Re: Water fasting; how to know if your electrolytes are out of wack?

I have also been concerned about electrolytes. For the past few years I have been plagued with nocturnal leg cramps in my thighs. I will be awakened out of sleep with horrible pain. The only way I have been able to stop this from happening is to take 6 95ml tablets of Potassium and put Ancient Minerals Magnesium oil on my legs and rest of my body and leave for 20 minutes. I have also used pink salt in water to help with foot cramps which have awakened me. I was thinking about taking some of the potassium and using the magnesium oil at the start of a 21-day water fast. And then after a few days try to do without this. I am terrified of these cramps. They are very, very painful and I have to massage my legs and keep them straight. I can hardly get out of bed they are so painful. You seem to be saying in your post that electrolytes will balance out. And then someone said Dr. Furhman had to break his 46-day fast because of electrolyte imbalance. His book on fasting states that at the first of the fast some potassium is lost but then stabilizes.

In your opinion, do you think I will likely have leg cramps during this 21-day fast?

In 1986, I fasted on water for 21 days and did not drink any coffee the whole time. I am so addicted to coffee that this was amazing. I was full of energy the whole time.

I have been drinking coffee (2-3 cups per day), eating sweets and junk food and have very frequent urination, especially when eating sweets and drinking coffee. I'm sure I'm quite dehydrated because I don't drink very much water and when I do, I experience frequent urination (which could be caused by the coffee).

Thank you for any advice you can offer.

Kathy Tweet