kava effects do not seem to last long.

[dannylightning]

so i am new to this, only have had a few shells of kava so far. the KWL lao walka, which seems to be known as a pretty strong kava from what i have been reading.

i feel the effects instantly from this stuff, kind of calms me down and relaxes me slightly, just enough to take the edge off. i feel a bit of a high like feeling from it that comes in pretty strong but wears off quickly, after my last chug it seems like 30 min to a hour later the effects are mostly wore off.

i have only been drinking one shell a night. i notice that i feel the effects right away after my first gulp or two and they come on pretty strong at first, basically i chug half of the shell quickly and than drink the rest over the next 20 min or so, and it does not seem to make the effects any stronger after i drink the second half. tonight i chugged my whole shell fast thinking maybe it would hit me harder or last longer but it did not. i think it wore off quicker to be honest. i mean i still feel it but its not super noticeable like it was right when i started drinking it.. not sure if that is normal or not. i guess i would say i feel about 25% of the effects about a hour after i quit drinking it.

i guess for me this is a heady kava, not many body effects. body effects and some sedation would probably be more of what i am after, i was hoping for more of a muscle relaxing effect and making me tired while getting rid of some anxiety, so far its not really what i expected and seems to wear off allot faster than i expected. i am sure someone will ask but 2 table spoons in about 8 oz of water is what i am using.

so basically i just wonder if its normal for it to start wearing off so quickly..

 

[ThePiper]

I would wager the short length is mostly because you're using probably the absolute smallest amount you can use, and i dont know if you do a wash shell of your 2tbs? So try adding a tbs or two or drink multiple shells. Also if you want strong body relaxation that's long lasting, go for a heavy strain like GHK's hanakapi ai, hiwa, or Nakamalathome's Stone. That one will have effects that last through to the next morning. I do think you picked a great kava though, i just had a shell of fiji loa a few minutes ago. The effects build up as you up the dose and add on more shells but many kavas are meant to be drank throughout the night to continue the session

 

[Groggy]

Like thepiper said above, they build on one another, I have been krunked since 6am, plus the minimum I use is 6 tbs, but go slow, build it up to where you are comfortable.
BTW, also drinking Fijian kava most of the day.

 

[nabanga]

If you have one shell in one go, then numbers 2&3 spaced 20 minute apart after that you should get a more sustained effect. You can then keep topping up for as long as you like with another shell every 30 mins or so.
Just one regular sized shell of any kava would not have significant effects lasting over an hour for most people.

 

[Groggy]

If you have one shell in one go, then numbers 2&3 spaced 20 minute apart after that you should get a more sustained effect. You can then keep topping up for as long as you like with another shell every 30 mins or so.
Just one regular sized shell of any kava would not have significant effects lasting over an hour for most people.

That's a good point as well, my first shell is about 2 cups of grog, I chug it in 2 parts, the other "shells" throughout the day are the same size but consumed slower.

 

[krunkedout]

Do you drink your kava on an empty stomach? I usually use about 6 tbs total. I start with 4tbs and 2 cups of water, use a ladel to measure out your shells, a good sized ladel is usually about one shell, drink one shell as fast as possible and then another shell every 15 minutes until your kava is gone, then add 2 tbs of fresh kava to the 4 tbs of used kava and use 1 cup of warm water. After you drink your kava eat something light and greesey. My favorite is the microwave mac n cheese from trader joe's. The greese will kick your krunk up 5 levels, then sit back and enjoy the kava ride

 

[nosuni]

Heavier kavas seem to last longer, for me, at least.

 

[Squanch72]

I think people forget the main effects of Kava. The calming and general well being for the full on krunk. I pretty much feel the medicinal effects of kava all day long because I am a daily drinker.
Heavy kava is my favorite and yes I find even with heaviest Kavas the extreme euphoric effects are going to peak after an hour. Not saying you aren't krunk after that and feeling good and can't keep the krunk going but the epic euphoria will always peak within an hour for me. So I usually don't add more root after the peak unless I am in a kava circle. As I have some food and and a few hours after the food digests or later in the same day I can re-install for another session and another hour of pure bliss.
But with strong balanced or strong heavy root I can feel alcohol like effects, well if alcohol was clean and refreshing feeling. A body relaxation and mental stupor comfortably numb sort of thing. And this can last all night. But sadly there is not the same euphoric effect like with strong heavy root either. I am still happy and having a great time but it is very different. But you can keep that going on and on.
I think we all chase after that how do we get that one hour heavy kava effect to last longer when we first get into kava. I call myself a heady whore because I live for that hour of intense bliss euphoria, but I still enjoy kava's basic effects.

