Kava Got Me Sick (My 2nd Night)

[Nodnav]

I got woozie tonight at the end of my kava bar night. The ride home was a little bit uncomfortable. I went straight to bed to rest for a half hour when I got home, room completely dark. I wanted to fall asleep but that didn't happen. Here is what I had between 5 and 9:

1 grog - They didn't know what strain
4 shell waka flight: Each with carbonated water added; the final with an instant shot added

Consumption today before the kava bar:

A liter of yerba mate
Lunch - Fried chicken, biscuits, and mashed potatoes

I am wondering if I don't have enough liquid in my system. I have read that many like to drink kava on a fairly empty stomach. Any advice is appreciated. Please don't flame. I am new and I want to learn.

 

[The Kap'n]

Don't worry, Nodnav. We don't flame here. My suggestion is to purchase some top notch kava from the vendors listed here and go from there. The fact that they couldn't even identify the strain at the bar leaves much to be desired. It also prevents us from nailing down exactly what made you feel bad. Get some certified noble kava and view some of the prep techniques in the Kavapedia. Make yourself a traditional batch of real kava, and see how you feel. My bet is that you'll discover a totally different and much more positive experience

 

[sɥɐʞɐs]

it's more likely to happen when you're new. kava doesn't work at it's fullest for most people, when you're just starting.
you might feel like 'something's there' like it's 'just one more shell from really feelin nice'...but that can easily lead to nausea. another issue is not knowing the kava or chemotype...some are naturally more nauseating than others and that on it's own could be the culprit. also, consider if you take any other meds, they could interact negatively.

here's a flame

i got it for you, to stay warm by...or light a cig off of.

 

[Deleted User01]

@Nodnav, welcome to the forum! We don't flame around here, we are all more about peace, love, and understanding. What Kap'm said is right on. You never know what you are getting at a kava bar. Sometimes they spike the drinks to please the patrons. People are looking to get stoned or drunk on kava and spiking it may accomplish that. When I first started with Kava, I wanted to get "krunked". But that is all wrong and that's not what kava is about. So even though I'm much older than most guys here, I had to grow up and approach kava from a different perspective than drugs and alcohol. So buy some good Noble kava and take a shell every 20-30 minutes. When you start feeling good, then stop. Now relax and do something you like .. maybe listening to music, reading, or gaming. You will bounce out of bed in the morning feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world. The secret is not to consume kava like you would alcohol or drugs. Kava is not about that though some of the kava bars seem to encourage that.

 

[Nodnav]

Thank you guys. I am an on the go person so I have some 11 year waka micronized on the way. I don't have any friends so when I go to the kava bar, all there really is to do is drink kava. I am so used to doing the same with beer when I was drinking. I realize now that the recommended serving amount is probably sufficient.

 

[Nodnav]

By the way, I am sure that the kava bar knew what strain was in the grog but that particular worker wasn't going to know at the moment while the owner was gone. The people at the place I go generally take a lot of pride in knowledge. Any negative effects of kava I experience will be my fault and a part of the learning curve. That is why I am here. I can say that I asked for a scoop of instant on my last waka and I know that instants are often a mix of strains. It is hard to gauge it all when you are this new.

 

[The Kap'n]

It is hard to gauge it all when you are this new.

Don't worry. Once you get more in tune with kava's effects, it gets easier.

 

[verticity]

If you told us which kava bar you go to it might help - some are more reputable than others. Of course if you don't want to reveal where you are, that's ok too.
And I'm not sure what a waka flight is -- a guess the bar's name for a drink, but 5 shells plus some instant is a lot if they are not spaced out.

 

[verticity]

You also mention you had a liter of yerba mate. I'm not sure what that is equivalent to in terms of coffee, but I have found if I have a lot of caffeine before or after kava it can interact poorly.