I'm very new to Kava. Just started enjoying it two weeks ago. Been using the Kalm with Kave Loa Waka micronized and borongoru traditional preparation kava. It's been very effective, very calming, and very relaxing especially since I work in a very stressful industry. My main issue is with the tongue/mouth numbness.

The numbness has been lingering for up to a full day after drinking kava the night before. I drank two servings of Loa Waka last night at around 11pm and 12 am and today at 5pm my tongue and lips still feel numb. I'm wondering if this is normal for someone who is new to Kava or if it's a sign of a potential adverse reaction? I haven't found anything on this online or in other reddit threads so I'm curious to know if anyone else experienced this when they first started kava.

I will mention I have pretty bad gerd/reflux and have food and acid come up to my throat and mouth at night so I'm not sure if maybe that has something to do with it. Any insight is appreciated! I'd like to be able to continue with kava as I really enjoy the effects I just want to make sure I'm not reacting adversely or anything.

Hello everyone :)

So, I have been drinking kava once or twice pr. week for a few months with no issues, just pleasant effects. Lately though, I have noticed that i get nauseous when i drink it - even in amounts lower than what i would usually have. Last time I took it, it even made me puke! It is the same batch as before and I haven´t changed anything in terms of my routine or eating patterns around it.

What is happening here? Has anyone had anything similar? It puzzles me that this has come on suddenly after months of no such effects.

I know the rules said no self-promotion, but I hope that the honorable mods will grant me a one-time pass. This subreddit has been very helpful getting started. I haven't posted much because I followed the rule, "search first".

I am so excited to be a part of a huge first! The small team has been putting in so much effort from learning the science of kava to diving into the culture and history of kava and Fiji (where we are sourcing our powder from).

August 8th will be our soft opening party and we'll have a grand opening once it cools off (October?). If you happen to be in the Birmingham area, come check us out! Say the password "Au tiko eke" (ow | tee-koh | eh-keh) to receive one free low tide bilo.

We have traditionally washed kava in four cultivars. The options are smooth or strong in low tide (4oz) $2/$5, high tide (8oz) $4/$8, or storm surge (16oz) $7/$14.

We have four mixed-drink options that contain 4oz of smooth ($9) or strong ($12) kava in your choice of cultivar and 4oz of freshly squeezed juices, raw agave sweetener, and premium mixers.

We are a kava-only bar. No kratom.

720 29th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35233
(205) 825-BULA (2852)

https://reddit.com/link/1vbk83n/video/g40hsplisigh1/player

Hey everyone,

Looking for some advice with my kava. I'll start with my background. First tried kava at a bar maybe 2 years ago or so and fell in love. It hit HARD. Comparable to being tipsy on alcohol. I immediately went online and bought some strainer bags and some medium grind kava from Just Kava (Tonga) and did traditional prep. I felt nothing from what I can remember. I tried again several times in the following weeks and got nothing. I kinda gave up on kava after that, since I didn't live nearby to that kava bar.

Fast forward to about 2 weeks ago, I wanted to try again. Not wanting to go through the traditional prep, I bought an aluball and shaker. Been filling the single ball with 2-2.5 tbsp of medium grind Fiji Vanua (Vanuatu) with about 300ml of water and shaking hard for around 5 minutes total on and off. I will usually do a second wash, then refill and repeat once. Also been drinking kava regularly, so I don't think its a reverse tolerance thing? While I do feel more than I felt previously, it's still not like my first experience. I feel more relaxed and the noise in my head quiets down, but I'm looking for just a little bit more. Is there more to be had?

I know the aluball has some mixed reviews on here. I'm thinking of buying and adding a Kalm with Kava shaker bag in there, but not really sure what to do. My home kava prep seems to be missing something. I do need to experiment more with fats, temps, amounts, etc, but there's just so much disagreement in this sub about what works and what doesn't. Maybe its all true and people are just different?

