Re: Forty-Day Water Fast

Salutations oh wise one Ny,

Gas, Nausea, Vomiting, and the symptoms of vomiting, during a water-fast?

Vomiting and all of the above can be described as crises. The only potentially dangerous one is the vomiting, which can of course lead to dehydration, but this is generally an effort by the body to expel toxins such as malformed bile, mucus, and stomach acids: the body will use every avenue at its disposal (including spitting crises) to eliminate waste, and this includes vomiting, which can occur at any stage of a Water Fast during its length.

After 30 days I would keep an eye on your resting pulse to check for any anomalies such as an erratic pulse; this is not a danger signal in itself unless it persists for more than several days, in which case it would be advisable to break the fast. A lot depends on your overall condition.

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I cannot do better than to quote Shelton here regarding nausea and gas...................

NAUSEA: This seems to be an expression of a sudden decrease of the normal tension of the stomach. It may be induced by a foul odor, a bad taste, a disgusting sight, or an emotional shock. Severe pain, illness, fatigue, rapid descent in an elevator, etc., may produce nausea by lowering the tension of the stomach. These things bring about a loss of tension through a complicated "reflex" mechanism.

Continual emotional disturbances, such as prolonged worries, anguish, grief and repeated shocks, may result in a persistent loss of tone in the stomach and produce the "all gone" sensation or vague nausea often complained of.

In many cases there is no doubt that the sudden withdrawing of all food, as in fasting, results in a temporary lowering of tone or tension in the stomach and this produces nausea. On the other hand, tall, thin, undernourished people are likely to suffer with a chronic lack of tension in the stomach and this becomes more noticeable when they fast. The presence of bile in the stomach also causes nausea. Its presence is very likely to lead to vomiting.


GAS: Many patients have considerable intestinal gas while fasting. Those who suffer with digestive troubles, visceroptosis, colitis, enteritis, etc., and "nervous" patients are most likely to be troubled with gas. In not a few cases there is sufficient gas to cause distress, even sleeplessness. Most of these cases experience difficulty in expelling the gas.

In most cases, distress is probably not due to the presence of a large amount of gas, for this is seldom present in large amounts. It seems rather to be due to increased internal tension. A constant internal tension or pressure is maintained in the digestive tube. This is regulated by the sympathetic nervous system. Increased tension is felt, reflexly, as pain or discomfort in the muscles of the abdomen.

"Nervousness," shock, strong emotions, etc., may cause increased tension in the tube and the faster will experience some kind of discomfort. Subconscious fears also may cause the so-called gas pains. Those who have long suffered with digestive derangements are especially prone to changes in the internal tension of the tube.

Functional irregularities in the stomach and intestine may cause pain because of increased peristaltic contractions that often exist in these. Marked visceroptosis, with sharp angulations, may increase the internal tension and cause discomfort or pain.

Increased peristaltic activity of the stomach walls, due to "nervousness," may also result in discomfort that is mistaken for "gas pains." Increased tension may occur in any section of the tube and thus pain or discomfort may be either general over the abdomen or may be more or less localized.

Fasters who so suffer generally complain that the "gas" makes them nervous and keeps them awake at night. It seems that the opposite of this is the truth--the nervousness causes the increased tension and resulting discomfort. Where these patients are able to completely relax, their "gas pains" cease.
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Sips of warm to hot water are beneficial in alleviating gas and helps to dispel it: this was the advice I was given by Dr Virginia Vetrano (Sheltons aide) during my first fast of 25 days and which helped enormously.

It is my opinion that you are not done yet, and your body needs to go further along the road to wellness. I would take one day at a time and let developments take their course.
Insomnia is (as you probably know) or lack of a need for sleep, is a definite feature of the faster: this was my own experience with my second fast of 30 days as well.
The amount of sleep is related to the amount of food we consume during each and every day, and the physical activity or lack of during the course of each day.

Days seemed to extend into unending years !!!!!

I can sympathize/empathize with your symptoms, but the resolve in continuing will be really worth it in the end.

As Paul Bragg used to say "Just grin and bear".

Take care and keep us posted please.

Chrisb1.
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