Kava for Anxiety (works - but how much is safe?)

[smokeee]

Hi,

I've used several herbal products over the years in an attempt to find a 'natural' means of alleviating social anxiety. For whatever reason, I unfortunately have a particularly bad case of this and have only been able to genuinely overcome it - so far - through alcohol. I'm Irish, so this isn't an unusual solution for a typical Saturday night. But I'm not an alcoholic, have a typical day job as a programmer, and during office hours, I'd love to experience the same sense of ease I get from alcohol as I do from something less damaging.

In brief, I turned to Kava (considered Phenibut too, but it's banned in Ireland) - and tried the 'instant blend' Kava King brand from iherb. It works brilliantly.

For about 2 hours, that is.

I'm using 3 teaspoons of this stuff in water. Just once a day. But 2 hours isn't long enough. I'd need 8 minimum. I think Kava works - really well. But I'm wary of potential health dangers in taking too much. So...

1) Does anyone know if it's safe to drink, say, 3 cups of this per day (9 teaspoons per day), or...

2) If regular Kava usage eventually leads to a more prolonged sense of calmness that doesn't wear off?

I'd be very grateful for any answers. I really struggle with this problem, and I know it's more than likely a dietary issue that traditional medicine and advice simply won't cure in it's well-meaning yet frankly blinkered way. This stuff really makes me feel like I can chill out, be myself, not worry etc - but I'm afraid it is something that could be abused, if taken too frequently.

Thanks in advance!

S

 

[I don't know]

Kava King is decent, but there are other kavas you should try. Gourmet Hawaiian Kava is the best in my opinion and Kalm with Kava is great too. Both are very effective in smaller doses. I don't know if you can get a kava to last 8 hours. 4 - 5 hours is pretty common for me. Personally, I take small amounts throughout the day to help with anxiety, stress, and pain. Most people on here don't do that, but there are a few that do. Kava should not be taken with alcohol.

 

[smokeee]

Thanks for the reply! I've checked out Gourmet Hawaiian Kava - pricey! The King Kava is brand is working well at affordable prices, but still wondering how much is 'ok' to take... As I say, 2 hours is what I get from one cup of King Kava (3 tesspoons). I could take another, and then another, to get me up to 6 hours - which would be fine. But is that healthy? Does anyone know how much Kava is too much per day? Or is there really a limit?

I haven't had any bad side effects so far. Seems to be all good. But people have said the same thing about a lot of other things that really aren't so great for your health in the long run.

Cheers - and sorry for all the questions. Seems to be genuinely good thing - but for the very same reason, I'm suspicious of it.

 

[Groggy]

Hi,

I've used several herbal products over the years in an attempt to find a 'natural' means of alleviating social anxiety. For whatever reason, I unfortunately have a particularly bad case of this and have only been able to genuinely overcome it - so far - through alcohol. I'm Irish, so this isn't an unusual solution for a typical Saturday night. But I'm not an alcoholic, have a typical day job as a programmer, and during office hours, I'd love to experience the same sense of ease I get from alcohol as I do from something less damaging.

In brief, I turned to Kava (considered Phenibut too, but it's banned in Ireland) - and tried the 'instant blend' Kava King brand from iherb. It works brilliantly.

For about 2 hours, that is.

I'm using 3 teaspoons of this stuff in water. Just once a day. But 2 hours isn't long enough. I'd need 8 minimum. I think Kava works - really well. But I'm wary of potential health dangers in taking too much. So...

1) Does anyone know if it's safe to drink, say, 3 cups of this per day (9 teaspoons per day), or...

2) If regular Kava usage eventually leads to a more prolonged sense of calmness that doesn't wear off?

I'd be very grateful for any answers. I really struggle with this problem, and I know it's more than likely a dietary issue that traditional medicine and advice simply won't cure in it's well-meaning yet frankly blinkered way. This stuff really makes me feel like I can chill out, be myself, not worry etc - but I'm afraid it is something that could be abused, if taken too frequently.

Thanks in advance!

S

Welcome to the forum
1) I drink 3-4 pints a day on average, the only problem I can report, is dry skin.

2) I have only been drinking kava for about 5 months, since I drink a lot, I can't really comment on this or I don't have years of experience some other members in here have.

What I can tell you, from my experience, I also suffer from moderate to severe anxiety (depending on the event) and besides Benzo's, kava is the only other thing I ever found that consistently works.

EDIT: I drink Tongan and Fijian kavas, they work best for me

 

[smokeee]

Thanks for your reply Winpig! I'm surprised by how informative this forum has proven, in just the short time I've been on it. As you can probably tell, I'm fairly hungry for knowledge about this stuff. It certainly works - but because it works so well, I can't help but be wary of it. There's generally no easy fix to life's problems without some catch.

