Reverse tolerance after a break from Kava

[babesugarbunny]

I could not find any thread about this question even if I know that people talk about it on the forum. So I hope this is okay to bring up again with a new thread.
Out of curiosity I would like to know your experience with reverse tolerance and how it usually works for you when you have some time off Kava.
The specific question is How long without drinking Kava does it usually take for you to experience reverse tolerance? Can you have break for a week without noticing any reverse tolerance when you start to drink Kava again?

I could only make one poll, but it would also be interesting to hear how long it usually takes you to break the reverse tolerance,
does it only affect the first Kava sitting after a break or do you need to spend a week getting rid of the reverse tolerance?

Bula!

 

[Yogini]

I haven't had a break yet so when I do have one I'll be better equipt to answer.. lol..

 

[babesugarbunny]

I haven't had a break yet so when I do have one I'll be better equipt to answer.. lol..

Hahah! It's a hard question to answer then. I had my first break for two weeks recently, so I am discovering how reverse tolerance works for me after a break at the moment.

 

[The Kap'n]

Never taken a break longer than a few days due to sickness since 2005. I do however notice that when I switch from one kava to another, the full power of the kava I swapped to may not be fully apparent until I've consumed it for 4 nights in a row. I can't say with 100% accuracy that this is a resurgence of RT, but it is odd that it takes my system a few days to fully acclimate to a new chemotype.

 

[Alia]

It might be interesting to go back in time and figure out where, who, is the origin of the term "reverse tolerance"?
Do we know? Or if this anomaly is real could it be for some other reason?
Such as preparation, dose, something else?
Clearly never happened to me and I started out chewing kava/'awa root in 1985--never had RT in
decades of various preparations.

 

[babesugarbunny]

Never taken a break longer than a few days due to sickness since 2005. I do however notice that when I switch from one kava to another, the full power of the kava I swapped to may not be fully apparent until I've consumed it for 4 nights in a row. I can't say with 100% accuracy that this is a resurgence of RT, but it is odd that it takes my system a few days to fully acclimate to a new chemotype.

Interesting, thanks for sharing!

It might be interesting to go back in time and figure out where, who, is the origin of the term "reverse tolerance"?
Do we know? Or if this anomaly is real could it be for some other reason?
Such as preparation, dose, something else?
Clearly never happened to me and I started out chewing kava/'awa root in 1985--never had RT in
decades of various preparations.

That's something to think about, I agree. Interesting that you have never experienced something like how RT is described. First time I did kava the effect was really subtile but it was there. After my two week break I find it more subtile again, even if it prepare it the same way. This could be placebo tho.

 

[Michael Nielsen]

Is there a test for RT?

 

[Yogini]

It might be interesting to go back in time and figure out where, who, is the origin of the term "reverse tolerance"?
Do we know? Or if this anomaly is real could it be for some other reason?
Such as preparation, dose, something else?
Clearly never happened to me and I started out chewing kava/'awa root in 1985--never had RT in
decades of various preparations.

I was thinking about this the other day. Usually reverse tolerance is used when you have to have more of something to get the same effect i.e. alcohol. Hmmm.. I'll probably end up researching it.. lol...

 

[Yogini]

Is there a test for RT?

Drink more and see what happens? Some people feel that RT doesn't happen. Up the amount in your shells and basta! Others feel it's a real thing. I've experienced it mildly but not very long.

 

[The Kap'n]

I was thinking about this the other day. Usually reverse tolerance is used when you have to have more of something to get the same effect i.e. alcohol. Hmmm.. I'll probably end up researching it.. lol...

That would be regular tolerance. Reverse tolerance would be the opposite where you see increasing effects with the same quantity ingested.

 

[Yogini]

That would be regular tolerance. Reverse tolerance would be the opposite where you see increasing effects with the same quantity ingested.

I'm thinking of what a doctor called reverse tolerance when he prescribed benzos and I had breakthrough anxiety from using the same amount. Hmmm... maybe it's the wrong word? Reverse tolerance had always been an odd term. I also tend to overthink things like this.

 

[The Kap'n]

It might be interesting to go back in time and figure out where, who, is the origin of the term "reverse tolerance"?
Do we know? Or if this anomaly is real could it be for some other reason?
Such as preparation, dose, something else?
Clearly never happened to me and I started out chewing kava/'awa root in 1985--never had RT in
decades of various preparations.

I wish we could use a new term instead of "reverse tolerance". If it were up to me I would call it "Initial Tolerance".

I believe initial tolerance to be due to the factors that you mentioned, while real "reverse tolerance" (aka, kava getting stronger even while using the same amount) I feel is an intrinsic property of kava due to it's own enzyme inhibitions.

 

[The Kap'n]

I'm thinking of what a doctor called reverse tolerance when he prescribed benzos and I had breakthrough anxiety from using the same amount. Hmmm... maybe it's the wrong word? Reverse tolerance had always been an odd term. I also tend to overthink things like this.