 

[Groggy]

I think people forget the main effects of Kava. The calming and general well being for the full on krunk. I pretty much feel the medicinal effects of Kava all day long because I am a daily drinker.
Heavy kava is my favorite and yes I find even with heaviest Kavas the extreme euphoric effects are going to peak after an hour. Not saying you aren't krunk after that and feeling good and can't keep the krunk going but the epic euphoria will always peak within an hour for me. So I usually don't add more root after the peak unless I am in a kava circle. As I have some food and and a few hours after the food digests or later in the same day I can re-install for another session and another hour of pure bliss.
But with strong balanced or strong heavy root I can feel alcohol like effects well if alcohol was clean and refreshing feeling. A body relaxation and mental stupor comfortably numb sort of thing. And this can last all night. But sadly there is the same euphoric effect like with strong heavy root either. I am still happy and having a great time but it is very different. But you can keep that going on and on.
I think we all chase after that how do we get that one hour heavy kava effect to last longer when we first get into kava. I call myself a heady whore because I live for that hour of intense bliss euphoria, but I still enjoy kava's basic effects.

That's a great point, I think it is often overlooked that kava is a subtle experience.

I am the same way, I like a full on krunk, but it is not necessary for the benefits of kava.

 

[dannylightning]

Thanks everyone. i want full on relaxation where there is not a care in the world, i want my stress to be gone, lay down and go aaahhhhh life is good. when reading about kava that is how they make it sound to be but that is not really what i am getting so far. what i have now, i feel it take the edge off and there is slight relaxation but so far its not what i was expecting. Maybe using more would help but kava is expensive so using more is no ideal for me.

maybe ill try a heavy kava and see how that works out for me. I do drink my kava on a empty belly, i try not to eat for 3 hours which is hard for me. i eat something and a hour later i am starving again. i eat several small meals threw out the day.

what i am feeling is more of a short lasting high rather than a alcohol like feeling, i think i would prefer more of a alcohol like sedating feeling. i think that would relax me allot more so i guess i need to try a heavy kava next time. does KWK have a good heavy kava, their prices are better than the GHK and its still certified noble kava

when shopping on the websites they do not seem to say if its heavy or heady in the descriptions.

 

[Edward]

Thanks everyone. i want full on relaxation where there is not a care in the world, i want my stress to be gone, lay down and go aaahhhhh life is good. when reading about kava that is how they make it sound to be but that is not really what i am getting so far. what i have now, i feel it take the edge off and there is slight relaxation but so far its not what i was expecting. Maybe using more would help but kava is expensive so using more is no ideal for me.

maybe ill try a heavy kava and see how that works out for me. I do drink my kava on a empty belly, i try not to eat for 3 hours which is hard for me. i eat something and a hour later i am starving again. i eat several small meals threw out the day.

what i am feeling is more of a short lasting high rather than a alcohol like feeling, i think i would prefer more of a alcohol like sedating feeling. i think that would relax me allot more so i guess i need to try a heavy kava next time. does KWK have a good heavy kava, their prices are better than the GHK and its still certified noble kava

when shopping on the websites they do not seem to say if its heavy or heady in the descriptions.

It sounds like you do want a heavy kava. KWK carry some awesome kavas but none of them are particularly heavy. I just tried Hanakapi Ai from GHK. Their kava is a little more expensive but they tend to be a lot stronger than most. I don't think you would be disappointed with a bag of Hanakap Ai. There are plenty of other vendors around though, one of my favourites is Tongan Reserve from thekavaroots.com in Canada. It's heavy without knocking you out too much, really good body effects, very relaxing, sedating later on rather than straight away, a good evening kava.

 

[Edward]

Another good one to consider is Bula Kava House, 11 yr waka micronized. I think most people find that a good sedative kava.

 

[Groggy]

Squanch from the post above has a few different types PM him and he'll give you the details.

 

[KaRoot]

I have several questions, all relating in some way to this topic, so I will ask them here. My sampling of different kavas is limited, but I am currently drinking Nambawan from BKH, because it's effect is relatively strong for me. It is also quite expensive, but price is less an issue than effect (for me). I am not interested in a prolonged, experience, partly because I think (and this topic's responses indicate) that a prolonged AND intense experience isn't possible.

