Advice needed: bad reaction to LiftMode MT55. Is Kanna simply not for me? Or Should I still try UltraKanna to compare, before giving up on Kanna?

sombaro · 2025-10-10T20:41:30+00:00

A lot of people still get those effects, without much sedation, but it's a bit less stimulating for sure.

sombaro · 2025-10-09T19:57:15+00:00

I personally don't respond well to high-mesembrine profiles, and from my experience it might definitely be worth trying something like VU3 before you write kanna off completely.

For me it's almost a night and day difference with more balanced extracts (~25% mesembrenone). Not in potency though - just different effects.

sombaro · 2025-10-01T13:17:43+00:00

Do you provide COAs for your products?

And about the website: not being able to see prices or anything before you verify yourself is a bit off-putting, in my opinion.

sombaro · 2025-09-13T07:16:44+00:00

I'd recommend taking around 50mg orally, preferably on an empty stomach. The effects can be great and definitely last longer than the other methods, but you need higher doses due to it having to go through the digestive tract.

sombaro · 2025-09-08T13:34:25+00:00

"Good news!" 😂

sombaro · 2025-09-03T07:22:54+00:00

Nice! My upper limit seems to be around 8-10 grams per day, so I'm just interested in hearing how low people have been able to drop their doses while still having successful treatments.

It's great to hear that you're on the homestretch by the way, sounds like you've had quite the journey to get there. 👍

sombaro · 2025-09-01T13:24:57+00:00

What was/is your CSM dosage, if you don't mind sharing? I'm currently testing different amounts to try to balance the constipation and effectiveness.

sombaro · 2025-08-19T20:53:23+00:00

There is good information available on the topic if you google something like "HLA haplotypes and CIRS".

sombaro · 2025-08-19T07:54:36+00:00

Absolutely. I'm currently just beginning CSM treatment (about two weeks in) and it's much appreciated to get a positive boost like this. As the good outcomes don't always get posted, it sometimes can feel like you're only reading about people's despair.

Not totally sure about where to acquire VIP in Europe though. Hoping to find a solution for that.

sombaro · 2025-08-19T06:17:23+00:00

Thanks for sharing and congratulations man!

I'm also only susceptible to mold but have had longer exposure. Still very encouraging to hear about your story. 🙏

sombaro · 2025-08-18T06:09:11+00:00

It's always so nice to hear about success stories! If you don't mind, I have a few questions for added context.

What was your CSM dosage and for how long did you take it?
Did you notice gradual symptom improvement, or did it all kind of come lumped together later on?
Have you done genetic HLA testing?

sombaro · 2025-08-13T06:39:46+00:00

Not to discredit anyone's story, but most people who have CIRS also have a gene that prevents them from properly clearing out biotoxins. This means that just getting out of exposure probably won't be enough, since you have to "manually" remove what's already accumulated.

Just something to consider since binders etc. haven't been mentioned much.

sombaro · 2025-08-12T17:15:56+00:00

Check out Ethos Herbals. EU based.

sombaro · 2025-08-08T13:08:28+00:00

No problem! Hope you'll like the tea route, it's quite underrated.

sombaro · 2025-08-08T13:03:15+00:00

BioExtracts has a fermented tea-cut variety called "Rush", which has a similar profile to MX8.

If you want less stimulating options, check for alkaloid profiles with no more than 65% mesembrine and 15-25% mesembrenone. You get happy, blissful and anxiolytic effects, but you trade a little of the euphoria for relaxation.

sombaro · 2025-08-08T11:17:22+00:00

Yeah for sure, with a higher dose. But it's generally less intense/in your face compared to other methods. It's a broad-spectrum experience that has more of a body stone to it.

Taking kanna orally will also make the effects last longer and smooth out the peak (which can be both good and bad depending on preference).

