Kava- overdose? No effect?

[jetsman21]

Hi all,


I have a question but first want to share my short history with Kava. About 3 weeks ago I started on Kava- I used the GAIA pills and typically took between 3 and 5 at a time (twice per day). I did get a minor good (relaxed) feeling from them but stopped using them because I got anxious about an overdose (not a fan of pills) and thought I was having heart palpitations. The next day I went out and bought a box of Yogi Tea and I actually liked this better although it took at least 3 teabags to get any effect.

Because I liked the Yogi tea I decided to try the real stuff so I bought 1/2 lb of Borongoru Vauatu Kava Root from Kalm with Kava. It came in the mail on Saturday and I decided to try it on Sunday because I had alcohol Saturday night and didn’t want to mix it. Below are my results:


9:00am- 4 tablespoons with 1 ½ cup water- used a nylon to rub and massage the kava for over 10 minutes in the water.- No effect!

10:30am- 4 tablespoons with 1 ½ cup water- used the blender method (4 minutes of blending then strained)- minimal effect (so anxiety relief)

2:00pm – 4 tablespoons with 1 ½ cup water- used a nylon again- very minor effect

3:00pm- 3 tablespoons with 1 cup water- used blender again

6:00- 5 tablespoons with 1 ½ cup water- nylon and blend (mixed almond milk for fat)- Mild effect (only lasted 40 minutes)


My first question is why am I not getting a real effect? I took A LOT over the course of the day- was it too much? I used ¾ of a ½ lb. bag in one day and am feeling rather sick this morning. Can using too much hurt you in any way? I read you can’t overdose on Kava (you would get krunk first) but I am worried about adverse effects.


Also- why didn’t it work? I thought I was through a reverse tolerance because I used the pills/tea for a few weeks before preparing my own root. Any suggestions?


As a note- I have general anxiety disorder and really want this to work but for $30 a bag and almost no results I’m just no sure it’s worth it.

 

[NAMBATU]

Reverse tolerance is the only good explanation, unless you are a rhino.

 

[jetsman21]

Haha- no I'm not a Rhino. Actually I'm in pretty good shape. Just strange is all......

 

[Jonathan]

It could also be your personal sensitivity to that cultivar. It seems to be entirely unique to each person. Some have different effects or none at all with certain types, even after breaking RT. I'd suggest trying some micronized, perhaps Mahakea from GHK. With micronized you're sure to get all the kavalactones after ingestion.

 

[verticity]

It does sound like you might still be experiencing reverse tolerance. But here are a few ideas to consider:
- Make sure your stomach is empty when you drink kava
- Try using slightly smaller "shells"--2 tablespoons of powder per 1 (8 oz) cup of water is a "shell" for me, but space your shells closer together, about 15-30 minutes apart.
- Use hot water for kneading the kava, if you are not already; this helps extract the maximum amount of kavalactones.
- Borongoru is coarsely ground, so squeeze hard when you are kneading, and maybe knead a little bit longer

It's not really possible to "overdose" on kava, in the sense that one can overdose on opiates, for example, but if you drink too much it can make you feel nauseated, and cause other unpleasant symptoms.

 

[jetsman21]

Thanks for your replies. I was thinking maybe I need to knead the the kava a bit longer and harder (I was doing around 10 minutes in hot water). I also wasn't squeezing that hard- perhaps a little more pressure will help. You are right- drinking as much as I did made me feel nauseated and I've had to run to the bathroom quite a few times this morning. Tonight I'll try to make 2 shells- using 8oz of water for each and take them 30 minutes apart. I also like the idea of trying micronized- I'll make that the kind I order next to see if the effects are any better.

 

[kavadude]

I would try a higher dosage like 8 tablespoons at once.

As a note- I have general anxiety disorder and really want this to work but for $30 a bag and almost no results I’m just no sure it’s worth it.

Yes, that is pretty common starting out. Trust us that it will get better, we aren't drinking it for the taste.

 

[verticity]

I would try a higher dosage like 8 tablespoons at once.

Have to disagree-- 8 tablespoons all at once would be likely to cause stomach upset, side effects. Better to do 8 tablespoons spaced out over an hour or two..