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Kava and SSRI interactions

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aviavieu

Kava Enthusiast
Take Prozac (Fluoxetine) 10 mg. Is there a risk of serotonin syndrome? I would like to drink a kava once in a while
 

recentreturn

Kava Enthusiast
Take Prozac (Fluoxetine) 10 mg. Is there a risk of serotonin syndrome? I would like to drink a kava once in a while
I asked a psychiatrist about this (regarding Lexapro) and he didn't seem concerned about serotonin syndrome. I don't think kava has a significant effect on serotonin, but I'm not a doctor.
 

Zac Imiola (Herbalist)

Kava Connoisseur
I did find though my girlfriend whom is now off anti depressants didn't seem to enjoy kava as much when she was on them as she does now.
I would definitely stick to the heavier varieties but it won't be dangerous either way since as the above poster mentions it doesnt directly bind or inhibit
 

aviavieu

Kava Enthusiast
I read that kava can be lmao. Well, how does it look like? Is there a lot of Imao to induce a serotonin syndrome ?
 

Go Krunk Yourself

Kava Enthusiast
I did find though my girlfriend whom is now off anti depressants didn't seem to enjoy kava as much when she was on them as she does now.
I would definitely stick to the heavier varieties but it won't be dangerous either way since as the above poster mentions it doesnt directly bind or inhibit
Exactly what I'm going through.
 

ThePiper

Kava Lover
I have heard that kava contains some monoamine oxidase inhibitors though it is likely a negligible amount. If there is any risk in that regard it is probably exclusive to combining kava with MAOI's.

However, kava likely inhibits the liver enzymes that process Prozac, Lexapro, etc and that could result in a fluctuating dose in the blood stream causing side effects. If the medication ever has the label "do not drink grapefruit juice while on this medication" then that is confirmation of this, but even if it doesn't, it's something to discuss with your doctor. Significant fluctuation of the concentration of medication in your body every time you drink kava COULD have some unpleasant side effects. It could potentially ha've the effect of taking a double dose, skipping a dose, or like increasing/decreasing your dose for a period of time if your drinking kava regularly.

If you're drinking a lot of kava for a week while on medication for example, and you were on 100mg or Zoloft, the amount that reaches your bloodstream and goes into your system could be quite a bit more than without kava. Say if every time you normally did kava you had an average of 60mg pumping through your blood at any given time, drinking kava daily might change that average to 80 or 90 mg, and it would likely be a less consistent dosage crossing into your bloodstream each day and into your brain. This isn't really like a life or death thing generally speaking, but it could be a big deal for people who are sensitive to a titrated dose or are already taking a large dose.

If it was me considering the combo it wouldn't be a deal breaker but it would be a point of concern and it would probably make me more careful with kava because I am someone who is sensitive to many medications. When i was taking Zoloft for a short time i took the lowest dosed tablets and i had to break them in half starting out because of sensitivity to side effects and whatnot. I didn't drink kava during that time in my life so i can't comment on experience with that combination. I can also say that there are at least a good handful of people here that do take various SSRI medications and drink kava with minimal or no problems.

My girlfriend did drink kava several times while on an SSRI and she definitely got less effects than she does nowadays.
 

Intrepidus_dux

Kava O.G.
I have heard that kava contains some monoamine oxidase inhibitors though it is likely a negligible amount. If there is any risk in that regard it is probably exclusive to combining kava with MAOI's.

However, kava likely inhibits the liver enzymes that process Prozac, Lexapro, etc and that could result in a fluctuating dose in the blood stream causing side effects. If the medication ever has the label "do not drink grapefruit juice while on this medication" then that is confirmation of this, but even if it doesn't, it's something to discuss with your doctor. Significant fluctuation of the concentration of medication in your body every time you drink kava COULD have some unpleasant side effects. It could potentially ha've the effect of taking a double dose, skipping a dose, or like increasing/decreasing your dose for a period of time if your drinking kava regularly.

If you're drinking a lot of kava for a week while on medication for example, and you were on 100mg or Zoloft, the amount that reaches your bloodstream and goes into your system could be quite a bit more than without kava. Say if every time you normally did kava you had an average of 60mg pumping through your blood at any given time, drinking kava daily might change that average to 80 or 90 mg, and it would likely be a less consistent dosage crossing into your bloodstream each day and into your brain. This isn't really like a life or death thing generally speaking, but it could be a big deal for people who are sensitive to a titrated dose or are already taking a large dose.

