Air. Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 Hello, Has anyone tried out Kava Kava for sleep?? Maybe; Kava Kava Melatonin Valerian Hops ???????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stickler Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 (edited) https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/kava-kava Reported incidence of liver damage. Valerian pills are likely much safer, melatonin and OTC allergy meds also. Also all 3 are easier to find than kava in stores, in my experience. I've used kava, and it's not that potent in my experience. That combined with the cost and the possible safety hazards make me recommend against it. Edited June 29, 2014 by Stickler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koa Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 You might look into GABA as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 I've tried melatonin, and it didn't work for me. Bad side effects, like the ones I had with Ambien ... memory loss, sleep-eating, sleep-everything, waking up not remembering anything, groggy feeling that wouldn't go away. But a lot of people it works for, so it is one of those things you'd have to try for yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reverse The Polarity Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 Kava tastes terrible, but can be fairly sedating. Depends on where you source it from, though. The kava I tried when I was in Fiji wasn't as strong as the kava I had when I was in Vanuatu. It can also be addictive so that, plus the potential for liver damage, makes it not a good long-term solution for sleep IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stickler Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 Kava tastes terrible, but can be fairly sedating. I liked the taste of the dried powder I purchased locally...I actually stirred a tablespoon into black coffee, sweetened it and drank the rather syrupy result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malachite Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 I tried Kava Kava in it's early days of availability in the US. The risk of liver damage had not yet been determined. I remember it calming me, but also making me feel "strange." I didn't stay on it long. I completely understand that a lot of the other drugs we take for MI also can cause liver damage. The issue with Kava is that it's not regulated, you don't know what's in the formulations you buy. I'm not saying it is necessarily *more* dangerous than the other stuff a lot of us take, I would prescribe caution though, especially if you are on other MI meds. Talk it over with your pdoc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 I found kava kava didn't help with sleep unless I took a massive dose (NOT recommended) and then I found out about liver damage, so tread carefully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonicwhite Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 (edited) Kava is sold at the walgreens near me for like 30 dollars for sixty pills.....I don't think that it's like that everywhere.....and as far as I know it's legal in all 50 states but over in the UK it is not meant for consuming. So they have to by bulk powder and well you know the rest.....I tried it twice and I really didn't like it.... Edited June 30, 2014 by sonicwhite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
december_brigette Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 I took kava kava way back in the 1990's and I only took it a few times. It was so long ago that I do not remember the brand or the mgs. It was in a pill form. If I took it on a monday night that stuff knocked me out that evening. When I woke up tuesday it made me feel wonderful the rest of the week. It also had this slight ability of unabling me to recall certain events. I do know whatever brand I was taking was pulled off the shelves. I had the old bottle and called and the manufacturer said they weren't making it anymore. Take that for what its worth. As me for me and the "damage the liver shit" doesn't bother me as genetically speaking my chances of getting liver cancer are too high. Add in all the psychiatric meds I've been taking for the past 10 years and I don't really care. But at this time I have other things I must spend my money on. Although kava does linger in the back of my mind since I have not been sleeping. And maybe it would be something to discuss with my pdoc. db Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koa Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 For a while I was taking kava in an attempt to reduce my alcohol consumption. At high doses kava can have a similar effect for me, but even more sedating. I was taking it in tea form, and my problem was I'd have to use like 6 tea bags for it to have the effect that I wanted, so I eventually stopped using it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazyfroglady Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 I prefer melatonin - melatonin is natural in our body and the supplement helps (sometimes it doesn't) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Equivilency Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Kava is mellowing. I'm not sure if it would put or keep you to sleep.. To me it was kind of like taking ativan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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