Question. I've seen a lot of people post about GI upset. I've used kava daily since 2019. I tried a whole slate of prescription antianxiety and antidepressants, none of them worked except for kava. Kava also helped me kick alcohol, and for a while nicotine. So I lean on it greatly and tend to consume a lot, throughout the day.
In 2021, I mysteriously developed new GI symptoms that would flare for several months then subsite for several months. The current flareup started 2 months ago - I only have diarrhea, and debilitating stomach cramps. I have a history of IBD but multiple tests and diagnostics have confirmed now IBD, I'm completely in remission. I tried a low FODMAP diet and all kinds of funky IBS symptoms. Nothing has helped.
Could it be kava?
Most people I see have indicated diarrhea as a symptom when they first started. I was a daily heavy kava drinker for a few years before my symptoms started, so I don't see a correlation. My poop was fine and no cramps between 2019-2021. And I was fine again from early 2022 until early 2023, despite going through a pound of kava a week. Unless some buildup of it somehow caused liver damage, or something. Because it's been so helpful, I don't want to give up kava unless it's a confirmed cause. But I also can't live with constant diarrhea and debilitating cramps. Thoughts?
In 2021, I mysteriously developed new GI symptoms that would flare for several months then subsite for several months. The current flareup started 2 months ago - I only have diarrhea, and debilitating stomach cramps. I have a history of IBD but multiple tests and diagnostics have confirmed now IBD, I'm completely in remission. I tried a low FODMAP diet and all kinds of funky IBS symptoms. Nothing has helped.
Could it be kava?
Most people I see have indicated diarrhea as a symptom when they first started. I was a daily heavy kava drinker for a few years before my symptoms started, so I don't see a correlation. My poop was fine and no cramps between 2019-2021. And I was fine again from early 2022 until early 2023, despite going through a pound of kava a week. Unless some buildup of it somehow caused liver damage, or something. Because it's been so helpful, I don't want to give up kava unless it's a confirmed cause. But I also can't live with constant diarrhea and debilitating cramps. Thoughts?
