>> I think enough has been posted already about the FDA's warning on kava (they have not established its safety or recommended it for any potential users) ... As a rule, the FDA does not recommend herbs - the fact that they do not specifically recommend kava means nothing. The FDA can ban an herb if there is clear evidence that it is unsafe. Since the 2002 advisory, the FDA has monitored the situation, but has not seen real evidence that this herb is clearly dangerous. By implying that no one should use an herb unless recommended by the FDA, aren't you really saying that herbalism should be avoided altogether? >> I'm surprised, then, that you aren't attacking the "biases" of the authors of the American Academy of Family Physicians article that you triumphantly cited on kava. After all, the authors of that article pooh-poohed a host of other herbal remedies and supplements that you recommended earlier in this thread, such as chamomile, hops, valerian, skullcap and passionflower. They do have their biases - they take a conservative approach and tend not to endorse something unless there is overwhelming proof (in the form of double-blind placebo controlled trials). That's fine for them, and in the case of kava, the evidence took them past their threshold and they do suggest doctors recommend it. The fact that there is not an adequate number of such studies for every other herb does not mean that none of these are effective - it merely means that it remains unknown according to their framework. I personally believe that there are other ways of knowing - the clinical experience of doctors or herbalists can lead to useful knowledge. And while many people dismiss personal experience as 'unscientific' I do not always do so. Many researchers believe that anxiety is a condition where people can monitor themselves and adjust their regimen, and I agree with this. Studies can tell us that a particular approach is better than placebo, but they generally cannot predict individual response. I have taken a variety of prescription and non-prescription therapies for anxiety, and can say that kava can have dramatic, rapid beneficial effects. I also seen benefits from passiflora. Chamomile has not resulted in any noticeable changes for me - maybe some people benefit, but I do not consider it to be that effective. Hops are used more for insomnia than for anxiety - so an article on herbal approaches to anxiety might not recommend hops, even if it was written by a herbalist. Ashwagandha I have find helpful, though there is almost no research on it with regards to anxiety; many people with anxiety have tried it and found benefit, but the FDA hasn't gotten around to looking into it (and they probably won't, so looking to the FDA probably won't answer that question). >> In searching for publications on kava you may have overlooked another new report. This one (in the Journal of Psychopharmacology) looked at 21 different double-blind clinical trials of anxiety treatments, incorporating two complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) therapies (including kava) and found that: "Subjects taking CAM had worse outcomes than placebo". No, I am aware of that study. It reviewed 21 different studies on 7 different types of medications (8 different types if kava and homeopathy are not lumped together - unlike other categories, they are not chemically related, and do not share a common mechanism). It is not clear how many studies were actually on kava (my guess is one or two). And lumping kava in with homeopathy doesn't tell us much about kava - I don't consider homeopathy to be effective, so I am not surprised that it would bring down the score of what they define as CAM. The idea that outcomes for kava are worse than placebo is at variance with a much larger number of other studies, and is not supported by the facts. To cherry-pick one review that has a dubious design and considers only a fraction of the research on kava is shoddy science. >> I was encouraged recently to see that you'd apparently forsaken personal attacks in this forum. I regret that you're resuming this tactic, I think your being too sensitive. Noting or criticizing apparent bias is not necessarily an unfair ad hominem attack. You have repeatedly mischaracterized my arguments as an appeal to folklore, you have insinuated that financial interests are behind the kava research that doesn't find it to be massively toxic, and you have invoked irrational fear over rare idiosyncratic reactions in kava while ignoring such risk from other commonly consumed medicines. You refuse to acknowledge well known limits to predicting liver toxicity using cell culture models, and dismissively suggest that I don't know how such research is done. For me to point out that you do in fact have biases and values that can color your interpretations of the research is not an unfair personal attack on you. You have consistently done the same to me.

