Newbie with sensitive stomach

[chandra]

Kalm with Kava is a good option. I've drank lots of their micro with no stomach issues. To the best of my knowledge they remove the makas as well. Personally I started out with micro, but I've found I prefer the medium grind. Since you have a sensitive stomach you could strain it and then strain it one more time to be on the safe side. I get better effects from medium grind than micro, but everyone is different. GHK is great too. I've tried several of their kavas and they are my favorite. I know the good kavas are more expensive, but you get what you pay for. Kalm offers micro in three different sizes so if you are really strapped for cash, you could go that route. However, in the long run a quality medium grind is cheaper. I'm on a very tight budget myself, so I understand the temptation to go the cheap route. I started off with Kalm because it was cheaper. Then I realized GHK has free shipping, at least in the US, which makes it roughly the same price as its competition when you factor in shipping costs.

 

[EM81]

Ok, thought I´d give an update on how its going. After getting stomach issues last week, I´ve put off any more experimentation until I´ve gotten rid of my symptoms. Right now it´s been exactly one week, and I still have the same stomach pains that started when I had Kava last thursday, when I had about 4 teaspoons 20mins apart. This was around 4 hours after my last meal. I had a cup of coffee about 1-2 hours before as well. I´ve seen my GP and she checked my abdomen and did my bloodwork, and everything was fine, so most likely this isn´t a serious issue.

So now I´m wondering, could this be gastritis or some other form of irritation of the upper GI tract? Have you heard of anyone having GI trouble that persist a week after a Kava session?

 

[chandra]

I'm not the most knowledgeable person here, but I wouldn't think that kava would cause that kind of irritation. Have you been experiencing any heartburn symptoms? Possible hernia? I've had a lot of stomach issues with IBS and acid reflux. Kava has actually helped my stomach. I don't get the gut wrenching cramps that I used to, and I haven't had any problems with acid reflux either. Unless you are allergic to kava, (rare, but my understanding is it can happen) I don't think it would cause it. Did you eat or drink anything different than you normally do, other than kava? Also toss the kava king or give it away. Get some medium grind or something from Kalm with Kava or Gourmet Hawaiin Kava. You really can't go wrong with any of those, in my opinion. See how it affects you. If you can handle that, then start experimenting with cheaper kavas if you like. If it makes your issues worse, then you are one of those unfortunate people that can't drink this magical beverage.

 

[chandra]

I did find this in an article about kava. The article was extremely anti-kava, so take it for what its worth. It discusses stomach problems in relation to liver issues, but if your blood tests came back normal I don't think it's the cause. "

• liver problems--nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, tired feeling, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

 

[EM81]

I have had stomach issues with drinking alcohol before. Some doctors have said it was gastritis, but the last time it was pancreatitis (which was diagnosed by ultrasound), and it might have been that some of the previous times as well. The symptoms of gastritis and pancreatitis are very similar, so they are difficult to tell apart without some form of imaging examination. I havent had alcohol for four years now and have been fine.

This is why it would be good to know if someone has had gastritis or similar for a longer period as a result of kava, since it would make it easier to rule out pancreatits. (If im not fine over the weekend I´m gonna ask my doctor for a ct scan)

@chandra I did not drink or eat anything different on that day, but I did have a fairly large dose of kava king on an empty stomach, and had coffee an hour before. I was also quite stressed/excited so all of this might have made a heavy coctail of stomach juice and kava/coffee.

Do you have a link to that article BTW?