Kava - If You've Taken It Or Know Anything About It

Peata

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Is it considered Peaty or no?

I was looking for something to take on occasion in case of stressful conditions or to help calm and focus once in a while.

I know that years ago there was a big scare about it causing liver damage, but wasn't sure if that was really kava doing it or something else people were taking.

Anyone's experience or knowledge is appreciated.
 
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i've taken it. Ugh I hate the taste, I hate the physiological effects.

I doubt occasional use is harmful but I will never use the stuff.
 
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Peata

Peata

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i've taken it. Ugh I hate the taste, I hate the physiological effects.

I doubt occasional use is harmful but I will never use the stuff.
what effects did it have?

I only remember trying it a couple times years ago, when it first started to get popular in the media here. I got some store brand, and don't recall it making me feel bad, but who knows if it was really kava in there.
 
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Peata

Peata

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Progesterone not working?
I haven't been using it much, just four drops a day lately in 2nd half of cycle to help with estrogen. I wanted to see about adding something else to the lineup in times of intense stress. Sometimes I'll use theanine. Have you been using progesterone for stress?
 

Pet Peeve

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I haven't been using it much, just four drops a day lately in 2nd half of cycle to help with estrogen. I wanted to see about adding something else to the lineup in times of intense stress. Sometimes I'll use theanine. Have you been using progesterone for stress?

Yes, works great but as a guy I feel not so great if I take it too often, maybe estrogen gets too low? A couple of times a week though is really destressing and relaxing. Peat even says to take some after physical injury. If you take a good dose of progesterone try to take a tablespoon of glycine at the same time on an empty stomach, the glycine upregulates 5-ar so you get the usual good effect from progesterone with the added benefit of increased downstream hormones including allopregnanolone. The progesterone glycine combo feels similar to 5-a DHP but even better.
 
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Peata

Peata

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Yes, works great but as a guy I feel not so great if I take it too often, maybe estrogen gets too low? A couple of times a week though is really destressing and relaxing. Peat even says to take some after physical injury. If you take a good dose of progesterone try to take a tablespoon of glycine at the same time on an empty stomach, the glycine upregulates 5-ar so you get the usual good effect from progesterone with the added benefit of increased downstream hormones including allopregnanolone. The progesterone glycine combo feels similar to 5-a DHP but even better.

What is a good dose of progesterone for this in your opinion?
 

Pet Peeve

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What is a good dose of progesterone for this in your opinion?

Around 10 mg for me, but you can try more if you want. I once took a lot by accident, probably a lot more than 20 mg and I almost couldn't move because I was so relaxed, very comfortable but not sure it's good to take these high doses for a guy, at least not often. The allopregnanolone effect takes around 12 hours to manifest it feels like.
 

Diokine

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Sometimes Kava makes me feel fantastic, almost like a drunk-opiate type sedation. Very pleasant. Other times it hurts my stomach terribly and makes me feel disassociated. I don't use it too often.
 
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what effects did it have?

I only remember trying it a couple times years ago, when it first started to get popular in the media here. I got some store brand, and don't recall it making me feel bad, but who knows if it was really kava in there.

it's relaxing. Causes a feeling of wellbeing. Easy to work, easy to talk to people. A little speedy but nothing that would stop sleep.
 

Kyle M

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I've taken it as a drug, not the form in little pills. A couple of times I made it at home (buying the powder online) and it was not that bad and the high was pretty fun. A couple of other times drinking it was a huge chore, disgusting and nearly making me sick, and the high was not even really there. I got all of my kava powder from nakamalathome.com and it might have been that some of the strains were better than others, I tried several, but I didn't keep track of which ones I used when it was more pleasant and less pleasant so I can't say for sure.