I am only 19 years old, I have been suffering from chronic pain for over ten years.. I have been seeing a doctor since age 10 and that is when my file begins. At first I had bad posture. I saw my chiropractor once a week, was in a back brace and forced to perfect my posture.. no fix as my posture was fine. Then I was diagnosed with scoliosis.. at age ten, suffering from chronic migraines and sever constant neck, shoulder, and upper back pain. I was perscribed with Vi-ox, Vicodine and Valuim at age TEN! I cried all day in school, not even able to carry my own back pack.. coming home just to beg and beg and beg my father to rub my back more and more. As he dug his fists into the knots in my neck that refused to loosen a massage that would cripple an average person I found temporary relief. Then Vi-ox was recalled and I was continuously sent to a chiropractor, physical therapy, and a pain clinic that quickly became a financial burden. But it was all they could offer.. as I grew in age the pain worsened.. now to my lower back oh only a new curve? then my hips in which I've torn muscles doing basic exercise or just simply walking because my muscles were so tight and I gained tolerance to the vicodine and valium.. taking it on a regular basis for relief.. as I grew older I got impatient no longer being able to afford my chiropractor or physical therapy and suffering. I saw a specialist, and then a orthopedic surgeon who broke me the news that I indeed was not suffering from scoliosis.. my spine was normal and in perfect health. I began to stretch and run until the muscles in my hips would no longer allow me to do so. I would spend the majority of the day stretching and wake up stiff as a board. I grew helpless, I saw a therapist and was treated for depression because at this point I was suicidal and still with no relief.. in February of 2010 I was diagnosed by the rheumatoid specialist at the University of Michigan with fibromyalgia.. after two other professional opinions with the same answer I was given more vicodine more valium, Lyrica, cymbalta, trazadone, klonzaphan, xanax, etc. AT ONLY 18! I spent time and money with yoga classes more physical therapy and three other chiropractors and now after all my research I feel like I have hit a brick wall. who knows anything about this disease? NO ONE! do you give this diagnosis just to diagnose? I'm scared, I'm confused, and every minute of every day I am aching and aching and aching with the most sever pain you could ever imagine which has now crept into my knees. I cant sleep, I can't eat, I cant work, Focus on my school work, I'm not able to even enjoy the company of family and friends. these drugs do nothing for me.. the muscle relaxers and pain medications numb the pain and continue to kill my liver and my body. The depression has gotten so much worse and I feel there is no help for any of us out there. I am only 19.. how will i feel or cope in 30 years? if i even make it that long.. I need help, I'm desperate for help.. I don't know if I can take this a minute longer.. please, anyone.. save me.

I am sorry to read these alarming reports regarding the loss of your pets. I have used comfortis for over 3 yrs on a monthly basis for my 3 cairn terriers. The flea problem is severe here and where it used to back off in the high humidity of the summer it does not. Cairn Terriers are highly adapt to skin infections from flea, or other bug bites. Miserable for the dogs and costly in fighting with antibiotics. The topical s do nothing and when they did, results were very limited with frequent wet dogs in rain and weather. Reapplication and cost add up and they are not all so safe either Comfortis changed all of the flea problems quickly given about 30 -35 day intervals and it doesn't wash off. It is a powerful drug and I worried about using it. I have had difficultly with vomiting at first . My dogs are 2 (M/F) from the same litter, the other (M) is 2 yrs older from a earlier litter all having the same Mother. Age of these Cairns are 5 and 7 and weight about 15 lbs ea. The only problem I've had as I said thus far in 3 yrs with doses given every month of the yr was spitting it out or one vomiting early on. My dogs are fed once a day with no free range on feed. Directly before the meal I wrap the pill in something such as a treat cheese, meat, or peanut butter and they eat followed directly by their full meal. So they have a full stomach with the pill eaten first. This ceased the earlier vomiting situation and the vet agreed this is a must have medication with a fully belly. While I will research and watch with caution I will continue to use this medication because it is very effective and in this environment the other choices are very poor. I have had good long term results with 3 small cairn terriers and the outcome with skin disease and fleas without it would be more dangerous and problematic for my dogs and my household.

This worked for my Aussie lass. She had ACE as a sedative for spay surgery. The 2nd time I gave it to her as an oral sedative, prescribed, for extreme dures riding in the car. Fortunately I gave her only 1/2 dose. Still, we nearly lost her! She became non-responsive and stopped breathing repeatedly. I had to apply gentle percussion and intermittently shake her awake. It was a weekend, we were traveling and 3 hours from emergency care. When we arrived home we took turns monitoring her, awakening her when needed, and applying percussis. She was only 1.5 years old! We never gave her ACE again. Instead we worked with behavior modification using short rides with reward; visiting our Aunt, 2 houses down, via the vehicle. It took many trips before she got over her extreme fear of the automobile. Also, her son, 1/2 Aussie and 1/2 German Shepherd had a pre-sedation for dental cleaning; although I PUT ON FORM IN ALL CAPS NO ACE! The vet administered it to him right in front of me. It took 2 1/2 weeks for him to return to normal. Now I know to give them 1 teaspoon of Activated Charcoal powder in diluted chicken broth IMMEDIATELY. It is tasteless and odorless. Within 20 minutes symptoms subside. It has saved a neighbor's dog that was poisoned. Now they are both sedated with special anesthesia used for Sight hounds. Of course I have only sedated each one time since then, both were total emergencies. I also keep Benadryl