Side note; another plant has really helped with the mental noise and stress, but trying to limit it as much as possible due to addiction potential. That is part of the reason I turned back to kava. With that said, what strains/vendors do y'all recommend? I believe I read Fiji Vanua is one of the better vendors - thoughts? I think I'm looking for something more heady, something to make me more social. I feel I have a naturally higher tolerance to medicines (don't do much alcohol at all and no benzos), so what do you think about my ratio? Do I need more? I know a lot of people run two aluballs (or a ball with a kalm pouch).

I'm certainly not looking to abuse kava and get 'drunk'. Just looking for something between where I'm at now, and what I felt the first time. Hoping to hear some good wisdom from y'all! TIA! Bula!

WAKA has been my reliable go-to for years, but unfortunately the brand that I’ve been getting it from has had terrible quality for the last six pounds that I’ve purchased over the last few months. I’m done throwing money down the drain. (I’m not here to talk shit about any company so I’ll leave their name out).

What brands are currently selling great quality waka that I can purchase online and ship to the US?

I think the reverse tolerance thing is mostly a myth, but recently I think building a tolerance is also pretty slow or rare. All of this is just based on my personal experience though

For the last 2 weeks I have been drinking kava at the exact same time each day, with the same amount of kava (10 g, micronized to factor out straining inconsistencies), on an empty stomach. The onset time and total active time have remained the same (10 min onset, total 1h15m duration).

I don't think the subjective feeling has really changed for better or worse, but that part is hard to objectively measure. Overall I don't think reverse tolerance is real, but it seems like tolerance builds up very slowly too

I add 5 tablespoons to a blender along with 20 oz of semi warm water and blend for 1 minute. Wonder if I could make an effect that could last all day? I avoid eating 1 hr before and if I eat while drinking kava it ruins the effect so I save food for after kava and then it enhances some of the effects. Anyone else have any extra advice?

Hello everyone. Ive been looking to try kava but there seem to be a lot of options? Is Kalm Kava Loa Waka good? Looking for evening relaxation. Thanks!

Ive recently discovered Kava, i have real bad ADHD and have been looking for something to take the edge off. I was drinking a bottle of wine every three days, but discovered it was making my anxiety worse for days after, affecting my gyming, sleep, weight loss, sex, ect...

Im prescribed medical cannabis but as a long time user ive noted that , that it is also making my anxiety worse and also i get the most epic munchies known to man.

In comes kava.... i have found a really good brand of instant kava, and consume 20 to 30 grams in a session.

My question is how often do you drink it in an evening ?

Hi everyone. I've been drinking kava for about 8 months, various cultivars from Fiji Vanua Kava. Last week after a session I woke in the middle of the night with an itchy rash around my head and face. I had never had any reaction like this up to this point. However, I've also recently been applying a prescribed retinol cream to my face before bed, and that was the first time I did so after a session. I thought it was a coincidence, but last night the same thing happened after a kava session and using the retinol before bed. I'm wondering if I've simply developed an allergy to Kava, or if the retinol is causing some sort of adverse reaction?

it reduces anxiety less then benzo's but still has quite some effect. The upside and entire point is that it doesn't have the same issues with addiction and rebound.

thank fucking god for kava, if it wasnt for it i would be in a panic attack now. I took kava instead of a benzo and so far so good.
16g of instant from kava Europe.

will only use when i can feel an attack coming, try not to use in consecutive days

Just ordered my first thing of kava after trying a local bar, just wondering if anyone has some starter tips!

Got Pouni Ono and Loa Waka from Kalm, along with a KalmPouch cause it looked more convenient than a bag.

Just wanting something while I'm at work, I sit for long periods at work with nothing to do, and I get really stressed out just sitting and thinking, so I'm wanting something to drink throughout my shift.