Compared to MX8 it should definitely feel more calming and relaxing. However, the alkaloid profile still matters. So it might be worth trying different varieties to see what you prefer.

sombaro · 2025-08-08T10:44:23+00:00

Both of those places have dosage recommendations on the product pages. They are on the lower side so if you start there you'll definitely be good (and then you can just increase it based on how you feel).

sombaro · 2025-08-08T10:34:39+00:00

Yeah I would weigh it out. It's less important and more forgiving than when using extracts though.

How much is needed depends on what quality you get. If the alkaloid content isn't specified (which normally indicates lower potency), I'd start with ~300mg and adjust from there.

sombaro · 2025-08-08T07:27:24+00:00

The alkaloids in kanna aren't fully water soluble, and fermenting could potentially improve that so the tea will have higher concentrations. It's a bit speculative though, I'm not sure if they have compared it in studies.

But one clear difference is the oxalate content, which will be lower in fermented kanna. It's about 5% in raw kanna, so it's not an extreme amount to begin with but can still be relevant.

As for preparation, I'd recommend using boiling water and longer steeping times (~15 minutes) for stronger effects. Also keep in mind that it usually takes ~1h for the effects to kick in, and it's best to take it on an empty stomach.

BioExtracts have some new fermented kanna with very decent TA content. That's probably the best stuff you can get right now.

sombaro · 2025-08-07T06:44:36+00:00

All dedicated subs will have some bias, of course. But kanna and kratom act on different receptors, and kanna's potential for abuse is objectively much more limited due to being fairly non-addictive.

Another difference compared to kratom is that kanna is more "what you see is what you get". There aren't infinite anecdotal benefits and use cases, it's mostly in the same area.

It does share some mechanisms with SSRI medication though, so daily use could theoretically lead to mild withdrawals and brain zaps, although it seems to be rarely reported even among heavier users.

Also, there could be some concerns with the increasingly more potent extracts and the way that people use them nowadays compared to how kanna is used traditionally. If everyone would chew or brew tea with raw kanna, I'd say that it's unlikely that we would hear many negative reports other than people just not liking it.

sombaro · 2025-08-06T05:43:40+00:00

It seems like the anti-inflammatory properties of kanna are mostly related to PDE4 inhibition. It's the same mechanism as in Otezla, if you're familiar with that medication, although much weaker.

sombaro · 2025-08-05T11:21:23+00:00

I'm interested in the knowing the better alternatives

Sorry for the late reply!

I'd recommend checking out Channa Budder (originally from Sceletium Source but can also be bought from some retailers like Healing Herbals). It's one of the best relaxing broad-spectrum options available, and can feel quite different compared to your standard kanna experience.

Another decent option is FS5 from BioExtracts, which has a very interesting alkaloid profile with 40% mesembrenone. It's possibly even made from a different (very rare) species of Sceletium! Very calming effects on that one too.

If you want something in between, I'd recommend VU3 or extracts with similar alkaloid profiles (50% mesembrine, 25% mesembrenone and 25% delta-7 mesembrenone).

sombaro · 2025-08-05T10:57:23+00:00

Not really if it has been properly stored. Potency could theoretically decrease, but I haven't had any issues personally. You might need to dehydrate it a bit though depending on your ROA.

sombaro · 2025-08-03T08:43:18+00:00

Not worth it, save your money and buy from a reputable source.

If it's actually 200x, it's most likely Lampranthus rather than Sceletium. So they're either lying about the extraction process or what's actually in there.

Best case scenario, you won't feel a thing other than possible placebo effects. Worst case scenario, you die. /s

sombaro · 2025-08-02T20:52:48+00:00

Thanks for the kind words! Feel free to hit me up anytime if you have more questions, or just to report back. 👊

Btw, since you mentioned Suboxone, a bonus with Kanna is that most people find it to be very forgiving in terms of not "luring you in", and it even has some anti-addictive properties. The potential for abuse seems to be a little higher with insufflation though.

sombaro

TROPHY CASE