I typically use 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) of Nambawan with two cups of warm water and knead for 15 minutes with no second wash (time is more important to me than money, although I may be convinced that I'm wasting money with this procedure. I try to drink the two cups in one, long chug; if not then 80% in one, followed by the rest in less than a minute. The result is an intense experience for approximately 45 minutes to one hour, requiring sitting down and often closing my eyes, because the experience distorts my vision, which I describe as euphoric, mostly heady, and not sedative, which is all good for me.

Here are my questions:

1. How do experienced users categorize BKH Nambawan (heady, body, etc.)?
2. Are there any kava pills that can give the same effect if enough are taken (damn, I still hate the taste )?
3. Can anyone recommend a less expensive kava (and its source) that might yield results similar to BKH Nambawan?

Again, an hour of the intense experience is enough for me; although, much less wouldn't be. Thanks in advance!

 

[KaRoot]

I have several questions, all relating in some way to this topic, so I will ask them here. My sampling of different kavas is limited, but I am currently drinking Nambawan from BKH, because it's effect is relatively strong for me. It is also quite expensive, but price is less an issue than effect (for me). I am not interested in a prolonged, experience, partly because I think (and this topic's responses indicate) that a prolonged AND intense experience isn't possible.

I typically use 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) of Nambawan with two cups of warm water and knead for 15 minutes with no second wash (time is more important to me than money, although I may be convinced that I'm wasting money with this procedure. I try to drink the two cups in one, long chug; if not then 80% in one, followed by the rest in less than a minute. The result is an intense experience for approximately 45 minutes to one hour, requiring sitting down and often closing my eyes, because the experience distorts my vision, which I describe as euphoric, mostly heady, and not sedative, which is all good for me.

Here are my questions:

1. How do experienced users categorize BKH Nambawan (heady, body, etc.)?
2. Are there any kava pills that can give the same effect if enough are taken (damn, I still hate the taste )?
3. Can anyone recommend a less expensive kava (and its source) that might yield results similar to BKH Nambawan?

Again, an hour of the intense experience is enough for me; although, much less wouldn't be. Thanks in advance!

I have one more question:
4. Does keeping prepared kava refrigerated for a day or two before consuming reduce the potency? I seem to have found that to be the case but may be imagining so.

 

[ThePiper]

I found nambawan to be mostly heady when i tried it, with some body traits that werent exactly heavy. Its kind of like a boroguru or waka in this way

 

[KrunkMunster]

Thanks everyone. i want full on relaxation where there is not a care in the world, i want my stress to be gone, lay down and go aaahhhhh life is good. when reading about kava that is how they make it sound to be but that is not really what i am getting so far. what i have now, i feel it take the edge off and there is slight relaxation but so far its not what i was expecting. Maybe using more would help but kava is expensive so using more is no ideal for me.

Get some Stone. Mix 4-6 TBS in 2 cups of hot water. Drink 3-4 4oz shells (not all at once or you'll probably get nauseous) and I think you'll have a completely different experience than what you have so far. In fact, you should probably make sure you have a few hours on your hands where you don't need to do much because you aren't gonna feel like doing much of anything.

 

[dannylightning]

i just looked up the stone, it says not recommended to drink every day.. must be some good stuff lol

i am gonna try to do a second wash tonight, just made one cup and i put the kava back in the water to soak for a bit till i am done with this one. ill see what happens i guess. hope the second wash is strong enough

 

[Groggy]

Heavy kavas...GHK Hanakapi'ai, BKH Nangol Noble, Luna kava Sol Blend, I have tried all of these, they are in order from heavy on down, though they are all on the heavy/sedative side.
The Sol blend is really good for daily use...More sedative then heavy.

 

[dannylightning]

Heavy kavas...GHK Hanakapi'ai, BKH Nangol Noble, Luna kava Sol Blend, I have tried all of these, they are in order from heavy on down, though they are all on the heavy/sedative side.
The Sol blend is really good for daily use...More sedative then heavy.

i was reading some reviews on the GHK Hanakapi'ai and that is sounding pretty good, most people seem to give it a high anti anxiety rating, sounds like its great for relaxing muscles which would be awesome, i have a bad back and its been hurting pretty bad for a while now, got some knotted up muscles that just wont seem to give. ill check out some reviews on the other ones you mentioned

so i made my second wash, this shell is probably about half as strong but i think its doing the trick. i feel more relaxed after i have finished the 1st shell and about 3/4 of the second wash shell.