Still No Effects From Kava

[archduke]

I've used kava between 5 and 10 times now, and I still get very subtle effects from it, if any. It's almost like the satisfaction I get from drinking kava is just knowing that I've injested a mind-altering substance--even if it doesn't do much most of the time.

<Source Removed> -GM

Last night I had my largest dose of kava ever. I think it was 3 tablespoons of regular root powder, plus 5 grams of lateral root powder from a free sample they sent me. (Supposedly that stuff is more potent.) So that's somewhere in the range of 10-30 grams of pure root powder...which, I would think, is a lot.

The results: little to nothing. Definitely no real body high...felt relaxed enough to stare upwards and think for 5-10 minutes, but I'd also had a long day and was a bit drained. No sensation of drunkenness, though maybe I should have walked around more after drinking the large dose. I was still able to get stressed out about lingering love life baggage...and at the same time I was able to not obsess over my pending problems and just say "fuck it for tonight".

I drink it cold (as directed) and don't blend it into drink (more than stirring it in, that is). The kava is good enough to numb my tongue and lips for maybe 5 minutes or less.

How much root do you all typically need to drink in order to get the effects I'm looking for--i.e., euphoria, sedation, body high? Right now it makes me sleepy for maybe half an hour, and I think it reduces my anxiety a bit. It does work better to make me drowsy than OTC sleeping pills, however.

 

[stirfry]

IME, the extracts don't do anything at all. from what i've read, Kava only really works if you have fresh roots, i guess it looses potency really fast. or maybe Kava is entirely placebo.

anyone on this board ever get effects from Kava?

 

[archduke]

What exactly do you mean by extract? It doesn't specifically refer to itself as that...calls itself powdered mature kava root. "Instant" kava.

 

[stirfry]

sorry, i wasn't very clear. most vitamin stores around here sell "kava extract," which is a kava infused tincture. that isn't what you had, but my point still stands; kava is supposed to be fresh if it's to have any psychoactive effects. obvisously, if you dont live in the south pacific, it would be very dificult to get fresh kava roots.

 

[Nitrous is Nice]

The best method I've used is to "massage" or just squeeze and roll around a closed teabag with the kava root in it while it's floating in warm water.

The longer you massage the kava root, the more of its active component is released into the water. (I believe...)

 

[lazydullard]

The pill extracts work for me. I just have to consume the entire 20 dollar bottle at once -- not tasty, not pleasant, and expensive.

I feel slightly dizzy, shorter attention span, but generally all around relaxed and chilled. I could happily watch TV or play a hard video game and die 50 times trying to win. No desire to socialize, much the opposite, really; just wanna be quiet and chill.

The canned kava works for me. I actually use at least half the tin at a time -- unflavored. I mix/stir thouroughly with a lot of water, then strain through a t-shirt. the result should be easy to drink. won't feel like sand, and it'll taste like black peppercorns and dirt. I haven't had the numbing feel before, except when I chewed on the pill extracts.

sometimes I'll take the mass of kava-dirt in the t-shirt, and constantly dunk and squeeze in another batch of water, to get the rest of the small particles out. Drinking the thick dirt seems to actually slow down absorption -- prolly cuz you have a freaking lot of kava dirt in your belly.

kava's fun. it's effects peak off at a certain place, and increased doses after that will just result in indigestion or stomach/liver pain.

that's my expiernece. good luck

 

[mewmew2]

The key to Kava is getting it from a quality supplier. The grocery type store stuff doesn't effect me much, but with the correct vendors you can catch a significant buzz. I often buy bulk powdered and it does the job.

 

[Ham-milton]

sorry, i wasn't very clear. most vitamin stores around here sell "kava extract," which is a kava infused tincture. that isn't what you had, but my point still stands; kava is supposed to be fresh if it's to have any psychoactive effects. obvisously, if you dont live in the south pacific, it would be very dificult to get fresh kava roots.

I don't think that's true. I don't think there's anything to suggest that kavalactones are particularly sensitive, are they?

 

[fizzacyst]

Most, almost all, of the extracts I have seen do not have any guaranteed amount of any chemical. Some have been so dilute that there is no way they'd affect you.

I found one that had 64mg kavalactones (no clue as to which ones specifiaclly) per "serving" (about 30 or so in the bottle), and it worked very well. Sedation/relaxed feeling, mellowed out, went fantastic with a bit of hash. I'd get like 10 uses out of one of those, not expensive either really. keep looking around.

 

[Cloaking Toaster]

Yeah I've tried Kava twice, once i just drank half of a bottle of the tincture and got a mild high from it and the second time i broke open half a bottles worth of capsules and brewed a tea out of it with little effects felt at all.

 

[simplechamp]

in my opinion almost all things that are legal are bogus, i know there are a few exceptions, but stuff like poppy pods and research chems are in the grey area of legality, and even most entheogens are sold strictly as incense or lab specimens not to be consumed

i got all hyped when i started researching kratom and was let down big time when i did some finally, i never did kava cause i figure it would just be a waste of cash,

alcohol and nicotine are the only legal drugs that i'll bother with

 

[Lola'sCola]

If you're looking for a benzo/sedative-like high from kava or valerian, or many of the other 'herbal sedatives', then you're going to be disappointed. They just aren't that potent, and for most people myself included, the effects are so mild it isn't worth spending the money and time on...

Try poppy pods, seeds, kratom or the like. Those seem to have more noticeable/desirable effects...

