Fasting and Medication

TheBlackestBeauty
TheBlackestBeauty Posts: 13 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I was wondering if anyone as ever fasted and been on medication before. I am diabetic and I have high blood pressure but I want to fast, not for weight loss or anything, solely for faith based purposes. I intend to go off all meds for five days because I have been doing some research and some say that it takes a woman 48 hours to enter a fasting state and it takes men 72 hours. By this theory, I would like to be in fasting state for three days. My blood sugar will be checked regularly and I also have a BP machine at home. I talked to the doctor but they don't recommend me fast, juice or anything that does not have to do with medication. I do intend to keep working out by doing yoga. What do y'all think? Please no rude comments. Let me clarify something to all readers. This post is for people who have fasted and are on medication. If you do not, have not or will not fast while on medication, please keep it moving. I did not post this to get approval or to ask if I should. This is my journey and I am going to take it. Trust me! I know my own limitations. If I feel like I can't complete it or I need to shorten the time span, I will. My goal is not to kill myself. Thank you.

Replies

  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    YEP!!!! DO IT!, but be careful, bit at a time, till you know what you can do.
  • Erienneb
    Erienneb Posts: 592 Member
    I'm not a dr at all but to me that sounds silly. I can understand wanting to do something for faith based reasons but I have to think that your faith and your god will forgive you if you aren't healthy enough to do so.

    You have serious medical conditions that have you on medication for a reason, it's not a game. Your dr says not to do it, and you want to still? Coming on here looking for people to validate you on your path to do serious harm to yourself is not going to end well, I think. Listen to your dr. Going off medication like that is stupid, or you wouldn't be on it in the first place.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Who says it takes 48 hours? Most of the benefits of fasting are around 14-18 hours. I fast for 20 hours every day. It's not ideal to fast for longer than 72 hours because you start losing most of the benefits of fasting. 36-48 hours is very good and it's increases your metabolic rate. If you feel the need to fast longer you can, but it becomes pointless. As long as you're being safe I don't see a problem with it. Also, if you go longer than 48 hours you may experience some muscle cramping due to electrolyte imbalance. The easiest way to fix it would be to drink powerade zero or some other electrolyte supplement.
  • TheBlackestBeauty
    TheBlackestBeauty Posts: 13 Member
    I will not hurt myself. Why would I want to? That is why I will be monitoring my sugar and blood pressure. If I can't keep it up I will simply stop.

    I need no validation only suggestions as to how to successfully achieve a goal I set for myself.
  • LittleMissDover
    LittleMissDover Posts: 820 Member
    'I talked to the doctor but they don't recommend me fast, juice or anything that does not have to do with medication. I do intend to keep working out by doing yoga. What do y'all think? Please no rude comments.'

    I think you should listen to your doctor.
  • chimp517
    chimp517 Posts: 185 Member
    Is insulin the medication you plan to drop ?
  • TheBlackestBeauty
    TheBlackestBeauty Posts: 13 Member
    They say fasting and juicing are bad period, not just for me. People do it all the time and are healthy.
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,272 Member
    Paging Charles Darwin, Darwin to the courtesy phone...
  • TheBlackestBeauty
    TheBlackestBeauty Posts: 13 Member
    yes it is.
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    I was wondering if anyone as ever fasted and been on medication before. I am diabetic and I have high blood pressure but I want to fast, not for weight loss or anything, solely for faith based purposes. I intend to go off all meds for five days because I have been doing some research and some say that it takes a woman 48 hours to enter a fasting state and it takes men 72 hours. By this theory, I would like to be in fasting state for three days. My blood sugar will be checked regularly and I also have a BP machine at home. I talked to the doctor but they don't recommend me fast, juice or anything that does not have to do with medication. I do intend to keep working out by doing yoga. What do y'all think? Please no rude comments.

    Please take medical advice from a suitably qualified healthcare professional not randoms on a forum - doctor, registered dietician, pharmacist - if you don't want to listen to your doctor's opinion I don't see any point in having asked them. I would be as concerned about what happens when you recommence eating normally and recommence your prescribed medications as what happens when you come off, bearing in mind you will likely be dehydrated, muscles depleted of glycogen, digestive system function disrupted.
  • LittleMissDover
    LittleMissDover Posts: 820 Member
    They say fasting and juicing are bad period, not just for me. People do it all the time and are healthy.

