Posted by Viridis on April 1, 2003, at 20:45:09
In reply to is kava kava as effective as benzos?, posted by den2 on March 31, 2003, at 18:13:35
I've tried kava kava in various forms, at various doses. I agree with Catmint that the liquid emulsion is most effective, but very hard to swallow (literally) -- it tasted to me sort of like a weird mixture of dish detergent and very strong cilantro, with a slimy mouth feel.
I have gotten some calming benefits from it, but find benzos much more effective and reliable.
One concern with kava is that long-term use can cause health problems, and it's been linked to quite a few cases of liver failure. I believe that it was recently pulled off the market in Canada for this reason. So, just because it's "natural" doesn't necessarily mean it's safe, although it is used traditionally and apparently regularly in some parts of the South Pacific.
poster:Viridis
thread:214835
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030329/msgs/215255.html