skin issues

[24601]

Maybe I'm unusually prone to dermopathy? I've seen an allergist and a dermatologist and the only consensus they came to is that my skin is unusually sensitive.

Wednesday I had one light kava session. Friday I had one even lighter kava session, and then Saturday I had two sessions and today I'm on my second.

The skin around my neck today became sore to the touch but not red. My eyes are starting to feel a bit dry, I'm hoping I don't get the red, swollen eyes I got last time. That took about a week without kava to clear up. It seems to happen faster than most reported cases of dermo.

 

[greenbeen]

@Schmedward What are you filtering with?

 

[24601]

med grind, massaged in a ladies' stocking.

 

[verticity]

I have had some luck reducing my dermo by using double-layered stockings.
Also, does your skin look like this? If not it may not be dermopathy.
Reference: @infraredz classic self-experiments

 

[24601]

it doesn't look like that. It currently doesn't look like anything, it's just sore to the touch. My eyes previously were red, swollen, and sore, like seasonal allergies but it went away after I took a week off of kava. Maybe I have a kava allergy? Hopefully not bad enough to need to stop kava.

 

[verticity]

it doesn't look like that. It currently doesn't look like anything, it's just sore to the touch. My eyes previously were red, swollen, and sore, like seasonal allergies but it went away after I took a week off of kava. Maybe I have a kava allergy? Hopefully not bad enough to need to stop kava.

Hmm, I don't know, it might be related. Some people report eye redness due to drying. But the sensitivity of the skin around your neck I have never heard of. Did you inform your dermatologist you are using kava and does he/she have any idea what kava dermopathy is?

 

[greenbeen]

Try drinking twice as much water inbetween or after shells. Should stop the eye problem. Not sure about the dermo issue though.

 

[blindy107]

I always get mine starting around the neck and shoulder top area. Slowly travels down to underarms and more torso. It's just a sensation at first. Then it starts to look dry. It feels like that picture looks but is typically red and stingy. If it's red, skip the amlactin and try something more soothing like gold bond ultimate or aquaphor.

What are you drinking?

 

[The Kap'n]

This sounds like you may have a mild allergy to kava itself. We've seen it before, but usually it's much more pronounced. Have you tried some benadryl at night before bed? It always seems to help with my skin issues and itching at night while I'm asleep.

 

[avahZ]

From my very limited experience with Kava and excessive reading on the internet. Some websites will state that Dermo MAY be caused by a molecular change that results in an allergic response overtime. Some of us seem to be more sensitive to that change. I read somewhere that those with seasonal allergies maybe more prone to this. I am one of those people it seems, I have to take a Zyrtec daily for my baseline seasonal allergies. I will get a bit of a cough, runny nose, dry inner canthus(corner of eye) and itchy red eyes if I binge on Kava for a few days in a row. I do not get hives, etc. and if I ever did, that will put a stop to my Kava use. I have taken a few notes/steps to control my symptoms before they start showing up.

1: It seems to be worse if I do toss and wash, so I do NOT do toss and wash
2: If I use traditional methods and medium grind, I have to strain out ALL the maka (woody parts). I may lose some of the kava lactones, but I am a lightweight so I don't need much. Did I mention I have to strain out ALL the maka?
3: I prefer to use either GHK's micro as they remove the maka before micronizing the product. Other companies, that have a micro, do not do this that I am aware of. I stick with Chris's product for micro.
4: If I feel like my cash flow is good, I will pinch for some instant at any reputable noble only company. As stated before I am a light head so the cost/use ratios are not that bad for me.
5: That being said these steps will give me an extra day or two of Kava use without symptoms, but they will eventually return.
6: So I take a few days off to reset my system and I will take half a benadryl at night before I go on my Kava fast to knock things back until the weekend!
7: Weekend I repeat!

