muscle spasms (lack of potassium/dehydration/flushed out electrolytes)

[kl.penguinbrah]

I just chewed on some fresh frozen kava, and brewed some up .. about 7 grams to 10 ounces of water and couple splashes of milk. An hour or so later after all that right about now my left tricep is intermittently having spasms. They're not painful but they're just annoying -- it's involuntarily just flexing and popping on and off 3 to 5 bursts at a time. 
I thought Kava was supposed to make spasms go away... has this happened to anyone else? 

UPDATEEDIT:So last night I went to the ER because I got a cut on saturday from metal and thought I maybe had tetanus and that was causing the spasms. But the ER doc looked at the cut and spasm and said it was most likely dehydration so I came home with some gatorade but that still didn't make my spasm go away.

But now I have a feeling this was caused because I chewed on the fresh kava root and then swallowed it and then had a drink made of 8 grams. It might've been simply too much and probably dehydrated me because I pissed completely clear water several times which probably flushed out my body of electrolytes. Also, I would drink gatorade and water and would immediately piss it out - I believe this is because the chewed kava was in my digestive system and it was probably releasing its diuretic effects continually. The spasms lasted till 5 in the morning, at which point I just chugged down a glass of fresh coconut water and the spasms went away and I fell asleep. I woke up this morning feeling fine and went to the doc to see what he had to say and he said it was most likely dehydration and an electrolyte imbalance or it could be a build up of lactic acid from going to the gym. 

So I'm taking a break from Kava today and tomorrow and will see again on Wednesday what happens. But, I won't be chewing anymore fresh kava and then swallowing it!

edit: also I believe there may be an added benefit of making kava with coconut water as to provide added electrolytes and maybe lessen dehydration

 

[Vekta]

I get muscle twitching after a hard work out or a bike ride. Never got them after kava.



What else have you been doing?

 

[kl.penguinbrah]

nothing physical today at all, just been studying all day. 
went to the gym on friday but this just started happening right now all of a sudden... this hasn't happened to me before.. could it be dehyration? I drank several glasses of water after having my Kava and pissed like three times also.

 

[Vekta]

I don't know...



I wouldn't freak out about it just yet though. I have had a hard work out one day and not gotten any muscle twitching until a day or two later.

 

[kl.penguinbrah]

alright.. i looked it up and it seems it can be caused by neurons not communicating properly with the muscle or something -- hope the Kava isn't causing this..
anyways thanks for the replies

 

[Nihilist]

My eyes and muscles twitch sometimes.

The bottom of my eyelid and my bicep(s). This happened before I ever used Kava.

No idea why. It does freak me out sometimes. I drink a lot of coffee and have stress sometimes.

I think that could be the main cause.

I also do hard work outs once in a while. To the point where I can't move.

Good luck. I'm hope we both have nothing wrong.

 

[kl.KarmaG]

I used to get this occasionally (especially the eyelid twitch), for many years before using kava. For me, I can say with certainty that it wasn't kava related but I can't speak for anyone else. I have been told that these fasciculations are caused by a magnesium deficiency. I started supplementing with magnesium a few years back and don't experience this often at all any more, although it was fairly sporadic and rare to begin with. Per the wealth of knowledge that is wikipedia, "Fasciculation also often occurs during a rest period after sustained stress, such as that brought on by unconsciously tense muscles". Maybe this is what you're experiencing?

 

[Prince Philip]

If anything, kava is an antispasmotic, from what I was lead to believe.



OK, I take that back. It's a muscle relaxant and anticonvulsant.



When I have muscle twitches, it's because I'm not receiving enough sleep. I am having this issue right now due to too much caffeine used a few hours before a heavy dose of Tongan kava. I had a similar reaction to Solomon kava. I'll have to remember this now that I've switched to Tongan primarily.

I should add that because of all the advertising (Dead Can Dance's song, the Alfred Lord Tennyson poem, and of course Homer's original reference), I also ate some lotus, white, dehydrated.  I really don't know what the "right" dosage is or what effects I should be expecting.  It's just that I've wanted to eat lotus for a while, because that's what all the cool Ancient History grads are doing, or something like that.

 

[kl.penguinbrah]

So last night I went to the ER because I got a cut on saturday from metal and thought I maybe had tetanus and that was causing the spasms. But the ER doc looked at the cut and spasm and said it was most likely dehydration so I came home with some gatorade but that still didn't make my spasm go away.



But now I have a feeling this was caused because I chewed on the fresh kava root and then swallowed it and then had a drink made of 8 grams. It might've been simply too much and probably dehydrated me because I pissed completely clear water several times which probably flushed out my body of electrolytes. Also, I would drink gatorade and water and would immediately piss it out - I believe this is because the chewed kava was in my digestive system and it was probably releasing its diuretic effects continually. The spasms lasted till 5 in the morning, at which point I just chugged down a glass of fresh coconut water and the spasms went away and I fell asleep. I woke up this morning feeling fine and went to the doc to see what he had to say and he said it was most likely dehydration and an electrolyte imbalance or it could be a build up of lactic acid from going to the gym.



So I'm taking a break from Kava today and tomorrow and will see again on Wednesday what happens. But, I won't be chewing anymore fresh kava and then swallowing it!

edit: also I believe there may be an added benefit of making kava with coconut water as to provide added electrolytes and maybe lessen dehydration

 

[kl.Gray Owl]

nothing physical today at all, just been studying all day. 
went to the gym on friday but this just started happening right now all of a sudden... this hasn't happened to me before.. could it be dehyration? I drank several glasses of water after having my Kava and pissed like three times also. 

Not dehydration, hypokalemia, your potassium is probably too low, try orange juice or coconut water instead of water.  Kava is a diuretic, but does not spare potassium, add a bunch of plain water on top of that and you're flushing the electrolytes out of your system without replenishing them, making a bad situation worse.

edit:  read your last message, you got it

 

[Vekta]

The day after I have lots of kava I drink water and fruit juice. Whatever we got, I'll drink it. I guess it helps because I don't get muscle twitching like that. Try out what Gray Owl posted, I think it'll do you some good...and it's tasty.

 

[kl.penguinbrah]

Wow Gray Owl you hit it right on the dot, you a doc or something? I drank a shitload of cold water after my drinking my Kava because it tasted so good with the numbness lol and pissed multiple times hence depleting the potassium like you said. Makes complete sense. I'm going to make it a point to have bananas and orange juice daily and kava made with coconut water - plus it tastes way better than with just water

 

[kavalover]

Must be why I've never had that problem. I drink orange juice and eat bananas all the time.



Not to mention I dance like a bawss.

 

[kl.Gray Owl]

Wow Gray Owl you hit it right on the dot, you a doc or something? I drank a shitload of cold water after my drinking my Kava because it tasted so good with the numbness lol and pissed multiple times hence depleting the potassium like you said. Makes complete sense. I'm going to make it a point to have bananas and orange juice daily and kava made with coconut water - plus it tastes way better than with just water 

Hardly a doc, just health issues and a tendency to get obsessed with certain topics. It started with almost weekly migraine headaches in the 80's when all the docs could offer was barbiturates and ergotamine, I was like f**k that shit, it took a few years but I did get my migraines under control, no thanks to the docs--except for the biofeedback training, that did help.

I tend to use 1/2 coconut water, if it's all coconut water I find it can be a bit bloating. Those spasms / twitches are called "myoclonus" they were the bane of my existence for years until I figured out that low potassium was usually the cause in my case. Eyelid twitching is the worst and can be embarrassing.