Hold the kava pills, drug agency warns

By Lauran Neergaard

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The 45-year-old woman became jaundiced and then, in just months, became so ill she needed a liver transplant. Her doctor suspects the popular herbal supplement kava.

European health officials report 25 similar cases of liver toxicity, and some countries are barring kava sales. Now the Food and Drug Administration is investigating whether the herbal sedative — promoted to relieve anxiety, stress and insomnia — poses a danger.

Under review are 38 Americans, including the transplant recipient, with medical problems possibly associated with kava use. FDA scientists cannot yet say if the blockbuster seller is to blame.

"The jury’s still out on kava," agrees Mark Blumenthal of the American Botanical Council, which joined industry groups in hiring a toxicologist to investigate.

Already Canada has urged consumers not to take kava until the question of its safety is settled; sales have halted in Switzerland and are suspended in Britain; Germany is acting to make kava a prescription drug.

Here, the National Institutes of Health has suspended two kava studies.

While kava is sold as a natural alternative to prescription anxiety relievers, little is known about how it works.

Kava, a member of the pepper family, has long been used as a ceremonial drink in the South Pacific. Used sporadically, its biggest danger seemed to be if people drank too much of the sedative before driving.

Then, about two years ago, kava in pill form suddenly boomed, bringing in about $30 million in sales, and Europe reported liver damage.

Many of the European patients already had some liver damage before using kava or used alcohol or other known liver-harming substances in addition to the herb, Blumenthal cautions. That suggests if kava is risky, it might be only to certain people.

While scientists sort out the scare, the consumer advocacy Center for Science in the Public Interest wants the FDA to urge Americans to talk with a doctor before using kava.

Even Blumenthal’s pro-herb group advises caution. He says people should avoid kava if they have liver problems, regularly consume alcohol or take liver-affecting drugs; should not take the supplement for more than a month without a doctor’s advice; and should discontinue use if symptoms of jaundice appear, such as yellowing of the eyes.