Seems what ever is causing my issues in primary in the makas and not so bad in the rest of the root and it seems some cultivars are worse than others (nene seems to cause me more problems even as a micro). Hopefully as time progresses I can be a bit more desensitized to kava allergy so that I can enjoy this more often, but I am happy if I can only have it on weekends. As long as I don't get full blown hives, I will be fine as I am. I got hives as a kid and I do not want to live through that again.

Hope this helps,

avahZ

 

[Kava Steve]

has anyone who has experienced this tried using coconut oil in bath water as a preventative and drink lots of fluids not just kava.... I take in at least a gallon a day of extra fluids so far so good fingers crossed...
P.s. When not using micronized use a Fijian Filter Bag available on amazon.com and when done straining leave the heavy sediment at the bottom don't drink it... Someone reported this made it so he didnt have a reaction anymore

 

[Deleted User01]

@Schmedward, it does sound like you have a Kava Allergy. Maybe compounded by seasonal allergies. Seasonal allergies + Kava gives me the old dry eye syndrome which I treat with eye drops. I would get off the powder and try kava candy, Kalm, or even instant. See if those are any better. And of course drink plenty of water during the day. I even put a glass of water by the night stand. If I had to take Benadryl at night, then I would probably quit kava. Benadryl knocks me out.

P.S. @Schmedward, you never mentioned what vendor and what strain you are using. There is probably room for experimentation there too.

 

[blindy107]

For me it's most certainly consumption of makas. I'm a notoriously half assed strainer so there could be an issue as well. I'm convinced it's a form of dermo and not an allergy in my case.

 

[verticity]

...I even put a glass of water by the night stand. ...

Even by the nightstand? That sounds pretty extreme. But you are always the wild man.

 

[avahZ]

I would have to use a no drip sippy cup. One of my alarms are on my nightstand and anything within reach gets knocked, slapped, pushed, etc trying to snooze that thing.

 

[verticity]

I would have to use a no drip sippy cup. One of my alarms are on my nightstand and anything within reach gets knocked, slapped, pushed, etc trying to snooze that thing.

Yeah, my problem is the cats try to drink out of them and knock them over.

 

[blindy107]

Hah you are a cat lady.

I feel like I have the water consumption down. It's just the delicious makas that fire me up. Takes a few days but they always hit.

 

[verticity]

Hah you are a cat lady.

Yes, I am a cat lady ... with a penis.

 

[24601]

Thanks everyone for the detailed help - I'm thinking it's a mild allergy, but I'm not sure which kava is causing it. The first time it happened I was drinking GHK's med grind Boroguru and also some local stuff that's cheaper/local so fast shipping. It seems to have done the same thing this time - red, swollen, sore eyes - and I was drinking GHK's med grind Mahakea and the local stuff. Since the common denominator seems to be the local stuff, I'm going to wait for it to clear up and then try drinking only certified noble stuff. I put an order in a few days ago for some GHK med grind Moi and don't want to waste it.

I'll also start doubling up on the stockings to see if that helps. I haven't met a doctor who knows anything about kava yet, but every doctor who looks at me says it looks just like seasonal allergies, so I'm just guessing the kava exacerbates that. I have eye drops and a nasal spray the doctor gave me, I'm taking non-drowsy anthistamine since I need to be functional during the day, and I'm moisturizing the skin around my eyes. It sucks, but hopefully once it clears up I can figure out whether drinking kava is worth risking the reaction. I think if I cut it down and don't go so hard it might be better anyway.

 

[Bubba Bula]

@Schmedward My skin doesn't get sore to the touch, but it will get heat sensitive after which I lay off the kava for a week or two and it gets goes away. I don't notice it until I'm out in the hot sun on my bicycle, and after about 20 minutes my face starts to itch. Usually during my bike ride, after say 30 minutes - the itching sensation goes away. It can also happen in a hot shower. So in my experience kava can definitely affect the skin in weird ways. My skin is naturally dry, and I think kava makes it more so which probably brings out the itching.