That would be classical drug tolerance. They may just have used the word "reverse" accidentally. Just like I mentioned above, I really wish we could identify it as "initial tolerance". I believe that would clear a few things up for people who first start

 

[Alia]

I wish we could use a new term instead of "reverse tolerance". If it were up to me I would call it "Initial Tolerance".

I believe initial tolerance to be due to the factors that you mentioned, while real "reverse tolerance" (aka, kava getting stronger even while using the same amount) I feel is an intrinsic property of kava due to it's own enzyme inhibitions.

Understood. But I am wondering if anyone knows who first coined the phrase and if there have been any studies on it.

 

[The Kap'n]

Understood. But I am wondering if anyone knows who first coined the phrase and if there have been any studies on it.

The oldest reference we have in the forums dates back to 9/16/2010 From the Yuku Forums.

I would almost bet that the answer lies somewhere in southern Florida.

 

[AlexisReal]

Never taken a break longer than a few days due to sickness since 2005. I do however notice that when I switch from one kava to another, the full power of the kava I swapped to may not be fully apparent until I've consumed it for 4 nights in a row. I can't say with 100% accuracy that this is a resurgence of RT, but it is odd that it takes my system a few days to fully acclimate to a new chemotype.

Hello, and- SNAP! 2005 is when Lyme Diseases turned my life into a tormentuous tumbledryer. I never realised we had this one thing in common, timeline wise.

And you make me feel better as well, my Kava usage is admittedly a psychological addiction to cope with depression, anxiety and pain.

But I felt bad for the fact that since November last year, I have not had a single day without kava.

Also, I recently got some kavas from bestfijikava- AAA Lawena and AAA Waka.

Only tried the Lawena yet. But initially, for several days it seemed to be going over my head.

I didn't use only that kava each or any single day, and not even 4 days consecutively.

But after a week or so, I suddenly started appreciating it's effects a lot more.

But also, I am wondering if warm, hot water is more required for certain cultivats fuller effects, vs others where room temp seems perfectly adequate.

I like mixing the AAA Lawena wirh WoW too. Nice balance.

Sorry for your own sickness Kapm, hope things are okay currently.

 

[AlexisReal]

Also, good question by the OP as I did wonder exactly this to myself before.

But I considered that, besides the proposal of kavalactones needing togradually build up in the system, maybe there is a consciousness factor to the whole RT thing?

As it is usually, if not exclusively, brand new users I have seen asking about and reporting on this.

In that, a longterm user, after a break, may overcome any RT pretty quickly.

I myself felt and experienced kava pretty fully from the word go but I am also convinced that after a short while of Regular consumption the effects did become noticeably more Potent on the same or lower daily dosages.

 

[AlexisReal]

Oh, another thought on reverse Kava tolerance came to me tonight.

In relation to my proposition that there may be a consciousness, "tuning in" sort of recognition Factor.

It was a very well known phenomenon in 60's/70's hippy culture, that very often, the 1st time somebody smoked pot- they didn't get stoned. Although they acted it to others in ost cases.

2nd time and bham!


People often cite the phrase "listening" to the kava. This is deeper and broader than apparrent/usual in these cases.

Maybe that is exactly it? Learning what the cultivar is doing for you.

Like music even. It can take a little while getting more famiiar with certain tracks before they become your all time favorites.


Just some thoughts anyway.

My AAA Lawena and Wow combo is kicming my ass tonight. Great combo. The WoW offsets the really pure headiness of the Lawena, and brings settling anxioulysis more heavily into the frame.

 

[The Kap'n]

Oh, another thought on reverse Kava tolerance came to me tonight.

In relation to my proposition that there may be a consciousness, "tuning in" sort of recognition Factor.

It was a very well known phenomenon in 60's/70's hippy culture, that very often, the 1st time somebody smoked pot- they didn't get stoned. Although they acted it to others in ost cases.

2nd time and bham!


People often cite the phrase "listening" to the kava. This is deeper and broader than apparrent/usual in these cases.

Maybe that is exactly it? Learning what the cultivar is doing for you.

Like music even. It can take a little while getting more famiiar with certain tracks before they become your all time favorites.


Just some thoughts anyway.

My AAA Lawena and Wow combo is kicming my ass tonight. Great combo. The WoW offsets the really pure headiness of the Lawena, and brings settling anxioulysis more heavily into the frame.

Excellent thoughts. I would say that there is a HUGE component to focusing yourself and actually listening to the kava.

 

[Groggy]

I am someone who takes breaks from drinking kava all the time and I never had a problem going back several weeks later. If anything, when I take a 2 week break and have kava again, I feel 3X more krunked. My tolerance tends to drop but within a couple days I'm back to my usual 6 tbsps.