Has anybody tried Kava Kava, and did it work?

In My Humble Opinion
21

Here’s my analysis on herbal vs. prescription based on my own experience.

  1. No health insurance. A doctor’s visit costs $60-$120 per visit. Then you have a $40-$70 prescription which for many is beyond financial abilities.

  2. I had a severe mental reaction to Wellbutrin (which can act both with anxiety and depression) that sent me over the edge. I have only two vices in my life and not willing to give either up at this time, one of which helped my reaction to Wellbutrin go further.

  3. I have always been interested in other means to control my mental issues. Some are conventional some aren’t. Herbal or supplements are my first line of defense. I work on self-talk and other ways. I have been a “mental case” all my life and live free of medications except for Benedryl for my allergies and I only take that at night when I have to. I am even ADD and I don’t take Ritalin anymore but I will defend it’s use because it is a helpful medication for many, including myself but #1 comes back into issue again because it’s a controlled substance that requires a doctor’s visit every month which is expensive.

As for Kava Kava, it works well for me. I also quit drinking coffee back in June of 2000 which helped my panic attacks disapate a lot but if I knew I was going to be in a high stress situation I would take some. Maybe it was a placebo effect as other have suggested but I am now anxiety free.

I realize that people have said that Kava Kava is not good for you but they have said that a million times about certain foods we eat only to go back on those statements later. So I figure if the peoples of the Pacific area, who have been using it for so long, it can’t be that bad for you.

Again, moderation. I am not like that with my two vices but everything else in my life is moderation.

22

WTF? It costs that in the US to have a normal appointment with your family doctor? Woah.

23

I’ve found that Naked Juice (I’m not sure if you have them in Tennesee, hillbilly queen) makes an excellent “take away the anxiety” product called Well-Being. It tastes like limeade (which it is, really) and includes ginseng, kava kava, and St. John’s wort. Half of a 16-ouncer doesn’t make me drowsy and does cause a feeling of, well, well-being without feeling totally out of it.

24

Look, I’m a basketcase, so I find it best to go the pharmaceutical route. I also think it’s better to see a shrink than a GP, because shrinks are better at honing in on the problem and prescribing the appropriate drugs. It’s unfortunate that in the U.S. you have to pay to see a shrink (it’s covered by Medicare in Canada).

All of the herbal stuff I’ve taken (including Kava Kava and Valerian) has been a waste of time and money. They did nothing for me, and to boot, weren’t covered by any insurance (the stuff I take now is).

It never ceases to amaze me that people are so adverse to taking a prescription that they’ll buy some herbal thing off the shelf - the quality of which is shaky, if not undetermined - than get a prescription for something that has been proven to work through countless studies.

I was on medical leave from work for five weeks a few years ago. They started me on Serzone®, which didn’t work well for me, then put me on Paxil®, which did work for me for a while. Still, I had incredible anxiety and panic attacks. I remember pacing around my apartment and wanting to throw myself out the window because I was so wrought with fear. Finally I decided that enough was enough. I took a bath, got dressed, and went to catch the bus to the hospital. Everything scared me. People’s knees touching mine (inadvertently) made me jump. The door of the bus scared me. The sliding doors of the ER scared me. The waiting room scared me.

Finally, I was seen by a psychiatrist. I told her that I was fed up with no one addressing my anxiety. After a long consultation, she presented me with two possibilities: a low dose of Risperidol®, which is an antipsychotic (I was not psychotic!), or clonazepam, a tranquilizer. I chose the latter, of course. I went to get the prescription right away.

In one day, the anxiety was gone.

Anxiety and panic attacks are like ping-pong balls in your head. Every time they “hit” something, you worry about something else. It’s sheer hell. Combine that with depression and the result is quite scary.

That’s my experience. I’d see a doctor if I were you.

  • s.e.
25

The anxiety isn’t very bad, just annoying. And the main reason I’m looking into a natural treatment is because of the high medical costs. My husband is diabetic, and my son is autistic. We pay about $200 a month on their perscriptions, and that’s with the insurance paying half. If I get worse, I will see a doctor.

26

Remember that all medications and herbal/supplements react differently.

scott evil, your case was very extreme from what you say. Symptoms I had were not nearly that extreme and they would pop into play only during certain circumstances. That being said, I truly believe in trying home remedies first but if your symptoms are that extreme then the best route is to seek professional medical advice.

I will never be a “one size fits all” thing when it comes to matters of the mental illness issues. It will never be that there is only one “cure” to the symptoms. Mental issues vary from individual to individual and also from one time to the next.

I was suicidal during a major depression in 1996-1997. My last depression (1999) was not nearly that extreme but panic attacks came with it. I have found that for me, personally, most prescription medications do not work. My suicidal depression was controlled by, of all things, Ritalin. The trazadone that my psych prescribed for me made me feel so much worse so between the talk therapy and the ritalin I was able to overcome a very scary period in my life.

Again, “one size” doesn’t fit all and if hillbilly queen can seek relief from her anxiety with Kava Kava then I am all for it. If she can’t then try something else. There are no absolutes in the field of mental health.

27

I don’t advocate herbs over prescription or vice versa, but to answer the question about why some would rather try the herbals, I think it is because the ads for the meds are so frightening. “May cause heart problems, may interfere with sexual function, eyes may bulge out six inches past your nose, lips can deflate, may cause sensitivity to wet and/or dry weather conditons,” and so on and so on. It’s not only herbs that can cause trouble–just that meds are supposed to be tested and proven, while the natural substances aren’t. (I do not use the term “natural” to denigrate the other–just to differentiate from synthetic. After all, dog poop is “natural.”) I do feel that the reason natural products are less than well-received by the medical profession is because you cannot patent them(for example–things like such as sugar or coffee or Vitamin C) and so they stand to make far less $$$. But people have to do what works for them–whether it’s an herbal substance or a doctor’s prescription.

Sorry if this turned into a hijack–just my thoughts on some things mentioned in other posts! :smiley:

28

Unfortunately, yep.

Unlike Canada, the UK, and probably down there, we don’t have national health insurance.