Kava Withdrawal: What the Research Says

Published by Joseph, EditorCompiled from cited sources · not yet medically reviewedUpdated Oct 26, 20269 sources

Need help now? SAMHSA’s National Helpline is free, confidential and open 24/7 in English and Spanish: 1-800-662-4357. In a mental health crisis, call or text 988. In an emergency, call 911.

For information only, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor before stopping or changing any medication. Medical disclaimer

⚠ Caution: heavy use and kava blends

Withdrawal from ordinary kava use appears rare and mild, but doctors have recently reported severe withdrawal, including delirium, in people who drank large amounts every day, often together with kratom. Some products sold as “kava” also contain hidden kratom compounds that can cause opioid-like withdrawal. If you’ve been using a lot of kava or a kava–kratom blend daily, talk to a doctor before you stop. Don’t use alcohol or benzodiazepines to cope. Call 911 for confusion, hallucinations or a seizure. SAMHSA: 1-800-662-4357.

Quick answer

For most people, kava doesn’t seem to cause withdrawal. In clinical studies of kava extract at controlled doses (for example, 280 mg of kavalactones a day for 4 weeks), researchers found no withdrawal symptoms compared with placebo. The picture is different for heavy daily use. Since 2024, doctors have published a handful of case reports of severe kava withdrawal that looked like sedative withdrawal, including delirium and muscle jerking, treated in hospital with phenobarbital or benzodiazepines. Many of these people also used kratom, and lab tests have found unlabeled kratom compounds in some products sold as kava, which can cause opioid-like withdrawal. Evidence is thin, and there is no established timeline. NCCIH also warns kava has been linked to rare but serious liver injury.

Kava withdrawal timeline at a glance

Phase	When	What you may feel	Severity	Red flags
After occasional or moderate use	Most people; no clear withdrawal has been found	Usually no withdrawal symptoms; Some people may notice their usual anxiety or poor sleep coming back	Mild	—
After heavy daily use (rare case reports)	Timing varies widely (in one case, symptoms were present several days after stopping)	Anxiety, restlessness, agitation; Shaking or muscle jerking; Symptoms like sedative or alcohol withdrawal; Confusion or delirium in severe cases	Severe	Confusion, seeing or hearing things, severe agitation, muscle jerking or a seizure: call 911; Thoughts of suicide or self-harm: call or text 988 now
Kava–kratom blends or mislabeled “kava” products	Timing not well described; one person had withdrawal overnight, between doses	Opioid-like withdrawal with prominent stomach, gut and autonomic (“fight or flight”) symptoms; Generalized itching; Withdrawal symptoms overnight or between doses; Fast-rising tolerance and frequent redosing	Severe	Confusion, seeing or hearing things, severe agitation, muscle jerking or a seizure: call 911; Vomiting or diarrhea you can’t keep up with, or signs of dehydration (dizziness, very little urine)

Print a daily symptom log for this timeline · My quit tracker

Symptoms, phase by phase

Kava is a drink made from the root of the Pacific plant Piper methysticum. NCCIH says it is sold in the U.S. as a dietary supplement and in kava bars, and is promoted for anxiety. Its active compounds, kavalactones, have sedating, anti-anxiety effects. A 2026 case series says kava’s effects are similar to those of benzodiazepines, though its exact mechanism isn’t known.

Research on stopping kava is very limited. A 2024 review found 9 studies on kava withdrawal. Eight looked at people stopping a low, controlled dose of kava extract and found no withdrawal symptoms. One described heavy kava users with seizure-like events. Since then, a few case reports have described severe withdrawal after heavy use. None of these sources give a day-by-day timeline, so the phases below describe patterns rather than exact timing.

After occasional or moderate use: Most people; no clear withdrawal has been found

Usually no withdrawal symptoms
Some people may notice their usual anxiety or poor sleep coming back

After heavy daily use (rare case reports): Timing varies widely (in one case, symptoms were present several days after stopping)

Anxiety, restlessness, agitation
Shaking or muscle jerking
Symptoms like sedative or alcohol withdrawal
Confusion or delirium in severe cases

Kava–kratom blends or mislabeled “kava” products: Timing not well described; one person had withdrawal overnight, between doses

Opioid-like withdrawal with prominent stomach, gut and autonomic (“fight or flight”) symptoms
Generalized itching
Withdrawal symptoms overnight or between doses
Fast-rising tolerance and frequent redosing

The kratom problem. In 2025, the Alabama Poison Information Center and local addiction doctors noticed a cluster of people with opioid-like withdrawal from liquid products marketed as kava. Lab testing found kratom compounds, mainly mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, in these products, and one contained no detectable kava at all. A 2026 case report described severe opioid-like withdrawal after heavy use of a gas-station “kava” shot, which improved with buprenorphine but not with benzodiazepines. The authors said true kava withdrawal is typically mild and mostly causes anxiety. If you’ve used kava shots or blends, tell your doctor exactly what you took.

