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Pale Stools, Kicked by Mules

crawldown

Newbie
I have recently had pale stools for a few days after taking kava. Didn't feel any different, just stool became pale, slightly loose then went back to normal day 3 or 4 after kava. I had some kava candies and instant kava a couple of weeks ago (was musing on the safety/wisdom of bypassing first pass metabolism while bypassing it!) and had the same effect on stools but also I was literally thirstier than ever before immediately afterward and for a couple of days. Three days after, I suddenly felt like I'd been kicked by a mule - sore joints, extreme fatigue, headache. Spent the whole day half-conscious and lying down, felt slightly better in the evening and stools went from pallid gray to yellow and gradually back to normal colour.

The feeling awful culd have been a bug and seems to have perhaps resolved too quickly to have been a sign of serious organ damage but has anyone else had the pale stools which resolve over 3-5 days? Is this a liver sign? I always have acid pain due to GERD but especially after kava and I take gaviscon for it but, though grey, it doesn't contain bismuth or aluminium salts which I gather are what causes grey stools in antacids. Any thoughts? Advice? Would rather not abandon kava and have, deeply historically, taken fresh kava with no adverse effects. I had a similar problem with K@ a while back and wonder if I just have a dodgy liver and should switch to an all mung-bean diet and take up yogurt knitting instead of kava drinking?
 

The Kap'n

The Groggy Kaptain (40g)
KavaForums Founder
lol yogurt knitting. What vendor, and strain of kava were you consuming when you noticed the issue?
 

crawldown

Newbie
It was Ozia Kava candy and Quick Kava from GKE but I've always had the quick kava and, pale stools for a few days aside, had no problems. No concerns about vendor - they've been great. Was a bit worried about sublingual/buccal administration of candies though - I'd assumed you just ate them...
 

The Kap'n

The Groggy Kaptain (40g)
KavaForums Founder
I eat the candies because I don't find the sublingual method to work for me.

That's odd because you're right, good vendors, good kava. I'd seriously doubt if the kava did this to you. The only way I would know to narrow down your culprits is to let it all clear up, then try the kavas again to see if that's whats doing it to you. It would be the first time I've personally heard of someone with these symptoms having anything to do with kava, but as we're continually learning, everyone's body reacts differently to kava.
 

verticity

I'm interested in things
First, @crawldown, that is the greatest thread title of all time.

Second, if you are having symptoms like pale stools and the flu-like symptoms you describe, even if they are transient, go see your doctor to get your liver (and the rest of you) checked out. Stop whatever you are doing right now and go to the doctor, seriously. It might not be from the kava, but it could be Hepatitis C or something..
 

crawldown

Newbie
So I totally failed to follow up with this but here I still am! The pale stools cleared up to a large degree (though they're now tan rather than chocolate if you must know). The kicked by a mule feeling only lasted those couple of days. Have kava on my desk but haven't dared touch it since. My theory: There's definitely an immune intermediation which goes on with Kava and I think it probably has something to do with that - probably took my immune system down and gave me a bug which in turn took out my gut fauna and made the pale stools last longer than usual. That said, I always, always get pale stools for a couple of days after kava. That and it makes me freezing cold! Funny though - the fresh stuff i had in Hawaii was far more potent and yet didn't cause the symptoms. Perhaps perceived potency had something to do with mixing it with dihydrovodeine which I don't take any more (alas!)
 

blindy107

Kava Lover
How many candies did you have? It sounds extreme but could be aversion to the xylitol or which sweetener used in the candies. My wife spent an evening throwing and feeling poopy up after eating erythritol ice cream.
 

verticity

I'm interested in things
So if I understand correctly, this happens with kava candies and extract, but not with fresh in Hawaii. Have you tried regular powdered kava root, like from Gourmet Hawaiian Kava, for example?
Also, you still seem to be having some intermittent symptoms that are disturbing, so [NAG] Have you seen your doctor to get your liver checked? [/NAG] <--- That's the "Nag Tag" which is supposed to be rendered in the voice of your nagging spouse, but XenForo refuses to recognize, because XenForo is annoying. Like a nagging spouse.
 
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