As I say, alcohol also works - several pints of it, that is. But we know that's not good for your system. Several pints of Kava may be harmless or just as harmful - if anyone knows something more scientific about safe quantities, that would be fantastic!

Personally, I'm thinking 3 cups of it a day to get me through work. I definitely don't want to go down the route of benzos or other psycho-chemicals - it has to be natural. Would be great if that natural thing also happens to be unequivocally safe, no matter how you take...

Again, thanks for the replies - extremely helpful so far!


I would like to hear from others who've taken kava for a long period.

 

[Groggy]

Also a lot of good stuff here;
http://kavaforums.com/forum/brdc-document/

 

[Senoz]

Welcome to the forum
1) I drink 3-4 pints a day on average, the only problem I can report, is dry skin.

2) I have only been drinking kava for about 5 months, since I drink a lot, I can't really comment on this or I don't have years of experience some other members in here have.

What I can tell you, from my experience, I also suffer from moderate to severe anxiety (depending on the event) and besides Benzo's, kava is the only other thing I ever found that consistently works.

EDIT: I drink Tongan and Fijian kavas, they work best for me

Hi @Winpig ! Since you mention that you use kava to cope with anxiety.. have you ever experienced an increased anxiety after the first couple of hours? can I ask you for a reccomendation of a kava strain and vendor that is really working for anxiety? My first experiences were disapointing because of the much-increased anxiety that set in shortly after the first calming effects of kava. Still, after trying "heavier" varieties such as KVW's "Borongoru", I'm still experiencing this effect...

Thanks and regards,
S

 

[Groggy]

@Senoz It seems that kava affects everyone differently, for me the lighter, headier kavas give me the best anxiety relief. Among these I like Fijian & Tongan kavas the most. My favorite kava type is Lawena from Fiji and I have tried a few. My all time favorite is Squanch Fijian Lawena. Cactus Kava has a wonderful Loa Lawena as well.
When I begun drinking kava, I tried them all and was under the impression that the heavier kavas would be more effective, turns out the headier ones worked out better for me, with anxiety relief in mind.

Beyond the type of kava I also found that serving amount and preparation method plays a big role in my desired outcome. For instance, the traditional preparation method, imo, results in a much stronger grog as opposed to using the Aluball or a blender. These last couple weeks I had been playing around with CK's prep method, which calls for 1/2 cup of root to 1 1/2 cups of warm/hot water. Turns out this amped up my dermo and I ended up having to take naps midday because it was way too much and too strong for me (and increased my anxiety a bit). Point is, play around with what prep method works best for you and at what quantity.
On a typical M-F routine, I wake up and mix a batch of Lawena with the aluball which is just strong enough for some anxiety relief without knocking me out 3 hours later
I do also enjoy the heavier kavas, but I usually only drink those on the weekend.

 

[ThePiper]

Heavy drinkers will chime in... I've been drinking medium grind traditionally prepared on and off for a couple years, maybe 4-6x per week in dosages of 10-35g per day that I drink it. Many people have been drinking 10+ tablespoons per day for decades without complications including vendors.

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

I got this too when I started . I think it's just a initiation period sometimes .
Definitley keep exploring strains and do you drink caffiene alot or at all ?

Some of the heavier strains are so strong they can be a little tweaky

Try Nene from @Gourmet Hawaiian Kava
That's the only heavy kava that doesn't really sink into wicked territory some of the strong ones like hiwa, hanakapi ai, and papa kea were a little much for me at first for some reason. While moi ( usually an anxiety giver didn't )
Now I can have any kava and not feel bothered by this.


Do you have social anxiety or physcial anxiety ( Overstimulation ) ? That can really be a huge difference.

 

[ThePiper]

Most people who have any kind of anxiety also have a physical component to their anxiety. Just like there is a physical component to depression. Kava can exacerbate physical anxiety with certain strains in certain cases. I second the recommendation of nene as the only heavy kava that doesnt come with any side effects

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

I got this too when I started . I think it's just a initiation period sometimes .
Definitley keep exploring strains and do you drink caffiene alot or at all ?

Some of the heavier strains are so strong they can be a little tweaky

Try Nene from @Gourmet Hawaiian Kava
That's the only heavy kava that doesn't really sink into wicked territory some of the strong ones like hiwa, hanakapi ai, and papa kea were a little much for me at first for some reason. While moi ( usually an anxiety giver didn't )
Now I can have any kava and not feel bothered by this.


Do you have social anxiety or physcial anxiety ( o