DOSE:

750 mg

oral

Kava

(extract)

BODY WEIGHT:

175 lb

As a person who lost their health insurance nearly two years ago, but has been suffering with severe anxiety for a few years, I have been looking for a non-prescription way to handle my constant state of panic. Because my body was in constant “fight or flight” mode, I was having problems with my adrenal glands producing too much adrenaline. That in itself was a huge medical concern, causing a strain on my heart, and continued to fuel my anxiety – a vicious cycle that had no end. A friend recommended kava, and I decided to try it.

I first tried powdered kava. I ordered it online and received the kava within a few days. The instructions told me to put one teaspoon of kava into 6 - 8 ounces of water and stir it up. It was awful. I spit it out.

My friend recommended I go to a natural herb and supplement store and get capsules of kava. I went online and researched prices, seeing as I had already spent some money on the powder with little success. I did this and found a store with very reasonably priced kava. I went in and purchased a bottle of 250 mg capsules. When I got home, I was already feeling antsy. I took 3 capsules and lay down to watch my favorite TV show. About twenty-five minutes into the show, I started feeling very calm. I didn’t feel “fucked up” per say, but I felt good, better than I had felt in a long time. There was almost a sense of floating because my tense muscles were finally able to relax. The adrenal glands above my kidneys finally stopped aching for the first time in what felt like forever.

I stayed calm for about an hour, maybe an hour and a half. Towards the end, I started to get very tired, so I took a nap. I don’t think that my tiredness was a direct result of the kava, but more or less that my body was finally able to relax, and it needed sleep. When I woke up a few hours later, the anxiety was back, but not in full force. I was able to think clearly and without feeling like I was going to black out, vomit, or cry, which had become the standard to which I was living my life.

I haven’t taken kava again in awhile, as I fear its interactions with alcohol, but I know that it is there if I need it. My experience with kava was very pleasant, and I think that just knowing that I have something readily available to me should my anxiety flare up is a huge part of why it was so helpful.

Using kava has led me to believe that I don’t need a prescription to deal with my anxiety, but that there are other options out there, and combining kava with behavior therapy, diet modification, and regular exercise, anxiety will no longer have a hold on me.

Exp Year: 2010	ExpID: 88850
Gender: Female
Age at time of experience: 25
Published: May 7, 2019	Views: 914
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Kava (30) : Therapeutic Intent or Outcome (49), First Times (2), Alone (16)