Extended fasting = Diarrhea

(James H Shaffer) #63

have an observation, when I have been stalled for over a month I had not diarrhea, the week I start losing again and viola, Diarrhea is back, for results I can live with this. they are only for a couple trips to the thrown so can’t complain if this is as bad as it gets :slight_smile:

(Clark Potter) #64

Your culprit is the Sodium and/or Magnesium you’re consuming. Eliminate these as they’re unnecessary for a week or more (fasting experts insist you’re fine for upwards of a whole month but I find that I can relieve most of the fasting fatigue with one dose of Na/K/Mg per week) unless you’re running or doing hot yoga or something while fasting. Any salt your body can’t absorb will be redirected thru your intestines with a lot of the water you’re drinking, hence the diarrhea.

I’ve done many 10-day water fasts and one 21-day water fast. Only supplement with Na/K/Mg if you’re feeling super especially weak, get cramps or serious muscle spasms, or experience minor heart palpitations.

If you insist on supplementing with those then just dial them back until the diarrhea stops. Oh, and add Potassium too. There’s no reason to take only Sodium and Magnesium but leave out Potassium.

(Emily S Coakley) #65

Finally! Thank you for this post!
I just ate 2 fried eggs after @92 hour fast. Surprisingly - fine. Then, not fine. NOT FINE AT ALL.
I read so much on doing the water fast & easing out BUT nowhere did I read the 411 on the explosive whatever that was!!!
Gross detail - it was like all yellow liquid!! Eggs? Bile? My sins?

(Jarod King) #66

I think it might be the magnesium.

I’ve fasted approx 30 days total over the past year and never had a problem with diarrhea, each fast lasting between 5-7 days.

In all cases except the fast I ended yesterday, I have never had any issue with diarrhea. But this time I did…like almost pure water for 2 days.

What changed? Snake Juice. My best friend who also fasts is always telling me how unhealthy my water fasts are and that I need to drink Snake Juice to keep my electrolytes stable. So this time I tried it, and diarrhea was the result. That is the only thing that changed.

Snake Juice = water + magnesium + sodium + potassium.

Next fast, I will go back to just water. Something to think about…

(Jane) #67

I had the same result on my last 72-hr fast. I changed from the small amount of mag citrate in @Brenda’s ketoaid to powdered magnesium glycinate with quite a bit more magnesium (don’t have the bottle so can’t remember how much more). I was looking for a more convenient way to pack my ketoaid mix for traveling and the glass bottles of mag citrate are not convenient.

I ended up with the worst diarrhea I’ve ever have since starting keto. I was fasting, but this time was drinking the mag glycinate. I stopped immediately and was forced to take some Immodium AD even though I hated to while fasting. No choice. It was that bad.

Don’t know if stopping the mag glycinate or taking the Immodium AD, but the runs stopped and I was able to function. Although for a week after I was in NTAF mode (Never Trust a Fart).

(Bob M) #68

I usually don’t take magnesium for longer fasts, or if I do, I try to stick to magnesium oil, but still get diarrhea after breaking my long-term fast. After 3.5 years of intermittent fasting, it’s gotten better, but it’s never gone away.

(Cole Elizabeth) #69

I go through the exact same thing. I almost shit my pants today at my twins terry fox run hahaha like when does it stop?? I’m on day 3 and water is literally pouring out. Wtf

(Hoby Bradfield) #70

I did my first 3 day fast last week… started it a bit constipated… and then that all changed by the end of day 2… I am now on a Zorn Fast, guts are rumbling, and I’ve been in the bathroom 3 times this morning… the Imodium is not a bad idea… I know Metamucil can add some bulk, but I don’t trust their “sugar-free” label… the sneaky Bastages!

(Sheri Sunshine) #71

Thank you for posting this, I did my first 7 day extended fast and I think I can pretty much expect diarrhea at least once a day, my thought is this: While fasting, there is no intake of food, so our bodies are breaking down fat to provide needed energy, that process also is metabolic meaning waste has to go somewhere. I drank the needed electrolyte water, I drank regular water, each bout of diarrhea seemed different to the last one which was like soft serve yellow :poop: more like fat mixed with bile, which in fact is what it is supposed to do knowing that bile emulsifies fat. Today is my first day of real food, am waiting to see how long it takes for it to become regular again. I have seen posts that this is just the way it is for EF, but the addition of chia seed or psyllium husks might help.

(Jane) #72

The Metamucil has too many carbs - even the sugar free. I bought some fiber capsules to take when I need it - they don’t have as many extra chemicals to make it palatable to drink. Not sure why the capsules need ANY extra additives but the ones I bought do.

(Bob M) #73

For me, when I do long term fasting, I cease to go to the bathroom basically immediately. For a 4.5 day fast, I sometimes only go the first day (after 12 hours or so) and then might not go again, or if I do, will go once and that’s it. It’s when I eat again that my body restarts and suddenly I’m going to the bathroom multiple times, all water.

I think it’s at least partly due to only having liquids in me (which one would think would get completely absorbed, but do not), and changing gut bacteria and perhaps die off of cells in the digestive system. If I thought getting those biome tests were useful, it could be interesting to test before and after to see if there’s any change.

(Robin) #74

Thanks @Clark_Potter! I think you just solve my issues!

(I want abs... olutely all the bacon) #76

Why? I’ve experienced diarrhea more often than not with extended fasts when consuming water only.

#78

Digging up an old post, but your mum is right. >> :poop: << was originally intended to be a soft serve chocolate ice cream emoji.

(I want abs... olutely all the bacon) #79

Sorry that was your experience :worried:, it changes my perspective on my diarrhea complaints.

(Bo) #80

To put this topic to bed.

The reason you suffer from Diarrhea is in part of you taking a 500 mg magnesium pill. Magnesium taken orally acts as a laxative and doesn’t get absorbed very well.

If you want to increase your intake of magnesium, take a hot Epsom salt bath ( Epsom salt contains magnesium sulfate) and pour 1/2-1 cup into the warm bath water and soak where it can be absorbed over a 25 minute bathing session. Do this every 2-3 days and you should be magnesium satisfied.

Also, increase your salt to at least 1000 mg a day if you are doing a pure fast and suffering still from diarrhea as this improves your water retention.

Good luck on longer fasts!

(Nicole Condon) #81

I have had similar issues occasionally and take imodium. I was worried about taking it regularly, but the doc said the only real side effect is possible constipation if you take too much. Works for me and is better then the alternative! [insert poo emoji here]. However you should first rule out any other medical issues, such as infection, Chrohn’s , ulcerative colitis, bowel polyps etc, of course. Good luck!

(Karim Wassef) #82

Coffee and raw cacao powder are both diuretic and can remove liquid and effectively dry stool. You may want to see if that helps reverse the effect.

(Chris) #83

That’s just not the whole story. Breaking one’s fast induces diarrhea with or without magnesium.

(I am a Dog (Dog's eat until they burst!)) #84

I’m a numbers person so let’s clear up this salt thing: how much do we really need in a day. The current RDA is 2300 mg or 2.3 g of salt. The 3mg that @widebody mentioned would be fatal and I believe they meant 3g.

According to Dr. James DiNicolantonio, author of “The Salt Fix,” We should be going after 3.5g to 4.5g (3500mg to 4500mg) per day for normal health.

I also learned from him that one of the best salts is Redmond’s Real Salt which is from ancient salt deposits and contain ample other minerals, like magnesium, that will give you a well balanced micro-nutrient level.