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Kava Rash

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Ryan Hans

Newbie
I started drinking kava a few months ago with no problems. Drank at least once a week and normally 3+ times a week either at a kava bar in nyc or making my own traditional at home from quality noble vendors or using aluball. About three weeks ago, I noticed while I was drinking kava my scalp got very itchy. The next morning I had an upper chest rash as well as on my face which was puffy as well. This slowly started to go away and when I tried kava again last night after waiting three weeks without any I had a similair reaction and woke up today with a terrible rash then before. It seems it even makes a couple lymph nodes by my collar bone swell up. It seems I am allergic, but it is strange I drank it so many times with no problems. My plan is to take 4-6 months off and hope that when I try again my body won't act allergic anymore. If anyone has any tips, please let me know.
 
Honest Kava

Honest Kava

Newbie
Ryan Hans said:
I started drinking kava a few months ago with no problems. Drank at least once a week and normally 3+ times a week either at a kava bar in nyc or making my own traditional at home from quality noble vendors or using aluball. About three weeks ago, I noticed while I was drinking kava my scalp got very itchy. The next morning I had an upper chest rash as well as on my face which was puffy as well. This slowly started to go away and when I tried kava again last night after waiting three weeks without any I had a similair reaction and woke up today with a terrible rash then before. It seems it even makes a couple lymph nodes by my collar bone swell up. It seems I am allergic, but it is strange I drank it so many times with no problems. My plan is to take 4-6 months off and hope that when I try again my body won't act allergic anymore. If anyone has any tips, please let me know.
Click to expand...
How long did it last?
 
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PurplePanda999

Kava Curious
I just had an experience with a rash that, like you, was apparently caused by one type of Kava I'd imbibed. In addition to taking Benadryl at night, I used an anti-itch cream that contains the same ingredient as the Benadryl caplets. My rash is now mostly gone (after about a week).
 
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r45t4m4n

Kava Curious
Mine started about 10 days ago and slowly spread. I was drinking Kava daily (2 aluballs, 2 washes)for about a month. I have not drank Kava for about 8 days now. Still have the rash.
 
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Bob Chill

Kava Curious
Looks like I'm joining the rash club. No flaking or cracked skin. Just red patches and small bumps from my rib cage up to my neck on both back, chest, shoulders, and upper arms. Pretty extensive coverage. When I woke up yesterday and it was pretty obvious I was in for a ride. The rash has come on fast and furious. Bendryl helps a little. I'm going to try some cortisone cream after a shower today and see if it helps. The itching is annoying but not unbearable thankfully. I was able to sleep ok last night.

I'm a new kava drinker and have consumed daily for about a month. Zero negative effects of any kind until yesterday. Over the last week I have been drinking a medium grind with a lot of sediment getting through the ball. I had been drinking the sediment and not letting it settle out. No way to know if that's what the cause is though.

My plan of action is to abstain until it goes away and test the waters with less grog and no sediment consumption. I have zero history of any allergies except mild spring pollen stuff. No food or medicine allergies in my history. I'll be pretty bummed if I'm one of the unlucky few who can get along with Kava. I've been really enjoying it.

Edit to add:

I'm obviously not 100% sure that kava is the culprit but my symptoms are extremely similar to what others have posted through the years. Nothing has changed in my daily routine to point towards something else. I'm just going to have to wait it out and experiment to figure this out.
 
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Bob Chill

Kava Curious
Well, my rash cleared up pretty quick. Considering the real estate it covered it's pretty wild at how quickly it went away. I'm going to test the waters again on Sunday so I give it a full week. I plan on doing well strained and only a couple days in a row with a break to see if anything comes back.

I've been thinking about it and I'm not as sure it was a kava allergy as much as possibly a chemical reaction in the skin. I noticed a profound change in my skin. Especially on my face. I have clear skin but definitely more on the oily side than dry. I noticed that kava decreased my skin's normal oil production. When the rash broke out, the typically oily part of my face was void of oil but I didn't get a rash on my face. Wasn't dry or flaky. Just different. I'm wondering if I overdo kava that it upsets a balance in my skin causing a reaction. The rash was red patches/spots/blotches but there was no raised skin. My back look basically like a mild sunburn. No bumpy hives or anything. I've never experienced anything quite like it.

The only way to find out is jump back on the horse and monitor closely.
 
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Ryan Hans

Newbie
@Bob Chill - ur above is pretty much my exact experience. I have tested the waters multiple times and it happens still. I am going to take a few months off and then try again, hopefully this long duration will let me recover (perhaps sebaceous glands?). How was ur experience?
 
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Deleted User01

I have a pet theory and I always post it but I'm not sure if anybody has ever done it. Nene from GHK is the most noble and safe kava on the chart. The Hawaiian Islanders even considered it safe for a "fretful" child. I would love to see one of you switch to Nene and see if the allergic response is less or nil. It is a very mild sedative but it's excellent for sleeping. If the experiment fails, then you are allergic to the basic ingredients of all kava. If the experiment is successful, then you might work on the theory that nobility and strain are a factor.
 
