Medical Sleuthing Linked Muscle, Kidney Problems to Kava Tea

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/story/index.cfm?id=3180

Medical Sleuthing Linked Muscle, Kidney Problems to Kava Tea

April 27, 2011

When a 34-year-old bicyclist was found collapsed on a roadside and rushed to the University of Rochester Medical Center emergency room on the verge of kidney failure and muscle breakdown, doctors were surprised to discover that a trendy tea derived from the kava plant was the cause of his ills.

The URMC team reported the case study, believed to be the first of its kind in the scientific literature, in the http://www.ajemjournal.com/inpress">American Journal of Emergency Medicine. They described it as a cautionary tale, emphasizing the importance of taking a thorough medical history, including the use of any and all herbal remedies and pharmaceuticals.

In this instance the patient recovered; and doctors noted that adverse effects are somewhat rare. However, across the country the number of http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2011-03-13/news/pb-kava-under-influence-20110313_1_dui-arrest-boynton-beach-man-new-arrest">kava bars is on the rise – a recent article noted at least three new businesses in Palm Beach, Fla., -- despite several documented health problems due to kava ingestion.

“With the increased use of herbal remedies, we in the medical field have become accustomed to asking patients about their use,” said http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/emergency-medicine/">URMC Department of Emergency Medicine Chair Michael F. Kamali, M.D. “What concerns us is the lack of controls in producing and distributing these products as well as some lack of knowledge of the potential harm by those people using the product.”

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[damntexdem]

1. Don't crave a Kava.

Use nature's on natural remedy -- strong coffee. ;-)

[Ian David]

2. That's a shame. Kava gives you a nice buzz.

It tastes like crap, though.