Advocates of kava tea claim that the psychoactive compounds of the plant may help to alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and calm nerves. Unfortunately, recent studies have uncovered that the ingestion of kava tea may be responsible for severe forms of kidney and liver damage.
If you or a loved one has been injured by kava tea, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free confidential case evaluation. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and we can help.
What’s the problem?
For thousands of years Pacific Ocean cultures have utilized the kava plant in celebrations by exploiting its inherent ability to relax an individual without disrupting their mental clarity. Kavalactones (psychoactive compounds) that reside in the roots of the kava plant may be extracted in order to create a drinkable liquid that possess the chemical properties to induce sedation. As a result, consumers claim that the plant is responsible for alleviating the symptoms of anxiety. However, dangerous kava tea side effects may greatly outweigh the benefits.
Unfortunately, consumers need to be aware of the potential risk of severe liver and kidney injury associated with the use of kava tea and other kava-containing dietary supplements. People who ingest these dietary supplements may greatly increase their chance of developing severe, life-threatening kava tea side effects including liver and kidney damage. Due to these catastrophic side effects, numerous kava tea lawyers have begun to represent plaintiffs in potential kava tea lawsuits.
Kava Tea Side Effects
Side effects associated with kava tea include:
- Drowsiness
- Depression
- Neurological symptoms
- Kava dermopathy (skin rash)
- Liver damage
- Hepatotoxicity
- Liver failure
- Kidney damage
CDC Kava Advisory
In November 2002, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued the following advisory on dangerous kava tea side effects:
Since 1999, health-care professionals around the world have reported the occurrence of severe hepatic toxicity possibly associated with the consumption of products containing kava. Several countries, including Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, and France, have restricted the sale of kava-containing products based on the occurrence of hepatic adverse events and the documented hepatic toxicity with a kava-containing product.
FDA Warning
On March 25, 2002, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the following advisory in an attempt to warn the healthcare community about dangerous kava tea side effects:
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers of the potential risk of severe liver injury associated with the use of kava-containing dietary supplements. Kava (Piper methysticum) is a plant indigenous to the islands in the South Pacific where it is commonly used to prepare a traditional beverage. Supplements containing the herbal ingredient kava are promoted for relaxation (e.g., to relieve stress, anxiety, and tension), sleeplessness, menopausal symptoms and other uses. The FDA has not made a determination about the ability of kava dietary supplements to provide such benefits.
Liver-related risks associated with the use of kava have prompted regulatory agencies in other countries, including those in Germany, Switzerland, France, Canada, and the United Kingdom, to take action ranging from warning consumers about the potential risks of kava use to removing kava-containing products from the marketplace.
Kava-containing products have been associated with liver-related injuries – including hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver failure in more than 25 reports of adverse events in other countries. Four patients required liver transplants. In the U.S., the FDA has received a report of a previously healthy young female who required liver transplantation, as well as several reports of liver-related injuries.
Do I have a Kava Tea Lawsuit?
The trial lawyers at The Senators (Ret.) Firm, LLP have decades of experience navigating through complex legislative and regulatory issues and litigating high stakes cases all over the nation. Our law firm focuses on the representation of plaintiffs in kava tea lawsuits. We are currently accepting new cases in all 50 states.
Again, if you or a loved one has been injured by kava tea, you should contact our lawyers immediately by clicking the link below or calling toll free 1-(949) 557-5800. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and we can help.