Kava allergy or overuse or just normal?

[greg99]

Hey all,

Long time reader, first time actually signing up to the forum. I live in Philly so if anyone knows of any Kava bars there or is located in that area and wants to meet up for a few shells let me know!

I'm pretty new to kava. I ordered my first batch of kava from KWK (absolutely amazing company by the way for customer service and I think will be my permanent go to if I keep drinking kava) back in May. I ordered the micronized and the traditional and tried both. I loved it. I felt fine too. I didn't really get nauseous and the taste doesn't seem to bother me either. I didn't get any dry skin either. However, I tend to hit the stuff pretty hard when I have it handy. I would say I went through my order consuming about 7-10 TBSP med grind per day and half that if using micronized.

As I mentioned earlier, I "felt" fine...but boy did I look terrible...like dark circles under the eyes really bad...that's the main thing I'm questioning in this post...the deep dark circles...it made me look like I had been on an alcohol type bender (I used to drink years ago and it pretty much looked spot on to when I was drinking crap loads).

I gave up Kava for a month...then ordered another batch...I really like it and again, was probably going too heavy at 7-10 TBSP med grind until I finished. Same result.

So...I'm just wondering if the eye thing...is this normal to some extent? If not, I assume it is just related to drinking too may TBSP per day...which seems like the most logical thing. Or, is this sort of unheard of...which makes me think perhaps I'm just either allergic or not tolerant of kava? I've searched the forums and seen lots of stuff about dry red irritated eyes as being somewhat normal but what got me curious enough to make this post was I didn't see much about deep dark circles. Another thought is perhaps not drinking enough water to go along with the shells...

Now in the grand scheme of things this may seem like a minor issue but...I hate looking sick and usually looking sick is sort of an indicator of at least something not being right, however perhaps minor. My wife was like, dude, you look really sick...and so that really has made me sort of put off to kava a bit...

I'm about 99% sure that it is simply due to over consumption or perhaps dehydration...I've seen the posts about how much others consume and this is at the high end it looks like but not at the crazy crazy deep end...of which the only way to test that would be to perhaps half my servings and see...but I just wanted to put it out there...I mean if this a really weird side effect then maybe I'm allergic or something, who knows!

Thanks all!!

 

[PurimGrogger]

I've also had eye side effects that have included dark circles and also shriveled up looking eyelids and styes. Sometimes diphenhydramine (Benadryl) at night was helpful with all of that.

As I moderated my consumption somewhat and found my favorite varieties (and kept rotating among them), I've experienced this less. Hydration also helps, even when it feels like an uphill battle. Reverse tolerance is a thing for some, but not all, of us. My guess is that you'll also get more positive effects at lesser volumes (and less side effects) soon.

 

[Groggy]

Have you considered dehydration for the dark circles? I know that's one of the side effects of dehydration. my suggestion is cut back on the kava a bit and increase your water intake through healthy fruits, veggies and water. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

 

[The Kap'n]

Without a doubt definitely not a kava allergy. Monday I look alright, but come Friday I look like an extra from the walking dead. I don't get this on the weekends when I drink kava, so I figure it's just my overall energy level being drained as the week continues. That being the case, I likely had dark circles under my eyes before I started drinking kava in 2005, so nobody really has noticed any difference, lol.

Still, I have seen more than one person remark about the dark circles, and they seem to be an issue for some and transient for others.

The only real issue I have with my eyes and drinking kava is the dryness, and if you go SUPER heavy you can acquire sties. If the bags under the eyes is from kava during the week, I've likely just added it to my long list of other reasons to have some beefy bags.

 

[nabanga]

It may be a straining issue. For years I just used a womans ankle stocking for straining - resulting in a very strong kava mix, but a lot of fines get through, which cause dehydration and those dark eyes. Every week-10 days or so I would end up looking like a dried out old corpse and have to lay off it for a couple of days. Since I swiched to an 80 micron strainer about 5 years ago this negative side effect has gone away.

 

[greg99]

think you may be onto something because when I started I used micronized...so basically drinking the particles...dark circles...then I did traditional but still drank the sludge...dark circles...now I used the aluball and also threw out any of the "mud" and haven't looked too bad...seems to be a correlation for anyone in the future querying this issue

 

[Mixnpickngrinnin]

I also quit drinking the sludge at the bottom of the bowl and it seems to have helped a lot with dermo, and i don't really notice a drop off in potency. By the end of the bowl i am usually feeling pretty good anyway! I am traditional all the way, read way too many reports of skin/ digestive issues with micronized. I also use a gentle lubricant eyedrops before bed as it keep me from waking up with 'sahara eyes' as sometimes happens with kava. Hydrate and take electroly

 

[Groggy]

I also quit drinking the sludge at the bottom of the bowl and it seems to have helped a lot with dermo, and i don't really notice a drop off in potency. By the end of the bowl i am usually feeling pretty good anyway! I am traditional all the way, read way too many reports of skin/ digestive issues with micronized. I also use a gentle lubricant eyedrops before bed as it keep me from waking up with 'sahara eyes' as sometimes happens with kava. Hydrate and take electroly

The sludge is the best part!