McKrunkface

Kava Connoisseur
It's essential for over 300 functions/chemical reactions in the body. Primarily spasm related conditions such as migraine, seizures, and cramping like RLS
I used to get cramps in my legs in the middle of the night, made me jump out of bed. Completely stopped after I started drinking kava. Wonder if there is anything kava related in that. Or perhaps it was related to the alcohol I completely stopped drinking? I know men my age who get those cramps who are teetotalers, though. Hm. Always thought it was related to magnesium and pottasium but mostly guessing. Used to drink Amish dill pickle juice for that. Worked, but blech.
 

tarragon

Kava Curious
i feel a cluster headache coming on, my eyes are getting swollen and the light hurts but I wasn’t sure if kava would help or if it would dehydrate me
Studies have shown powdered ginger to provide some effective relief of migraines. If you are desperate, you can also snort Tabasco sauce (not kidding), but, yikes!.....Apparently it only hurts for the first dose. After that your nose is numb and you are free to snort at leisure. nutritionfacts.org
 
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