kava

Brand name(s):

What is the most important information I should know about kava?

Kava has been shown to cause severe liver injury including hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver failure. Do not take kava if you have liver problems or take medications that can affect the liver. Stop taking kava and seek emergency medical attention if you have liver symptoms such as nausea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, itching, dark urine, clay-colored stools, or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes). You should not take kava if you are pregnant. Kava may cause weaken muscle tone in the uterus. Avoid drinking alcohol while taking kava. Alcohol may increase your risk of liver damage. Cold or allergy medicine, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression or anxiety can add to sleepiness caused by kava. Tell your doctor if you need to use any of these other medicines while you are taking kava. Kava has not been approved by the FDA to treat any disease, and it should not be substituted for prescription medications.

Kava has not been evaluated by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or purity. All potential risks and/or advantages of this product may not be known. Additionally, there are no regulated manufacturing standards in place for these compounds. Some marketed herbal supplements have been found to be contaminated with toxic metals or other drugs. Herbal/health supplements should be purchased from a reliable source to minimize the risk of contamination.

What is kava?

Kava is also known as Piper methysticum, awa, kava-kava, kew, tonga, ava, ava pepper, intoxicating pepper, kawa, kava pepper, kava root, rauschpfeffer, sakau, tonga, wurzelstock, and yangona.

Kava has been used to induce and improve sleep, and to decrease anxiety, nervousness, stress, and restlessness.

Kava has not been approved by the FDA to treat any disease, and it should not be substituted for prescription medications.

Kava may also have uses other than those listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking kava?

Before taking kava, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, herbalist, or other healthcare provider. You may not be able to use this product if you have liver or kidney disease, or certain other medical conditions or allergies. Kava has been shown to cause severe liver injury including hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver failure. Do not take kava if you have liver problems or take medications that can affect the liver. Do not take kava without first talking to your doctor if you are depressed or if you are being treated for depression.

Kava may increase drowsiness when taken with substances that cause drowsiness, including antidepressants, alcohol, sedatives (used to treat insomnia), pain relievers, anxiety medicines, and muscle relaxants. Do not take kava without first talking to your doctor if you take any prescription or over-the-counter medicine or herbal/health supplement, that makes you drowsy.

You should not take kava if you are pregnant. Kava may cause weaken muscle tone in the uterus. Do not take kava without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. It is not known whether kava will be harmful to a nursing infant.

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