Is it okay that If i don’t eat anything for 7-8 hours or more my head starts to hurt. I didn’t manage to go even for a day because of this, it’s way too distracting and I can’t do anything, and even when I eventually eat, the pain remains for pretty much the rest of the day.
Anyone experienced something like this? Is this something I should be concerned about? How do I fix it?
OK I would say if you are getting headaches like that you should stop fasting so long until you figure out the cause. Might be unpopular to say here IDK.
However I do have some questions. Like does that include sleep? You should be sleeping about that long so do you have to eat soon after you wake up to avoid a headache?
Also what is the food like that you do eat? And how much water are you drinking?
This could be as simple as drinking more water, as dehydration can definitely cause headaches. You should be drinking water when fasting. Personally I have upped how much water I drink because it helps with reduce hunger pangs, and drinking boiled water helps with my British need for a cup of tea about every 2 hours.
If it is related to food it could still be different things. Like if its due to low blood sugar you could look up foods that keep blood sugar stable for longer. Vitamin D, B2 and magnesium deficiencies can all cause headaches. B2 (or Riboflavin) might be the first one to increase in your diet and see if it stops the headaches. The body can only store it in small amounts and it leaves the body quickly. So you might be running out quickly during your fasting period if you don’t have enough in your diet. In fact I just googled it and B2 can be a treatment for migraines.
In general I would suggest keeping a diary that tracks your what you eat, how much you drink, and when you get headaches to see if there is a link. Also I would look up the differences between a headache and a migraine and switch to calling them migraines if it seems appropriate. If you decide to go to a doctor I think calling them migraines might get thr issue taken more seriously.
Eat some salt/put salt in water and drink it. Some say a teaspoon’s worth, I just put some in my hand and chug it. If the head ache isn’t gone in 30 mins I have some more.
I also take some salt replacement along with it (that’s potassium instead of sodium) but only salt works fine.
I’m assuming this is only during waking hours. If so, then try having a serving of only juice. Say, orange juice and see what happens thirty minutes after drinking juice. If this makes you feel better than you are having an issue with your blood sugar dipping too low. This would also warrant a visit to your doctor to discuss and assess the cause.
I had a similar issue when I started. It was because I didn’t drink enough water but would get a ton of water from the food I was eating. I know it may sound stupid but it took me quite a while to figure it out
It’s not normal, no.
Could it be dehydration? Are you drinking enough water? Could you try adding a pinch of table salt and potassium-based salt substitute to your water, in case you are low on electrolytes?
Did you skip your usual morning coffee or tea while fasting? If so, it could be caffeine withdrawal. (Seriously — even if you’re not a heavy coffee drinker. I know a couple of people who only drink one cup of coffee each morning, but if they skip the coffee, it will literally trigger a migraine.)
If this is the case, remember that plain coffee and tea (no sugar/honey, no cream/milk) are totally OK while fasting. No need to skip that morning coffee or tea, as long as you have it plain. And if you absolutely must have cream in your coffee, a teaspoon of heavy cream (no sugar) will have a minimal impact on your insulin levels, even though it is technically “dirty fasting.”
That’s withdrawal. Yes it is normal and it will go away once you get used to it (and maybe clean up your diet). The last part is only if you consume a lot of caffeine and sugar in your regular diet. It’s very common for people to experience migraines and nausea when they start fasting and their body isn’t getting their usual “hit” of sugar/caffeine or whatever you’re into. I used to have that too! So it’s actually a good thing… you’re resetting your system. It should go away after a few fasts through, your body should adapt. If it doesn’t go away it’s a different story, then I’d ask your doctor rather than us ☺️