What Are the Dangers of Kava Kava?

Kava is one of the names used to identify the Piper methysticcum plant. Some of the plant's other common names include kava kava, kava pepper, ava, tonga and kew. The kava plant grows in the South Pacific and is often sold as an herbal supplement said to relieve anxiety, insomnia and menopause. Unfortunately, kava is potentially dangerous.

Liver Problems

• The possibility of liver problems is one of the most serious potential dangers of kava. The use of kava has been linked to severe and life-threatening liver problems including hepatitis, cirrhosis and liver failure. These problems have been known to occur even in people with no history of liver illness, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which claimed in a 2002 consumer advisory to have received a report of a healthy young woman who required a liver transplant after the use of kava. The FDA further claims that regulatory agencies in other countries, including those in Germany, Switzerland, France, Canada and the United Kingdom, have taken actions ranging from warning consumers about the potential risks of kava use to removing kava-containing products from the marketplace. Signs of liver problems include jaundice, pale stool, dark urine, abdominal pain and loss of appetite.

Drug Interactions

• As is true of all herbal supplements, kava may interact with other medications. Unfortunately, kava has the potential to interact with so many different medications that Clinaero, Inc.'s eMedTV website states that there are too many possible interactions to list and advises visitors to talk to their doctor before combining kava with any other medication. Kava's impact on the liver is what makes it so volatile when used with other chemicals. Kava decreases the activity of liver enzymes that metabolize medications and ultimately removes them from the bloodstream. If the liver is unable to remove medications from the blood before it is time for the next dose, the result can be an increase in the amounts of medication circulating in the bloodstream at any given time.

Other Problems

• People who have used more kava than recommended or used it for long periods of time have experienced kidney damage, seizures, pulmonary hypertension, psychotic syndromes, hematuria, dangerously high blood pressure, skin problems and blood abnormalities. Blood abnormalities associated with kava use include increase in the size of red blood cells along with reductions in blood protein levels, the number of white blood cells and the size of blood platelets. MedlinePlus reports that using kava for as few as one to four days can result in abnormal muscle movements in the mouth, neck and eyes and can worsen the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.