What makes withdrawal longer or shorter

How much and how often. Studies of controlled doses found no withdrawal. The severe case reports involved people drinking far more than recommended amounts, sometimes in escalating amounts for weeks.
Kratom in the mix. All 4 patients in a 2026 case series used both kava and kratom. Kratom withdrawal is opioid-like, and researchers have found kratom compounds in products labeled as kava.
Alcohol and other sedatives. The 4 patients in that case series all had a history of alcohol use disorder. NCCIH says kava shouldn’t be combined with other sedating substances such as benzodiazepines or alcohol.
Mental health. All 4 patients in the 2026 case series had underlying psychiatric conditions.
Your liver. NCCIH says large amounts or long-term use may raise the risk of liver injury, which is separate from withdrawal but worth checking with a doctor if you’ve used heavily.

When to see a doctor or get help now

Before stopping if you’ve been drinking large amounts of kava every day, or using kava–kratom blends or kava shots.
Call 911 for confusion, hallucinations, severe agitation, muscle jerking or a seizure.
If you get opioid-like symptoms (vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, chills, runny nose, cravings) after stopping a kava product. It may have contained kratom, and treatment is different.
If you notice yellow skin or eyes (jaundice), dark urine or belly pain. NCCIH says kava products have been linked to rare but serious liver injury, and MedlinePlus lists these among the symptoms of drug-induced liver injury. Note that heavy kava use can also cause temporary yellowing of the skin as part of kava dermopathy, so let a doctor check.
If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. NCCIH says kava may carry special risks then.
Call or text 988 for thoughts of suicide or self-harm.

Not sure where to start? Call SAMHSA’s free, confidential helpline at 1-800-662-4357, 24/7. See Get Help.

Tapering

There’s no published taper schedule for kava. For light or moderate use, most people stop without problems. In the severe case reports, people were treated in hospital, usually with phenobarbital or benzodiazepines, and in one case dexmedetomidine. For kratom-containing products, doctors may treat withdrawal like opioid withdrawal. If you’ve been using heavily, get medical advice on how to stop rather than working out a plan yourself.

Tips for getting through it

Be honest with your doctor about how much you’ve been using and which products, including any blends
Check product labels for kratom, mitragynine, 7-OH or akuamma
Don’t use alcohol, benzodiazepines or other sedatives to get through it
Have someone check on you in the first few days if you’ve been a heavy user
Plan other ways to handle the anxiety or stress kava helped with, such as exercise, breathing techniques or therapy
Read our kratom and 7-OH withdrawal timeline if your product contained kratom

Frequently asked questions

Does kava cause withdrawal?

Usually not. Clinical studies of controlled doses found no withdrawal symptoms. A few recent case reports describe severe withdrawal after heavy daily use, often with kratom.

How long does kava withdrawal last?

The sources don’t give a timeline. In the case reports, symptoms began after stopping, and patients improved over several days of hospital treatment. One case series said onset varied considerably after the last dose.

Is kava withdrawal dangerous?

For most users, no. But heavy users have developed delirium and seizure-like events, needing hospital care. If you’ve been drinking a lot every day, talk to a doctor before stopping.

Why do I feel like I’m in opioid withdrawal after stopping kava?

Some products sold as kava, especially shots and blends, have been found to contain kratom compounds, which act on opioid receptors. Kratom withdrawal is opioid-like. Tell a doctor what you took.

Is kava bad for your liver?

NCCIH says kava products have been linked to rare cases of liver injury, some serious or even fatal. The cause isn’t fully understood.

Next steps

Talk to others going through it. Share your experience or ask questions on the Day-by-Day Check-ins board in our community forum. Forum posts are personal experiences, not medical advice. Please read the community guidelines.

Sources

Last reviewed: October 26, 2026. Researched and written by Withdrawal Timelines from the cited sources. This article has not yet been reviewed by a medical professional. See How We Review and our Medical Disclaimer. This is general information, not medical advice.

More timelines

View all