 

[xxl]

in my opinion almost all things that are legal are bogus

That's a very good point I never tire of making myself. Looking back on over 20 years of drug-seeking, not a single time did a "legal high" deliver. (NB: I don't regard medicinal drugs that are controlled substances or very hard to get a prescription for as "legal highs"). Believe me, if you don't know whether something has recreational value, the regulators (the State, Society) knows. If it's any good, it gets banned or restricted in no time. People new to drugs will naively pursue herbal highs such as Kava for a few years. After a number of experiences getting diarrhea, headaches, stomach aches and God knows what undesired effects instead of a high, they will realise that the way to the dealer is the only way. Alas!

 

[Nitrous is Nice]

I have to disagree with what you're saying, xxl.

The first one is just too obvious...
Salvia (well, legal in IL 3 weeks ago) - speaks for itself
Kava Kava - very similar to the benzo feeling
Kratom - very similar to the opiate feeling
Benzedrex - IMO more euphoric (but less focused) than Adderall
Nitrous Oxide (if you want to count that as a legal high as well) - speaks for itself

^ All very cheap. Great value for the effects they produce.

I think the problem is probably in your mind. You're so damn sure that legal highs are bogus that you're going to be holding onto your mind like a steel vault any time you actually try one. No wonder they haven't worked for you (if, in fact, you have really tried a few of them more than once).

 

[xxl]

The first one is just too obvious...
Salvia (well, legal in IL 3 weeks ago) - speaks for itself
Kava Kava - very similar to the benzo feeling
Kratom - very similar to the opiate feeling
Benzedrex - IMO more euphoric (but less focused) than Adderall
Nitrous Oxide (if you want to count that as a legal high as well) - speaks for itself

I thought you were going to mention DXM, which gives a strong (but scary) high IMHO).

You can get strong -- but horrible -- highs with Belladona, Datura, Mandragora

Salvia and kratom I haven't tried.

Kava Kava makes me drowsy without the ability to sleep well. It's a neuroleptic, ie a drug that makes your brain sluggish. Not a high, rather a low. And yes, I tried different sorts and ways, including munching followed by spitting and leaving to macerate in saliva like they do in Polynesia.

Benzedrex is amphetamine. So is Addrenal (methylphenidate right?). They're difficult to get without a (special) prescription but even if you have one, amphetamines are good for sleep-deprivation, if you want to get higher and higher you soon run into cardiac problems. For amps to make you high they need to be methylated. methamphetamine, aka speed; or methylenedioxymethamphetamine, aka MDMA: here we're talking highs!

Our different opinions may have something to do with the fact that I've been there before and back. After you've tasted the big drugs, your notion of a high becomes very exacting.

LSD or magic mushrooms: there's a high!
Coke or crack: there's a high!
Marihuana: there's a high!
Heroin: there's a high!
MDMA: there's a high!

I've just checked kratom, sounds interesting. Kratom is not legal in Germany where I live (not illegal either, you get the picture)! Since it is not legal I suspect there must be something in it! Although I see Indonesia is where kratom grows. I am three times a year in Jakarta, where E and meth are all over the place, and I never heard kratom mentioned. Weird.

P.S. : I've just ordered some kratom from the Netherlands. I promise to report fairly on the high (if German customs do not intercept the shipment). Watch this space.

 

[sonic]

OP: I think your expectations were way too high. It's only kava. I've found that if you order the more expensive high grade kava root from various sources (which we can't discuss) online, you can get stuff that is definitely psychoactive and can be strong if you take a large enough dose. However, I find kava to be quite inferior to most benzos. In comparison to benzos, kava root "tea" seems to be a little more impairing, slightly nauseating, and not as euphoric as most benzos. I'm interested in hearing about how higher grade kava works for benzo withdrawal. I'm guessing that if you taper properly, it can help at least some.

 

[fizzacyst]

That I can personally attest to, as Kava kept me sane when I abruptly ran out of valium. I was almost down to 5mg/day (after 3 years at 30mg/day+ or other benzos), kind of jumping back up to 10mg when I needed it. Anyway, I had an unexpected supply problem and ran out. I stretched 4 days of valium into 2 weeks, and kept the anxiety at bay with Kava (mind you, while it helped so much I almost cried in relief, it didn't stop the full-on terror panic attacks).

Also, if you are getting extracts or raw plant matter, MAKE SURE it is only using the rhizome. Lots of places will sell you stuff that is made from the roots (which are different than a rhizome), or much worse trunk tissue or leaves, etc. Some places I've seen use the word root but obviously sell rhizomes. The lack of regulation makes "nutritional supplements" kinda dodgy at best of times.

Those looking to get mongfaced should look elsewhere. If you just want some minor chill-out type effects, its worth a shot. If you are dependent on a downer of some sort, you might just want to look elsewhere too. Its not going to compare favorably.

 

[firesilverlullaby]

i got some effects when i mixed one ounce of kava powder in some cold water and stirred and shook it up in a tub aware for like 5 or 10 minutes. then i strained it with a stainer and drank it with some added sugar. It kinda felt like a drank a little bit of alcohol.

 

[center]

I've tried all the extracts, tinctures...blah blah blah.

I only got success with one type. Vitamin World Kava Kava.

It surely was psychoactive. It surely was silly. I'd rather spend the ten dollars on some flunitrazepam.

Never again!

 

[enoughorangejuice?]

kava did nothing for me except make my mouth numbish/tingly and it tastes like a cup of crack cocaine tea... (for real)