There are different forms of epilepsy.
For which types would you use Kavakosh
We touch upon this
on the general epilepsy
page. Truth is, there are many different types and
Kavakosh has only been used on a few of them.
The product itself was formulated by an herbalist
at Alpha Omega Labs who suffered from epilepsy herself --
"grand mal," which is the worst form. Once again,
this formula has a cumulative effect so it should
be taken over the course of several weeks to realize
the benefits.
What are its active ingredients?
The active ingredients
in Kavakosh come from virtually all its components.
The primary one is Kava kava (Piper methysticum), which is well known for
its
anti-anxiety properties,
and
transquilizing effects. One the chemical level,
kava kava contains "kavalactones" and "kavapyrones" which are believed to
work on the same amino-acid sites in the limbic system
as Valium. (For a more tempered analysis:
see
Vanderbilt Univ. paper.)
There may be other chemically active
components in kava kava, but these are, as yet, unknown. The second ingredient is
blue cohosh, which has a number of medicinal effects,
one of which is
anti-spasmodic. Even the formulator herself, Anastazea, is not
really sure why the combination of the two herbs worked so well
in relieving her grand mal epilepsy. Our interest in the formula
rested entirely on its empirical effectiveness and an absence
of toxicity issues. Lastly, the B vitamin suite was added as
the formulator, through experimentation with various vitamin
combinations, felt it made the formula better. We have no basis
to know whether it does or not. We do know that we have never
had a single bottle of this product returned.
What are users saying about effectiveness?
As stated above,
users who have tried the formula, to date, have reported
back favorably. No one has ever asked to have the
product returned.
Are there contraindication or toxicity issues?
There are none that we
know of, and none has ever been reported. However, one report
from a kava user in George (as reported by
Time magazine indicated blackouts when the user switched
from the sedative Xanax to kava root. Since kava is a primary
ingredient in Kavakosh, users who are taking any
kind of sedative medication should check with their
physician before using Kavakosh as an extra
precaution. What kind of clinical trials have been done on Kavakosh?
None on Kavakosh itself,
but plenty of studies have
been done on its active ingredients. In one notable study, by a
Dr. Max Pittler, one of Kavakosh's main ingredients, kava kava,
was found to be very effective in "treating anxiety."
A host of studies on the separate effects of kava and
blue cohosh can be found on the internet. Separate
studies to identify any alleged synergistic effects,
have not, to date, been performed to the best of our
knowledge.