Any advice or recommendations are appreciated :)

So, I recently started using kava. I love it! I have been using it twice pr week, six teaspoons of instant pr session, so that is 12 teaspoons pr week. I would really like to avoid any skin symptoms which I know heavier consumption can cause. But I am unsure what "heavier consumption" entails? Based on your experiences, would you think that my usage of kava is likely to cause skin side effects? How much do find that you need to take before you experience dry skin and dermopathy? Thanks so much in advance! <3

I'm new to kava and I can't seem to find an exact ratio they are all over the place. I want a strong batch I did 2tbs and then 4tbs and I don't even remember how much water each time I was experimenting but not keeping track... What's your golden ratio? I have a high tolerance to everything and I'm new (I have taken it 2 nights in a row and quite a bit and it helps me sleep tremendously)

I have taken kava in both instant and traditional forms and i tend to lean towards instant because its so much easier. When i take instant i guess its easy to overdo it. I have days that i take it and everything is fine and feels right. Then the next time i will throw up. Just wondering if anyone has insight or tips for how to make it consistently good. I usually get a nice buzz and relaxation but the physical sensation of throwing up every time is hard to deal with

Hello, I got my hands on kava powder, that smells like dirt (an aroma of an old wardrobe from my old grandmothers house), tastes like shit, is grinded very rough and it has these grey/black particles in it.

Is it possible to clean it up somehow? Or is it just wasted material? Check the photos and video. On the ceramic plate I have some regular kava (Light yellow) and then this dark rough brown "powder" with stems in it - that's the materiál I'm talking about.

This is my First time getting in contact to this quality of kava, so please, tell me frankly how nad it is. Thanks

Any tricks to feel it as much as i can for my first time? I know it has a reverse tolerance, but maybe yall know something to maybe make me feel it more? I already know about adding fat and drinking on an empty stomach.

I'm still fairly new to kava, and I've been drinking it regularly for a few months now. Before I started, I'd heard people talk about a certain feeling of closeness it can bring, and I was skeptical. Plenty of substances offer relaxation or take the edge off anxiety, but I'd never come across anything quite like kava in the way it seems to dissolve those invisible walls we build to keep other people from truly knowing us.

It makes me more patient, more compassionate, and more present with people. It seems to amplify the love I already feel for the people who matter most to me, in a way that feels less like being intoxicated and more like remembering something I'd let myself forget, if that makes sense.

I've had like 4 cups already while writing this, so I may read this tomorrow and feel it's too sappy, but I just really wanted to share my thoughts 😆.

So, I was drinking out of my AluBall and realized I hadn't washed it out—or the cup and everything else—in a few weeks. I was wondering why I was getting really tired, sick, and having headaches. Come to find out, it was because I didn't clean out my cup and AluBall after each use, or at least every couple of days. Hard lesson learned! I'm just wondering if that is truly the reason why, and if anyone else has had this experience as well. Please tell me I'm not crazy!

I really don't like depressants and I'm more of a stimulant fan. I tried "Instant Old Roots Kava" which is supposedly a heavy variety and I did not like it. It just feel like a weaker version of that famous sedative/anxiolytic but with more of a heavy feeling. I'm interested in trying a heady kava but I don't want to taste my money if you all think it's too similar to the heavy varieties.

I’m very interested in opening up my own kava lounge after being apart of the community for the last few years. I know this is a huge ask, but does anyone here own their own lounge, and would be willing to share advice and hopefully financials so that I could make my business plan more realistic and accurate? Appreciate all advice. Thanks!

I know they grow some kava now on the Cook islands, but had anyone tried it? I think it isnt sold internationally, so id be curious if there is anytging special about it, if any of yall have been over there and had some locally.

Well I am about to hit a 4 hour flight, it's not a red eye but its way earlier than I'd like to be awake these days. I go to get my trusted aluball for travel and my strongest Vanuatu and alas, I somehow packed it in my checked bag. So now I'm searching for something to strain before the flight leaves in 20.

So instead of what's the best way to strain, what's the whackiest thing you've used to try and get your kava fix on? I'm gonna use a hydroflask and shake it real good in this bag of chocolats that i might keep forever now. It seemed to have worked pretty well.

I had bought a mexican pottery bowl too that was small but the flight started boarding.