kava kava anyone?

Holly J · Post by **Holly J** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 4:35 pm

anyone try kava kava? supposedly its supposed to work like a sedative and takes affect in 20-30 min . just wondering if anyone tried it and like it. i take ativan but i hate how it makes me feel disconnected but i need something to calm me down. does it make you sleepy or spacey?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 5:47 pm

Holly,

I imagine each person will have different responses to it. I have used it on occasion over the last year and it works well for me. I also take 250mg of valerian root with it when I take it. I bought a bottle of 60 caps last July and still have about 20 left. I use it as a sleep aid when adjusting meds. No side effects for me.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 6:40 pm

Holly, you may want to search online about KavaKAva. I heard of a continual capsule usage affected the kidneys, but I buy a liquid KAVA that I use one or 2 drops under tongue(kind of strong taste, but it is effective in calming!) made by Gaia Herbs,
Also for a Natural sleep (that dosen't kick ya' in the head like meds do!) I use Melatonin, this one is made by NOW FOODS. it is a chewable-sublingual. Chew a small amount, put under tongue.
Take care,
Rod

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 5:25 am

so does the liquid kava kave not affect the kidneys or liver like the capsules? does the melatonon actually work for sleeping? i have been jolting awake every morning in panic.its scary. thats why i take the ativan

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 1:00 pm

Hey Holly,

Sorry to hear your having panic.

Kava Kava works but natural doesn't always mean it's safer. I also made me feel spacey so I went back to the Klonopin.

Klonopin lasts in you system longer then Ativan and they are in the same Benzo family. Klonopin doesn't seem to make me feel spacey after about a week and you only take it twice a day. It stays in your system for about 8 hours.

It doesn't act as quick as the others though. If you've ever taken Xanax that kicks in real quick where Klonopin takes about 20 minutes. If you take it every day it should stop the panic though, I was taking .5 twice a day and that stopped my panic.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:53 pm

As john said, natural is not necessarily safer. I looked up kava kava on the net and there appears to be some very bad possible effects from taking it. So, I wouldn't recommend it and guess I'll look at just taking valerian root by itself. I wasn't aware of the adverse health effects until looking it up just today. I guess I wrongly assumed that if it were for sale that someone had looked at it and couldn't find any serious problems with taking it. Wrong.

I think I've tried melatonin before with no luck, but I may give it a try again when I want to use something. St. John's Wort also worked to a degree for me but more for depression than for sleep. I may revisit it also.

I know several people say that Rescue remedy works well for them, so I think I'll look into that also.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 11:58 am

Kava Kava is ok as long as you get your liver tested once in a while. Alot of medications require a liver test, I get my liver tested every 6 months because I take Paxil.

If Kava Kava work then I would keep using it, it made me spacey feeling that's why I stopped.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 2:14 pm

I've never taken kava kava but one creative writing professor of mine told us to take it and we'd get crazy dreams (!). I never tried it. Sorry, that wasn't too helpful, huh?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 2:27 pm

I have heard good things about Rescue Remedy too, but I think it works better in those that have very mild anxiety. Worth a try.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 2:28 pm

Also do you take any B complex vitamins? This may help your nervous system as well.