Tolerance(s)

[kl.FS315]

Another thing I'd like some input on is tolerance.  What kinda variance is there here among seasoned kava users?  Has everyone had to increase they're dosage the same increment as time goes by?  Is anyone honestly getting the same degree of effect from the same intake amount regardless of how long they've done it?

 

[Vekta]

I actually use less than when I started. I get about the same or better effects from a smaller amount with more water.

 

[kavalover]

I have been a kava drinker for about a year now, recently a pretty heavy drinker. I only need 1 tbsp per cup of water for generally mild effects and 2 tbsp per cup of water for strong effects. This is a huge decrease in kava powder from say, two months ago when I would use 7 tbsp of kava per 2 cups of water. If my tolerance has done anything in the last few months, it has gone way, way down. To the point where I popped 2 Kona Kava Pill capsules this morning before meeting with a few counselors at university, and was totally mellowed out. Still am.



I wonder how long that will last, it's nice. It's actually perfect, when it comes to desired effects in any psychoactive drug. For tolerance to go down. I've heard of much heavier drinkers though building tolerance, using much more kava than recommended in order to get effects. I'd assume that was with very heavy use of kava but I don't know.

 

[kl..]

My answer is more like the above. I use two table spoons per cup of water/milk and I feel plenty of effects. I hardly ever need more than two cups to have a nice positive feeling. It maybe that I am making it better, but I don't do anything special. I might drink more often than when I started, but I'm getting excellent effects. I do stop for one week a month, though, just to help the liver.

 

[kavalover]

I've been doing that lately, too..Small breaks. Recently I've been drinking kava no more than three times a week, but am going to cut that down to no more than 2 times a week. Not only to assist my liver and kidneys from any potential harm, but because kava has become too much a part of my 'routine'. I can't really help it sometimes, after a long depressing day I just want to slouch in the couch with a few shells. But with the recent symptoms of kava dermopathy I've been experiencing, I think I am partaking a little too often and will discontinue as such. Not only that, but I respect these roots too much to feel as though I'm abusing them.



I do love that about kava, you can say 'alright, no more kava' and that's that. No physical withdrawal symptoms, only the psychological 'I miss kava..' kind of feeling which is easily disciplined.

 

[Vekta]

Sometimes I go for a week and a half without any and then I'll pause and go "Hmm...I can't remember the last time I had kava." One time I totally forgot about it for almost two weeks. I find that funny, specially when my dad freaks out about me getting addicted to it.

 

[kl.Letharia]

Bumping this thread for more input... I'm curious how long it took others to build up their reverse tolerance, and how much they were drinking. Also, has it effected anyone differently over time?

 

[kavalover]

yes. after a month or so of daily or near daily kava consumption (maybe 8 to 12 oz of moderately strong kava per night) I have noticed my tolerance builds up. Needing more kava to reach the same level of effects ect. This is pretty heavy kava drinking though, but I would be interested if anyone has experienced this?



As if, after the reversed tolerance has built, it seems very possible to build a normal tolerance to kava as well. Though it does not last long, I have been fine after waiting 2 - 3 nights before drinking again and being back to my normal 8tbsp per 3 - 4 cups water.

 

[kl.new2kava]

I'd personally define the tolerance curve of kava as a camels humps type of curve. I notice there was an initial phase of working through the reverse tolerance where I had to consume fairly large amounts of kava to achieve even mild effects and then after around a month I began experiencing much more profound effects and started to taper my dosage down. Then I noticed a tolerance that began to build after using kava for a week consecutively where I would again have to increase my dosage to achieve desired affects. Basically now I try and session kava 4-5 days a week with a day or two in between so that my reverse tolerance stays intact but my dosage tolerance doesn't get high and I can still enjoy the effects of kava at quantities that are not excessive. I also feel that it takes a while to understand what kava is about and appreciate how it feels and also to find the type of kava that calls out to their personality. My first batch of kava was kona so needless to say I wasn't blown away but was able to pay my tribute to the kava gods, my next was chiefs and I was able to get better effects and really loved the taste but still was a little underwhelmed. By that time about a month had passed and my next batch was stone and that pretty much blew me away and I followed that up with Solomen Islands which was prolific. I was pretty loyal to tudei for a few months and have taken quite a liking to boroguro the last 6 months, I've bought 2 kilos of the stuff one I just got in last week. I really dig DHM but I can see how it's too heavy for some people. I typically use about 1/2 cup root to 1 cup coconut water and 1 cup water with a tsp of soy lectin and drink around a cup at a time and both cups within a hour, but this latest batch of boroguro been kicking my ass and I tend to pass out and wake up with a full shell in the fridge that lays me out the next day. So I think it's time to downshift the amount of kava I use per batch.

 

[kl.CarolinaBC]

That is a good bit per session.  I usually use 2-3 heaping tablespoons and I do mean heaping as it as much as I can possibly carry on the spoon.  One day I going to weight or use a real tablespoon to see how much I really use per session.

 

[endwatcher]

The longer you use Kava, the better the effects become.
It almost like you're mind has train itself to achieve its full effect.
I noticed it took me around 2-3 months for this initial "training" period to break me in, where I would go up and down in dosage.
Now it is very consistant.
There is absolutely NO TOLLERANCE issues, I'd like to point this out just in case someone new is reading this thread and is on the "fence" about using this.

It lays with the user, and with time you're mind will train itself too, and reverse tollerance "and ALL OF THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF THIS GIFT" will really kick in after the break in period.

 

[Kojo Douglas]

Yeah, the only tolerance issues that kava has tend to benefit the drinker. Like I've said elsewhere, the entry barrier to kava is pretty significant because it takes so long to realize the full effect of it.

 

[kl.new2kava]

I actually think the reverse tolerance is one of the best things kava has going for it. If it gave full effects on a first time use it would be much more likely to be exploited and abused and that may likely lead to media and legal scrutinty. I think the fact that it takes around a month and quite alot of patience to experience the power of kava makes it something that is not appealing to may people who may try and abuse it or vendors to try and make it the next legal high.

 

[Dan]

I actually think the reverse tolerance is one of the best things kava has going for it. If it gave full effects on a first time use it would be much more likely to be exploited and abused and that may likely lead to media and legal scrutinty. I think the fact that it takes around a month and quite alot of patience to experience the power of kava makes it something that is not appealing to may people who may try and abuse it or vendors to try and make it the next legal high.

I agree.  Even after learning to "sense" kava's effects, I also think that its messy, manual preparation, limited window for use (i.e., empty stomach) and most of all its taste are even greater barriers to entry.   I mean, you really have to work at brewing it, drinking it (and getting it down), and, on top of that, doing it at the right moment. 

That there are few shortcuts with kava is very good thing I think, esp. regarding abuse and "legal high"-type hysteria in the news.