    I suspect the healthy ones don't have a life threatening disease that relies on them having acceptable levels of nutrition.
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
    I would follow my doctor's advice. You could go into a coma and die from fasting! I think God would rather you live and not fast than make some gesture and die. There are other ways to sacrifice to show your faith.
  • chimp517
    chimp517 Posts: 185 Member
    Based on people I have dealt with that were diabetic, I would strongly advise you to reconsider this. Insulin/diabetic issues often have a fast onset and before you realize there is a problem it has affected your mental faculties to the point where you may not make sound decisions. Please at least say you do not live alone and will be by yourself during this period of time?
  • TheBlackestBeauty
    TheBlackestBeauty Posts: 13 Member
    I do live alone but I am going to go stay with my family while I do it. I monitor my sugar regularly now and I plan to continue to do so.
  • eandrsmom
    eandrsmom Posts: 119
    I can completely respect your desire to fast for religious reasons, but I also respect the complexity and severity of diabetes and high blood pressure. As a former diabetic (during pregnancies) I would suggest that you discuss this further with your doctor. A five day fast seems pretty harmless until you consider how long it takes.your body to regulate to these medications.
  • chimp517
    chimp517 Posts: 185 Member
    Please reconsider, or at least postpone and do more research.
  • TheBlackestBeauty
    TheBlackestBeauty Posts: 13 Member
    I haven't started yet. I am doing research now and I have an appointment with a nutritionist to discuss ways that I can do it safely. Why do people act like I want to hurt myself? I want to be in the best state of health I can be in. For me this includes my spiritual man, too. Thank you for your concern. I appreciate it. I will not go into this blindly. I will do my best to be well-versed in the matter..
  • ecjak2
    ecjak2 Posts: 13 Member
    I totally agree with fasting, but I also know that there is more than one way to fast. Instead of doing a TOTAL fast, why not try to do a "strict" diet. Say only eat certain things during those days. You would be giving up other things & using that time to pray about whatever is going on in your life. Or you could give up certain foods during those days. Fasting doesn't have to be an all or nothing option. There is more than one way to fast. I recommend an alternative to a complete fast, especially with your serious medical conditions.
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    I haven't started yet. I am doing research now and I have an appointment with a nutritionist to discuss ways that I can do it safely. Why do people act like I want to hurt myself? I want to be in the best state of health I can be in. For me this includes my spiritual man, too. Thank you for your concern. I appreciate it. I will not go into this blindly. I will do my best to be well-versed in the matter..

    See a registered dietician, only a nutritionist if they have at least a degree in their subject. Nutritionist is not a regulated title in many countries so some who label themselves as such as not that highly qualified.
  • caribear1984
    caribear1984 Posts: 203
    I totally agree with fasting, but I also know that there is more than one way to fast. Instead of doing a TOTAL fast, why not try to do a "strict" diet. Say only eat certain things during those days. You would be giving up other things & using that time to pray about whatever is going on in your life. Or you could give up certain foods during those days. Fasting doesn't have to be an all or nothing option. There is more than one way to fast. I recommend an alternative to a complete fast, especially with your serious medical conditions.
    I agree with this. I understand you wanting to fast, but there is a real chance you may hurt yourself even if you don't want to. I would suggest either a Daniel fast, or a one-day fast. I used to do one-day fasts while I was on meds, but we did it according to the Jewish tradition that a day was sunset-to-sunset. So I would fast from the time I got up until 6pm (roughly sunset) and I was fine. But I was not on insulin, though. If you decide to go with a juice or water fast, please please pay extremely close attention to your blood sugar.
  • cole_ashleyy
    cole_ashleyy Posts: 104 Member
    I'm gonna be honest... I didn't even read anything- I just saw "diabetic" and "fasting". Fasting is dangerous enough as it is... I don't even wanna think about how bad it would be to risk when you have diabetes. My opinion... not a good idea.
  • missprincessgina
    missprincessgina Posts: 446 Member
    I fasted while on medication at a health & wellness spa supervised by a doctor. I drank raw fresh vegetable juice and coconut water if I was feeling weak. I also worked out, hiking, yoga, meditation. I did this for 8 days.

    Good luck & please be careful especially being on medication.

    I wanted to add that I kept taking my medication. I'm not diabetic nor do I have high blood pressure so the medications are totally different. I did consult my PCP and the doctor on site. I felt good while fasting and after fasting.
  • TheBlackestBeauty
    TheBlackestBeauty Posts: 13 Member
    thank you. i may go to a wellness center too.
  • TheBlackestBeauty
    TheBlackestBeauty Posts: 13 Member
    thanks alot! i like your idea. i see some other suggestions too like a Daniel fast and a one day fast

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