Kava and medication

[Krunkmeup]

I just tried kava for the first time yesterday. I was working from home and had the kids running around screaming, I tried the ponu oni and the effects I got were tension in my head and I started to feel quite angry (work was stressing me out) I had 1 teaspoon micronized then again half hour later. Later that evening I tried the vula waka kava which seemed to be a bit more relaxing and the kids were in bed by then I had 2 teaspoons in the first vula drink and 2 again half hour later. I felt a little sick and a bit uncoordinated but still tense in my head.
I do take medication for OCD and GAD Escitalopram seroquel and clomipramine and inderal. I wonder if these may have an effect on how it works.. I would like to reduce the tablets I take as they are not good in the long run. It's tricky though as all the kavas have different effects I don't know what to stick with that's going to ease my tension in my head?
From what I have read I need to build the kava up in my system but obviously don't want to keep taking a strain that is going to make me worse?
I guess it also depends on the situation.. ponu oni may just not be great for me in stressful situations.
Also my idea was to drink kava at the weekend instead of alcohol as it makes me feel rubbish and put on weight. If I just drink at the weekend is the kava going to build up in my system as people have described. I'm a bit worried about taking it daily due to the tablet I take possibly having an effect on my liver.
Sorry for all the questions in 1 post. Thanks for your help in advance.

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

To be honest I'm not sure if it interacts with those medications but kava is a diuretic . Which means it makes you lose fluid and dries. Especially when your first getting used to it. ( diuretics have a tolerance factor like coffee).
You consumed a good amount overy time and that will make ya a bit quesy. And if any of your medications also dry you out you may have given your self a dehydration headache and a stomach ache from too much micro without water.

I hope this helps.

So drink more water and electrolytes and eat a small fat snack like nuts with your kava to ease nausea and kick in the kavalactones !

6 is alot of micro . Lol. And yes it will still build on the weekends... you just need to develop a relationship with kava not saturate your blood in Kavalactones.

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

I just tried kava for the first time yesterday. I was working from home and had the kids running around screaming, I tried the ponu oni and the effects I got were tension in my head and I started to feel quite angry (work was stressing me out) I had 1 teaspoon micronized then again half hour later. Later that evening I tried the vula waka kava which seemed to be a bit more relaxing and the kids were in bed by then I had 2 teaspoons in the first vula drink and 2 again half hour later. I felt a little sick and a bit uncoordinated but still tense in my head.
I do take medication for OCD and GAD Escitalopram seroquel and clomipramine and inderal. I wonder if these may have an effect on how it works.. I would like to reduce the tablets I take as they are not good in the long run. It's tricky though as all the kavas have different effects I don't know what to stick with that's going to ease my tension in my head?
From what I have read I need to build the kava up in my system but obviously don't want to keep taking a strain that is going to make me worse?
I guess it also depends on the situation.. ponu oni may just not be great for me in stressful situations.
Also my idea was to drink kava at the weekend instead of alcohol as it makes me feel rubbish and put on weight. If I just drink at the weekend is the kava going to build up in my system as people have described. I'm a bit worried about taking it daily due to the tablet I take possibly having an effect on my liver.
Sorry for all the questions in 1 post. Thanks for your help in advance.

I dunno. Kinda hate to say this but it seems like you have so much on your plate right now I'm not sure that throwing kava in somewhat haphazardly might not, well.... maybe not make things worse, but possibly make things more complicated for you, which might not be what you want or need right now. Also seems like you might want direct medical direction and supervision on the use of kava. It seems like you don't have that much room for error with the kind of hit or miss that people usually experience when starting out with kava.

If that doesn't help, then I would suggest at least considering that taking a large or krunk dose of kava is what you do to relax at the end of the day, when your work is over and you have no pressing obligations or immediate worries, that you relax and enjoy it, then enjoy the good night's sleep it can help with. And then let that experience of relaxation and good sleep help you feel better throughout the day, and better able to handle whatever stresses might arise. Take it slow and try not to expect too much all at once.

In answer to your question, though, yes, if you just drink kava for relaxation on the weekends instead of alcohol, yes, it will build up in your system. That's not a bad idea at all. Do that for a while and see if you like it. Then after a while of success with that see about expanding kava's role in your life to accomplish more things for you.

 

[Krunkmeup]

Sounds like a good idea. The medication I'm on I have been taking for 15years and have halfed the amount I take over the last 2 yrs. I came in from work tonight and had 2 tsp of 11yr waka and feel nice and relaxed and really enjoyed it. Took another 2.5 after a couple hrs but think I over did it as don't really feel much good effect just a bit nausea.
Going to have a couple days off now and try again while I'm fishing, I'm sure that will be good

 

[Krunkmeup]

So I'm at the lake fishing for 2 nights and I have been drinking kava since about 4pm and I have had quite a bit of micronized kava mixing the above types and I am feeling really good I am very happy I think a) I wasn't taking enough at first and b) my body needed to get used to it. I definitely feel this will help me reduce my medication without turning to booze. Thankyou all for such an informative forum and very very helpful people on here! Much love.

 

[ThePiper]

My GF was on what I believe was Escitalopram (sp?) and occasionally having kava for a while. No negative reaction but the problem is that it affects your liver enzymes in a way that is likely to tamper with the amount of medication that builds in your system. You may feel an effect similar to if you were upping your dose, and as we know with SSRIs increasing dosage causes all kinds of bizarre side effects.