Extended Fast with Hypothyroid

autoimmune
hyperthyroid
autophagy
extendedfast
(Kathy Zahn) #1

Hi Everyone! This is my 2nd water only extended fast (first was 3 days) and I’m not fat adapted, as far as I can tell. I’m still testing the waters and finding what works for me. I’m wondering if it’s normal to have a blood ketone level of 2 on the fourth day (about 99.5 hours into my fast). I hope I’m not alone with the hypothyroidism and there’s someone out there who has this same autoimmune disease and has done a fast. Are my levels normal for this disease? I ordered glucose strips but they haven’t arrived yet. I hope that next time I do an extended fast to take pictures, test my blood for glucose and ketone regularly and weigh myself every morning, but for now I’m still winging it until I understand it more. I took my thyroid medication each day and on the 4th day I added some pink Himalayan salt to my water to get some minerals back into my system.
Day 1 and 2 I had a headache and just wanted to sleep. Also I’m freezing all the time. I’ve been wearing my warmest cloths and had to add 4 more blankets at night with the furnace set to my normal 68 degrees F. I can’t seem to keep the heat in my body.
1/10/18 8am -blood ketone level 0.9 (74.5 hours in)
1/10/18 10am -blood ketone level 0.3 (76.5 hours in - I exercised)
1/10/18 7:30pm -blood ketone level 1.3 (86 hours in - lots of sleep)
1/11/18 9am -blood ketone level 2.0 (99.5 hours in feeling pretty good today, besides my breath!)

I’m starting to get nervous and want to make sure that when I come off this fast the idea that I’m going to do a Tablespoon of MCT oil and then bone broth for 24 hours is a smart idea, after which I’ll start eating regular keto with IM fasting weekly. Am I missing anything that I should be aware of? Is there something I can do on my water fast to improve my results? Has anyone else had slow climbing numbers and have some suggestions? I’d love to hear form you.

#2

Hi, I have hypothyroid and hashimoto’s thyroiditis. I did a 22 day fast in December. I only use ketone strips (no monitor). I did test bg obsessively, weighed daily. I was not in ketosis when I started my first fast and felt it. I use salt and salt water daily when I fast. I feel like the more salt the better I feel, the lower the scale goes. I felt weak, shaky, heart piunding the first 6 or 7 days. I finally got the salt level, mg, potassium up in the right range and after that felt better. Currently fasting again, my 4th so far and so far so good 71 hours in and feeling good. I can now go from not in ketosis to ketosis within a day by fasting and lifting kettle bells and doing a 20 minute HIIT session on my bike. So I guess I don’t have an exact answer for you except I think slowly increasing ketone is probably normal and level may not matter, headaches happen to me when I transition deeper into ketosis, or if I need better electrolyte balance. I use mineral water, salt, MG , and cream of tartar for k. Every individual body is going to react differently so my normal will be different than yours. Oh and my body temperature actually went up a full degree on my first extended fast it was initially in the weeks before the fast 97.2 avg. During the fast 98.5. It pops down a little when not fasting but stays around 98.2 so the initial fast really improved my health. Good luck. Fasting is a great tool if used wisely.

(Candy Lind) #3

I will be following this since I have a problem with regulating body temp, too - I’m hypothyroid, but it has improved while eating LC the last 7 months. I wonder if my next step should be extended fasting as well? :thinking:

#4

Congrats on the extended fast! Don’t worry too much about your ketone levels, you clearly are producing them and the number is not that important. I would advise against MCT oil to break a fast. You may have bathroom issues with many foods, but this is sure to cause disaster pants after a multi day fast! Keep us posted.

(Carolus Holman) #5

I did a 72 hour fast and the longer I fasted the darker my el-cheapo ketone strip got. When I finished my Blood Glucose registered 69 without meds. My Ketone level was Deep Purple— que Smoke on the Water!