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Bob Chill

Kava Curious
Ryan Hans said:
@Bob Chill - ur above is pretty much my exact experience. I have tested the waters multiple times and it happens still. I am going to take a few months off and then try again, hopefully this long duration will let me recover (perhaps sebaceous glands?). How was ur experience?
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I haven't tested the waters yet. Zero rash or itch but my skin hasn't returned to normal. Especially on my face. You could never tell by looking at it but I've lived with myself for nearly 5 decades so I'm pretty familiar with what is normal. lol

I'm less convinced now that it was an allergic reaction as much as a buildup over time to an imbalance where I made my skin mad. Oddly, I haven't had a single pimple anywhere on my body for 2 weeks. I have a pretty clear complexion in general but my skin is more on the oily side. Especially on my face and back. And not having a single pimple anywhere for 2 weeks is no doubt unusual. I'm the type of guy that gets greasy face when in the sun all day and my hair gets oily pretty quick if I don't shower for a day. For whatever reason right now I'm the opposite.

@Deleted User01 - my breakout happened after a week of daily use of a new kava. I had only used GHK and KWK prior to that. I know the kava I was drinking was noble but it had a lot of sediment and was fairly potent. When I test the waters again I'm going to stick with GHK M'oi and Hanakapi until either I run out of them or my skin acts up.
 
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r45t4m4n

Kava Curious
My rash was exactly as described, went away after about 2 weeks with no kava consumption. I have been consuming kava for the past week with no sign of rash.
Went through my stash one by one trying to find out if it was a particular strain, luckily the rash has not returned.
I am a new kava drinker as well and was about 1 month in consuming almost daily (medium grind and micro from reputable forum vendors).
 
Dan More

Dan More

Kava Curious
This is happening to me now! I'm new to Kava. Was doing 3-4 tbsp every day for a couple weeks. I tried a new 1/2 pound from a very reputable vendor last Tuesday. Wednesday my face started to swell a bit and now (Friday) my face, neck and upper torso are covered in red, itchy blotches. Benadryl seems to be helping but I can't take it much because it knocks me out. I'm using the amlactin lotion too but that's not really helping. This does feel more like an immune system response as opposed to dermo. You new guys that are experiencing this may want to pm me the brand and strain. Maybe there's a moldy batch out there. I bet the vendor would prefer to get a discreet heads up. Also, I ended up having a few beers after the kava on Tuesday because I was pretty stressed out with the election. Possibly a kava/alcohol reaction??? I have a gig tonight and have to show up looking like Charles Bukowski! LMAO
 
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shuman

Kava Curious
Ok, my two cents. I have experienced rash very similar to described after drinking alcohol post kava consumption. I also did some Google based research nethertheless found similar accounts of alcohol flush reaction post booze after kava in some cases it was after 48 hours. I never drink both on the same day but even spaced out by 24 hours would get it if drink 5 and up drinks especially unfiltered craft beer.
I am sensitive to alcohol skin wise and a few times got pretty red in the face after drinking. Also for beginners I would not suggest drinking kava daily after you kicked reverse tolerance you do not have same genetic make up as Islanders and quite possibly do not have developed enzymes to process it anyway my theory just an opinion so don't get freaky so... take it easy...nice and slow... If you trying to use it for anxiety I would suggest learning something else like cbt because at some point kava won't be able to fix it all.
 
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Grogorio

Kava Curious
I just experienced this rash today. It was after taking a 2 and half week break and with a new kava strain I've never tried before. In the past, heady strains tended give me a red face the next day so I stuck to the heavy strains with no problems. This new strain I tried yesterday is a heady strain. Maybe for me this is a factor. I've been applying aloe vera lotion, seems to help. I will try some benadryl later too.
 
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James5050

Kava Curious
Bob Chill said:
I haven't tested the waters yet. Zero rash or itch but my skin hasn't returned to normal. Especially on my face. You could never tell by looking at it but I've lived with myself for nearly 5 decades so I'm pretty familiar with what is normal. lol

I'm less convinced now that it was an allergic reaction as much as a buildup over time to an imbalance where I made my skin mad. Oddly, I haven't had a single pimple anywhere on my body for 2 weeks. I have a pretty clear complexion in general but my skin is more on the oily side. Especially on my face and back. And not having a single pimple anywhere for 2 weeks is no doubt unusual. I'm the type of guy that gets greasy face when in the sun all day and my hair gets oily pretty quick if I don't shower for a day. For whatever reason right now I'm the opposite.

@Deleted User01 - my breakout happened after a week of daily use of a new kava. I had only used GHK and KWK prior to that. I know the kava I was drinking was noble but it had a lot of sediment and was fairly potent. When I test the waters again I'm going to stick with GHK M'oi and Hanakapi until either I run out of them or my skin acts up.
Click to expand...
Hi Bob,

I am in the middle or terrible hives, which has to be kava-related. Out of interest, did you carry on drinking? Did the hives return again? I don't think I want to go through this again. Thanks.
 
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