If it was me considering the combo it wouldn't be a deal breaker but it would be a point of concern and it would probably make me more careful with kava because I am someone who is sensitive to many medications. When i was taking Zoloft for a short time i took the lowest dosed tablets and i had to break them in half starting out because of sensitivity to side effects and whatnot. I didn't drink kava during that time in my life so i can't comment on experience with that combination. I can also say that there are at least a good handful of people here that do take various SSRI medications and drink kava with minimal or no problems.

My girlfriend did drink kava several times while on an SSRI and she definitely got less effects than she does nowadays.
Do you have multiple chemical sensitivities? Being sensitive to medications usually means something. It's good you're aware of it and are careful.
 

aviavieu

Kava Enthusiast
Is the amount of IMAO Kavy depends on the type of Kava? For example, there is more or less in the Kahra Euforalizing and diverging ?
 

aviavieu

Kava Enthusiast
Small update one store wrote that Kava contains 1.5% Imao. Is this enough to trigger a serotonin syndrome ?
 

ThePiper

Kava Lover
Do you have multiple chemical sensitivities? Being sensitive to medications usually means something. It's good you're aware of it and are careful.
It's only certain things. Ssris were just strange to me, put me in a weird headspace. But when it comes to sensitivities they are mostly positive for me in the sense that i can feel small amounts of herbs etc psychoactively. I thinl that has something to do with awareness more than sensitivity though. My moods are sensitive to subtle shifts though so anything that affects mood in an extreme way can be an issue at times for me
 

saltminerrr

Kava Curious
Like most people will state, I am no doctor and my information is purely anecdotal, but my PCP stated that he was not too concerned about me using Kava while on 40mg daily of fluoxetine (Prozac). When he looked it up he said that there was potential for my serotonin levels to be elevated a bit, but nothing more than likely nothing concerning. He said if I feel jittery, etc, to stop dosing Kava and let my levels return to "norm".

But still, this is my PCP talking to me after knowing my medical history, so take it with a grain of salt.
 

Plantacious

Kava Enthusiast
I read that kava can be lmao. Well, how does it look like? Is there a lot of Imao to induce a serotonin syndrome ?
Is the amount of IMAO Kavy depends on the type of Kava? For example, there is more or less in the Kahra Euforalizing and diverging ?
Small update one store wrote that Kava contains 1.5% Imao. Is this enough to trigger a serotonin syndrome ?
Every time I saw this "lmao" I thought it was the "laughing my ass off" abbreviation, so of course, couldn't make sense of the sentence.
Then after more thought and more reading, I realized it was what I know as "MAOI". That's how it's always been referred to where I'm from in the U.S.
Is the abbreviation reversed in other countries, to type as "lmao" ? Any countries in particular that do the abbreviation this way ?
And am I correct in assuming thet lmao is the same as maoi ?
Just trying to get familiar, so I don't get confused again, in the future.
 
Like most people will state, I am no doctor and my information is purely anecdotal, but my PCP stated that he was not too concerned about me using Kava while on 40mg daily of fluoxetine (Prozac). When he looked it up he said that there was potential for my serotonin levels to be elevated a bit, but nothing more than likely nothing concerning. He said if I feel jittery, etc, to stop dosing Kava and let my levels return to "norm".

But still, this is my PCP talking to me after knowing my medical history, so take it with a grain of salt.
Do you still use Kava and Prozac?
 

krunkgod

Kava Enthusiast
I would like to speak on this regarding K@. When I drink kava daily while also taking K@ daily, If I stop the kava and continue with only K@, I get severe K@ withdrawal. It was actually pretty jarring the first time it happened. Cold sweats,insomnia,muscle pain,depression/anxiety. I think its increasing the blood levels of it in my body then when the kava stops doing that I go into withdrawal from K@ as I'm no longer sustaining that same amount. Please be aware of this everyone. Kava is great, but if you are taking medications or other drugs avoid mixing them for too long. I seem to be fine with enjoying kava as long as I don't do it daily because of the K@ and other medications I'm on that can have a potential reaction.
 
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