If anyone is curious, the high is almost a cross between being drunk and smoking weed, closer to weed I think but with none of the paranoia some people get or the inability to keep up conversation coherently. The body high is like weed but mentally it's more like just being a bit drunk. The biggest challenge is stomaching the stuff, the taste is revolting and your body tells you right way that it's not something good to drink. You have to force it completely. When it's thin and watery it's not so bad, but sometimes when I made it, it came out very thick and that was the worst. But I think it's a fun thing to try. I don't know anything about the low dose pills and teas though, I've only ever had the real thing the way the South Pacific islanders have it.
 

jyb

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I tried some Kava from a reputable source imported from the Pacific. I experimented with it to test its effect on sleep, and I did find that it can be sedating at bedtime and help trigger sleep. However, at the end of my experiment it wasn't clear how deep the sleep was nor whether it had a good effects for the following day. Oddly enough, I never got a very strong high from it, despite having used a source many users recommend highly. Only a slight sedation effect. Not sure yet what I'm doing to do with my Kava stock, it was very expensive so might resell or experiment again if I have a reason to.
 
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Peata

Peata

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Thanks for the interesting feedback. The only thing I could find locally was Yogi Kava Stress Relief Tea bags. I bought it today and will probably try it tomorrow.
 
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I've researched kava and taken it quite a bit so here's my experience:

1. You have to get a good brand. Bad brands are made from "wild" or "dirty" kava, which is the undomesticated version of the kava plant. "Noble" kava is the domesticated version. If you want a brand on amazon that's good, here's one. Kalm with kava is good and only uses "noble" strains IIRC.

2. The liver damage seems to have been caused by greedy or inept farmers/sellers of kava who sold the leaves as extracts. The leaves contain liver-toxins (hepatotoxins). The roots usually don't hurt people but it can mess with your liver enzymes.

3. Kava contains "kavalactones" which have a wide range of effects, most of them seemingly protective. I once read an in-depth study saying that kava is anxiolytic yet doesn't hinder cognition because it only activates GABA subtypes in the limbic system rather than in the cortex, so you should retain memory. Kavalactones are GABAergic, cannabinoidergic, dopaminergic, NMDA antagonists.

I've drunked the root and also vaporized kavalactone extracts as a kava "dab". The effects usually start the instant you drink, it seems to be absorbed by the mucus membranes instantly. Your mouth and face will get a little numb. For the first hour, a pleasant and gentle anxiolytic euphoria will build up, and then it's suddenly gone, and you just feel stoned, not necessarily happy. This is why traditionally kava is drunken every 30min-1hour, in a small amount. So you keep restablishing euphoria, and the stoned feeling builds up until you pass out. The reason you feel a progression of great and buzzed and then stoned is because of the half-lives of kavalactones.

Drinking kava with friends is actually really fun, and I've had great times introducing kava to my friends.

Don't drive while on kava and if you feel sick or any pains discontinue immediately.

Also kava will probably not have any long-term beneficial effects and will be a band-aid, you will probably be disappointed :\
 

nikkmm

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I have used it to help with sleep and anxiety. I bought it as a tincture and made it with valerian tea. @ecstatichamster is right it tastes horrible. But effective at first. I found it lost its effects after using it a few nights in a row.
 
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Peata

Peata

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I tried the tea two evenings in a row, about three days apart. The tea tastes good, imo, because it's mixed with spices and flavor. But I didn't notice any effect from it. Once I let the tea steep for 35 min, another time for 5 min.
 

whit

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I tried the tea two evenings in a row, about three days apart. The tea tastes good, imo, because it's mixed with spices an flavor. But I didn't notice any effect from it. Once I let the tea steep for 35 min, another time for 5 min.
I used the tablets and extract to quit smoking a while back. It did help but the dose either had to go up or concentration of the extract. The flavor was as bad as I've ever tasted. Also it has a good numbing affect for a sore throat or tooth. It seems to abate cramps quite well.
The cognitive effect seems a bit hit or miss at times and that is potency dose and tolerance I believe.
We use herbpharm extract now for acute issues.
Idea labs Lapodin product has been more consistent for the calming/stablizing effect for me.
Hope this helps.
 

Frankdee20

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Finding high quality sourced Kava is typically the issue with using it. Then when you do, you have to make it in a traditional way, which gets messy. It does taste awful, but you can find a high quality/high Kavalactone content paste, but that’s expensive too. I don’t think the dried capsules available commercially in standard Vitamin Shoppe’s are very potent. Good suppliers exist though. It seems to not cause downregulated GABA receptors, but the opposite, which is good. The exact mechanism isn’t well known, but it may have MAO I properties as well, on Norepinephrine.
 

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