Newbie with sensitive stomach

[EM81]

Hello everyone!

This is my first post in the forum after having discovered this fascinating plant/drink, pleased to be here!

So yesterday I had my first Kava session, and my first impression was very positive. I had ordered a couple of bags of KavaKing instant vanuatu mix, and had 2-3 cups with 2 tsp in each, with about 20 mins between each cup.

I must say I actually enjoyed the taste, and the effects came on very quickly, very pleasant and nice I can certainly learn to love this drink!

But, there is a but...

I started feeling weird in my stomach, kind of a swollen tender feeling, particularly on the left side. This got me worried, because four years ago i was diagnosed with pancreatitis (alcohol induced) and had to quit drinking alcohol altogether (which is what started my search that eventually caused me to try out kava as an alternative). The pain/uneasiness/swollenness carried over to today, and I still have some pain in my stomach, around the navel mostly. Stomach pain is the main symptom of Pancreatitis, and therefore I´ve gotten quite worried that kava might have induced another attack.

Is it normal for kava to cause stomach pain? Has anyone heard of Kava triggering pancreatitis in sensitive individuals like myself?
Or could I have gotten bad Kava? Has anyone experience with KavaKing?

Regards, Even

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

Kava king has makas in the micro. And rherefore is for sure going to cause digestive upset. I assume they're scraping against the scaring left behind from your past situations. or whatever damage is there. Rather than being an actual pancreas issue.
Kind of like lemon juice on an ulcer.
I recommend you strain your kava king stuff and or try another product .

For you specifically I would highly recommend instant or very well strained medium grind.

And also if you do have scaring or anything internally from what happened I recomend an astringent herb to drink and tighten up the areas and help heal quicker . Like plantain infusion

 

[EM81]

I see... That makes sense. How exactly do I strain the KavaKing?

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

Pretty much just use warmish hot water mix it up real nice and with a paint strainer just pour it over a glass with the strainer on top and you'll see it gets out a bunch of big stuff .

Makas are hard fibrous fibers that can't be digested . Chris at gourmet hawaiin kavas micro is free of makas but it still might be a bit rough for you.
Medium grind well strained is the best bang fr your buck and easiest on stomach.

Instant is best on stomach but expensive .
Instant is fresh kava evaporated, which makes it much moister energetically and prevents dermo very nicely

 

[EM81]

Cool. Could I also use nylon socks?

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

Absolutley . The finer the micron (holes) are the better.

 

[Jana]

I'm currently using Kava King Berry Blend. I have an *extremely* sensitive stomach. I think someone here referred to me as having the constitution of a princess lmao. I've tossed my cookies more than a few times with kava but I keep coming back. I'm a fighter. Lol.
If this brand has the makas in it that sure would explain a ton. However, I noticed taking my dosage down to teaspoons helps immensely in terms of nausea. I wait a good 15-20 minutes before each teaspoon as well. The berry flavor is pretty amazing though if you don't really care for the taste of kava.

 

[Squanch72]

Use Welch's orange pineapple juice instead of water during prep. Helps me when my belly is feeling rough.

 

[Deleted User01]

Dude, I will tell you what I tell everyone. If you have side effects (and many do), start with Nene from @Gourmet Hawaiian Kava. The Ancients Hawaiians used to give it to their kids. But don't get any ideas about giving it to kids (though it is tempting). Point is, Nene is the most noble and innocent of all kavas and you will sleep like a log. Good beginners Kava. Good luck!

 

[TheKavaSociety]

Yea, lots of people get GI issues from Kava King. I am not sure if that's because their micro has makas or simply because it's micro (could be both). Someone has also said it could contain some tudei, but not sure. In general, micronised kava is not a great option for those with senstivie stomachs. Instead, try going for a milder-tasting cultivar and strain it in nut milk bag.

 

[Deleted User01]

@Henry, I just want to add my 2 cents. First off, Micronized without Makas (ghk), in my case, is perfect. Full spectrum Kava without the crappy fibers. Second, Nene is about as mild as you can get in my opinion. And it is no wonder that True Kava ranked it as number 1 in nobility. Yeah, I know, the more noble the less it is going to knock you on your ass. But that's ok with me, I just want to relax and with no side effects. Newbies who are having problems should always go to nene. If nene, gives them problems, then Kava is not for them. If Nene sits well, then slowly try other kavas but high on the Nobility Ladder. That's the way I look at it. The rest of you guys (like me), with junkyard dog constitutions, you'all can do anything without problems.

