Kava interactions with other supplements?

[R.ticle One]

Hey all,

I'm planning to try Kava at low doses to help with anxiety/sleeplessness.

I take no prescription meds whatsoever.

I would discontinue use of a herb tincture I use now (valerian, hops, chamomile, passionflower, motherwort, california poppy) when using kava so there'd be no mixing of relaxants/sedatives.

I use muira puama ("potency wood"), it's a, ahem, "male botanical" - I couldn't find anything about interactions with it and other substances.

I take R+ lipoic acid.

I use a product with a turmeric extract, but I just read that "Curcuminoids induce glutathione S-transferase and are potent inhibitors of cytochrome P450" Does kava inhibit cytochrome P450, and would that be a bad thing?

I drink moderate amounts of caffeine containing beverages.

My other concern is coca tea - not pure cocaine, just the leaves of the tea, the kind you can get off of Amazon. They may have trace amounts of the alkaloid, but the company attributes the stimulating properties to other alkaloids present.

I'm a bit stumped as to whether this could pose a problem. I don't imagine, but I want to be sure. Wikipedia lists cocaine as "unspecified", under "Inhibitors" of CYPD26, which I've learned that you shouldn't mix with Kava.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyp2d6_inhibitor#CYP2D6_Ligands

On this page it says: "Cocaine itself is an inhibitor of the CYP2D6 isoform."

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/research/job185drugs/cocain.htm

I use ginger and fish oil.

I've done a lot of reading around, but would really appreciate any further thoughts you might have regarding the specifics I mentioned, or anything else.

Thanks!

R.ticle One

 

[jackie jones]

Vendors that sell Kava Kava tend to not mention the possibility of liver problems associated with acute doses.

This should be kept in mind when seeking a high from the root.

 

[R.ticle One]

Heya,

Well, I guess I'm not seeking a real "high" - if there's some euphoriant-like pleasure in low amounts, okay, but I'm mostly looking at it as a low dose sleep aid/anti-anxiety substance. To the best of my knowledge (and it was mentioned on the vendors site), the cases of liver problems were caused in cases where matter from the other parts of the plant - stem and leaves - were used along with the root. In other cases, users were taking medications which could already be harmful to the liver and/or interact with the kava.

 

[lenses]

You're overthinking all this a little too much. I would just dose normally, and if any problems arise, troubleshoot them as they come along.

The only real liver problems come from high dose/long time dosing. I believe you get some sort of exotic skin problem before that even happens.

 

[macropsia]

All the stuff relating to liver problems was due to consumption of extract produced the plant's aerials, which are not used in traditional prep and contain pipermethystine, which is hepatotoxic.

http://biopsychiatry.com/kava.htm

 

[alkap555]

I have tried high quality kava 84% extracts and they had no effect whatsoever .... I wouldn't worry about the side effects...titrate the dose and see what happens

 

[Jabberwocky]

do not combine with alcohol as it can put you in a stupor (personal experience 8()