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Page 52
| cohol consumption. Unlike the benzodiazepine drugs, e.g. Valium, there is no risk of tolerance or addiction with kava. Its slight antidepressant activity makes it particularly suitable for the treatment of anxiety associated with minor forms of depression. Kava kava is one of the more effective and safe relaxants of skeletal muscle known in the plant kingdom. This property makes it useful for the treatment of nervous tension and conditions associated with skeletal muscle spasm and tension, such as headaches due to neck tension. Although pharmacological tests indicate that kava kava is not a sedative in the same sense as the benzodiazepines, it is an excellent hypnotic for the treatment of mild insomnia. High doses of kava kava do cause marked sedation, but such doses are not relevant to normal clinical use. A mild anticonvulsant action of kava may be useful in the treatment of epilepsy, but kava kava is not sufficiently active to control this condition on its own. The local anaesthetic action on mucous membranes makes it useful for pain control in oral conditions. Kava kava douches have been successfully used for vaginal itching. Kava kava is also active as a topical antifungal agent. |
| Preparations & dosage: Decoction: Put 1 to 2 tsp. of the rhizome in 1 cup of water, bring to boiling and simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes; drink as needed. Tincture: Take 3 to 6 ml per day. Standardized preparations should supply 100 to 200 mg of kava lactones per day. Long-term use of a dose equivalent to 400 mg or more of kava lactones per day may cause a scaly skin rash in some people. |
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