 

[EM81]

Thanks for the replies. I have a doctors appointment tomorrow to be on the safe side. Will wait for my stomach to settle, and then try to strain the King in a couple of nylon stockings or similar and take it from there. It´s a bit tricky to get hold of kava where I am, so at the moment this is what I have. Very irritating, as this powder seemed very convenient to take when on the go or out with friends etc.

What exactly are the symptomps people are experiencing when having GI issues with Kava? Nobody has heard of kava triggering pancreatitis?

 

[TheKavaSociety]

@Henry, I just want to add my 2 cents. First off, Micronized without Makas (ghk), in my case, is perfect. Full spectrum Kava without the crappy fibers. Second, Nene is about as mild as you can get in my opinion. And it is no wonder that True Kava ranked it as number 1 in nobility. Yeah, I know, the more noble the less it is going to knock you on your ass. But that's ok with me, I just want to relax and with no side effects. Newbies who are having problems should always go to nene. If nene, gives them problems, then Kava is not for them. If Nene sits well, then slowly try other kavas but high on the Nobility Ladder. That's the way I look at it. The rest of you guys (like me), with junkyard dog constitutions, you'all can do anything without problems.

Nene (just like any other product from @Gourmet Hawaiian Kava ) is obviously great, but just to clarify: it's not "more noble" than other GHK kavas (or any other kava that is certified as noble by Garry). Nobility is a bit like pregnancy: kava is either noble or it's spiked with crap. Nene simply had the lightest colour, so it was quantitatively number 1, but qualitatively it was the same as all other noble kavas. I know you know this, but I just want to make it clear to the new guys in case they misinterpret your post and think that some GHK kavas are "less noble" than others.

I know you like your micro and I know that lots of people love micros, especially those from GHK and @Kalm with Kava (who also tries to remove much of the makas) and it's indeed a fantastic option. I myself however prefer traditional prep, traditional smoothness, etc. Just my personal preference. And when I strain my kava through a fine nut milk bag it never gives me any nausea.

So my recommendation to newbies is: drink noble, avoid makas (so either strain noble powders or drink micro with no makas) and get some nice chaser to kill the bitter aftertaste.

 

[TheKavaSociety]

Thanks for the replies. I have a doctors appointment tomorrow to be on the safe side. Will wait for my stomach to settle, and then try to strain the King in a couple of nylon stockings or similar and take it from there. It´s a bit tricky to get hold of kava where I am, so at the moment this is what I have. Very irritating, as this powder seemed very convenient to take when on the go or out with friends etc.

What exactly are the symptomps people are experiencing when having GI issues with Kava? Nobody has heard of kava triggering pancreatitis?

IMHO, no point straining kava kings stuff as all particles will be of roughly the same size. It's not like they keep the makas larger and you can fiter them out. They simply grind the whole root, all fibers, the whole thing. GHK removes hard fibers after he harvests fresh kava. KWK tries to filter our the big fibers before they micronize their powder. That's the difference. So trying to strain kava king is a waste of time and money. If you want to use less makas, just use less powder. But also note that your problems could potentially be due to their kava containing tudei and not just makas, so that's another reason why straining could be a waste of time.

 

[TheKavaSociety]

symptoms of GI issues due to too much kava in general (even if it's noble): a bit of bloating, gas, nausea

symptoms of bigger GI issues, mainly due to makas and non-noble kava, even in small quantities: diarrhea, stomach pain, bloating, extreme nausea, vomiting

 

[EM81]

How long do the symptoms of bigger GI issues persist for? It´s now 24hrs + and I´m still uncomfortable...

 

[TheKavaSociety]

How long do the symptoms of bigger GI issues persist for? It´s now 24hrs + and I´m still uncomfortable...

what are your symptoms? If you feel tired, lethargic, generally like crap and experience GI issues 24h after a small kava session, then my suspicion would be that your kava was either heavily spiked with tudei or an actual tudei kava. To be sure you would have to perform an acetone test, but I personally would just stop using this particular kava, especially as this is not the first report of someone getting tudei-like effects from Kava King kava.

 

[EM81]

The symptoms are a kind of tenderness in the left side of the abdomen, and some pain in the middle and upper abdomen. Other than that I had quite an "eager" BM this morning, but no tiredness and lethargy. But don´t feel like a king though, mostly because of the stomach discomfort.

 

[TheKavaSociety]

well, this could just be your body, reaction to makas or perhaps this kava does indeed contain some tudei. God knows. I would personally recommend against drinking this stuff and suggest purchasing some nene (as per @Deleted User01 's recommendation) or any other noble kava.

 

[EM81]

Do GHK ship to Europe?
As i understand it micronized from Kalm with Kava could also be an option?
The good thing about the Kava King was that it wasn´t that expensive, whereas the above mentioned are. Any tips on good quality stuff that is a bit cheaper?