(Suzanne Leigh) #6

I agree with JBird. I think a tablespoon of MCT oil on a VERY empty stomach is asking for trouble. I’m not an experienced faster, but i’ve personally felt terrible from too much MCT on empty stomach and so have several of my clients. I’m hypothyroid, too, looking forward to hearing more about your journey and results.

#7

I take psyllium fiber an hour before I break my fast. I have never done water only but did a bunch of 5 days with coffee and HWC. I have Hashimotos also and never had a problem staying warm preKeto, now after losing over 50 lbs I do even though I still have a lot to lose. I hate that aspect and it is worse when not eating

(Kathy Zahn) #8

Do NOT do MCT oil if A. you haven’t in the past taken it and your body doesn’t understand what it’s supposed to do so it just flushes you out and fast as fierce as it can. B. You were on an extended water only fast! The result is not kind to yourself and you should plan for an hour or two to sit on the throne and w

#9

I use mct oil regularly and have no issue as with it.

(Arooj Khalil) #10

Can i do water fast for 4 days while taking my levothyroxine during fast or i have to stop taking it?

(Karen) #11

I would like to know if I should keep taking my thryroid medication during a long fast? I haven’t taken it now for 2 days……….this is Day 2 of an extended water fast. I haven’t set a goal on how long I will fast. I could not sleep last night hardly at all…I thought I was going to get leg cramps but it never actually happened, just felt like I was on the verge. I had to sleep in an armchair because laying down seemed worse for me. My blood pressure today was 167/80. Is it because I am not taking my thryroid med? Or is it just because I didn’t get any sleep. I am 65 and I don’t take any other meds. Thought I was getting a headache so I had coffee and that seems to be holding it off but I can hear my blood pounding in my ears.

(Kayla Akın) #12

have you ever had problems with your tyhroid after the water fast? or during? would it be get worse? did u have any problems tsh and other hormones? i have hypothyroidism and i’m thinking that doing water fast for 40 days. but i’m so afraid that it would be get worse… an dou you take your thyroid med during the fast as usual? (ps:sorry gor my bad english it’s not my first language)

(Wendi Sanford Green) #13

I’m currently on my 5th day of a water only fast. The first time I did a water fast I did 7 days and did not take my levothyroxine during it. Overall, I felt great. I had amazing energy. This EF I am taking my medication. I also began watching my glucose as of yesterday. I was reading at 84 yesterday and earlier today and 81 this eve. I ran out of my ketone urinalysis strips but I was testing “small” for ketones yesterday morning. I imagine, as I get further into my fast and I get more test strips they will indicate a large amount of ketones as they have done in the past. I will say that the first fast, day 2 & 3 were the most difficult, with day 3 pushing me almost to the point of caving in and eating. My head hurt and I was so hungry. But I would remind myself the hunger would pass. Around day 5 or 6 I experienced more constant body aches. This time around, the first few days weren’t very difficult. The hardest part was my social life. Sitting with my girl friends who love afternoon cocktails and going to restaurants. I had to attend a few of those my first few days. That was the toughest part. And I realized how much I mindlessly eat. I have caught myself ALMOST popping something in my mouth as a snack several times, or going to the fridge and scanning it for something appealing. This always happened when I WASN’T hungry, when I feel hunger it always brings with it the reminder that I won’t be eating.
Anyway, I don’t have an answer on whether or not to take the meds because I don’t test my blood during fasts any further than glucose levels. But good luck to all and curious to know if anyone has feedback from labs to see how their levels were OFF of the meds.

(Joe) #14

I’m curious if an extended helped to kick start your Thyroid? I’ve been Hypo for almost 10 years now. I’ve licked the Hashimoto’s thing but I’ve not been able to restart my Thyroid. Wish-full thinking on my part is that extended fasting (with the theories of Autophogy, increases in HGH, and Stem cell triggering, etc) could be a way of making this happen? So, my question, have you seen any difference in your thyroid function post the 22 day fast? If not, what did change?

thank you in advance.
Joe