Anyone ever taken Kava?

[Dis]

I just heard of this today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kava

http://www.kava.com/

the liver toxicity seems troubling, and the skin rash. But I'd like to try this once to see what the effects are. I heard about this as something that could alleviate social anxiety. And it seems a bit safer than alcohol. But I certainly would not want to mess up my liver (although alcohol does that too). It's not something I would regularly use, but I'd like to see if it improves my social ability.

And lastly, is it illegal in the U.S.? From what I read so far, it doesn't seem to be. And will it cause you to test positive on drug tests?

Strange I never heard of this until now.

[Riesstiu IV]

You could improve your sociability by not coming off as a massive pansy.

[Dis]

I am a massive pansy. What drug gets rid of that?

[Riesstiu IV]

What kind of response is that? Your supposed to say something like, "Shut your goddamn mouth, Riesstiu!"

Try doing some regular physical activity whether it's a sport or a gym routine. You'll start to feel more bold and assertive when dealing with people. It's a good confidence builder.

[Kitschum]

Or try cocaine

[Dis]

What kind of response is that? Your supposed to say something like, "Shut your goddamn mouth, Riesstiu!"

Try doing some regular physical activity whether it's a sport or a gym routine. You'll start to feel more bold and assertive when dealing with people. It's a good confidence builder.

done. well the gym thing. No sports for me, sadly.

[Dis]

Or try cocaine

I hear heroin is good. At least until you get addicted.

[Dis]

I'm gonna try this stuff. I'll field test it for you guys.

Reading about it seems amazing. If you take enough of it you can get into a stupor. why even drink alcohol? Although I suspect this stuff tastes like crap. Beer tastes so much nicer.

[Dis]

university of queensland. is this a reputable university?

University of Queensland research has found a traditional extract of Kava, a medicinal plant from the South Pacific, to be safe and effective in reducing anxiety.

To be published online in the journal Psychopharmacology are the results of a world-first clinical trial which found that a water-soluble extract of Kava was effective in treating anxiety and improving mood.

The Kava was prescribed in the form of tablets supplied by Queensland company MediHerb Pty Ltd.

Lead researcher Jerome Sarris, a PhD candidate from UQ's School of Medicine, said the placebo-controlled study found Kava to be an effective and safe treatment option for people with chronic anxiety and varying levels of depression.

"We've been able to show that Kava offers a natural alternative for the treatment of anxiety, and unlike some pharmaceutical options, has less risk of dependency and less potential of side effects," Mr Sarris said.

Each week participants were given a clinical assessment as well as a self-rating questionnaire to measure their anxiety and depression levels.

The researchers found anxiety levels decreased dramatically for participants taking five tablets of Kava per day as opposed to the placebo group which took dummy pills.

"We also found that Kava had a positive impact on reducing depression levels, something which had not been tested before," Mr Sarris said.

In 2002 Kava was banned in Europe, the UK and Canada due to concerns over liver toxicity.

While the thee-week trial raised no major health concerns regarding the Kava extract used, the researchers said larger studies were required to confirm the drug's safety.

"When extracted in the appropriate way, Kava may pose less or no potential liver problems. I hope the results will encourage governments to reconsider the ban," Mr Sarris said.

"Ethanol and acetone extracts, which sometimes use the incorrect parts of the Kava, were being sold in Europe.

"That is not the traditional way of prescribing Kava in the Pacific Islands.

"Our study used a water-soluble extract from the peeled rootstock of a medicinal cultivar of the plant, which is approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia and is currently legal in Australia for medicinal use.

"In addition to benefiting sufferers of anxiety, allowing the sale of Kava in Europe, the UK and Canada would significantly enhance Pacific Island economies, which have lost hundreds of millions of dollars by not being able to export the plant over the past several years."

it answers my earlier question. It is banned in Europe and Canada. But I don't live there

[Kitschum]

I hear heroin is good. At least until you get addicted.

Cocaine won't get you constipated, and the effect is not as long lasting. But don't if you have heart problems

[St Jon]

It is legal in the UK and, I believe, in Germany. I reckon it's good if you're working under a lot of stress or want an alternative to alcohol to wind down after a hard day.

http://www.biovea.net/product_detail.aspx?PID=436#

[Main_Brain]

Leads to massive concentration problems, stay away from i if you have a white collar job.

[Dr Strangelove]

I thought that Kava was a traditional drug in the Arabian peninsula, or is that something else?

[Kitschum]

Kava comes from the pacific. You're thinking of kat (qat), which you can try legally in the UK.

[Dis]

Leads to massive concentration problems, stay away from i if you have a white collar job.

I haven't heard anything about that. I'll have to keep an eye out for that. I'm not a big druggie anyways. I hate druggies and their lifestyle. I hate living with my brother who is a druggie. I don't even take aspirin. but I'm desperate to alleviate this anxiety.