Has anyone done the Master Cleanse whilst they have chronic fatigue?

[Bansaw]

The doctor I saw today recommended a master cleanse for me, even though I have CFS (with one caveat: she did say I could do the cleanse with adrenal fatigue, only if I avoided significant physical exertion.)
She is thinking there's something wrong with my digestion etc. I am just not absorbing. My minerals are very low; I have gut issues. (I might post my mineral results on another thread?)

Anyway, would you do a master cleanse for 7 days?

(Its lemon juice, maple syrup B, cayenne pepper)

 

[taniaaust1]

I'm kind of shocked a doctor recommended that to you, its a massive sugar hit with the amount of maple syrup one takes while doing that. (I used to do this for weight loss, I can say it didn't help my ME/CFS any all, though it did work for weight loss).

Secondly many with ME/CFS have IBS (maybe it's not your case) but cayenne pepper isn't too good for many who have IBS.

I also haven't heard of doing something like this for a week before able to fix adrenal fatigue.
...........

I know some for a bit of a cleansing affect on the body say its good to have a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice in the mornings in a glass of water.

 

[Mary]

@Bansaw - I don't think it's a good idea either. I tried that cleanse back in the mid-1990's before I started crashing but after my health had started to go south, and it was not a good thing. I got very sick - my body's detox system just did not work like a healthy person's. Major cleanses are not recommended for people with CFS - they're too rough for us in general.

Lemon juice is good for mild cleansing and to aid digestion generally.

I've spent many years detoxing (often involuntarily - just reacting to things) though finally my detox pathways seem to be functioning somewhat normally but it's taken a long time.

I think you probably need to concentrate on healing your gut - l-glutamine is supposed to be very good for healing leaky gut. I saw your other post, and think Zypan is a very good idea for you also. I think you need to strengthen your body first, fix your absorption problems and so on before trying something major.

And work on strengthening your adrenals if they are weak - Drenatrophin PMG and Drenamin by Standard Process both helped me a lot with this as well as pantothenic acid. I was helped a lot by a chiropractor who does muscle testing and they can often help pinpoint what is going on, especially with digestion.

And I assume you and your doctor have looked at things like wheat and dairy which most of us can't tolerate, and also checked you for gluten intolerance etc.?

One more thing - Nutreval testing showed I was very deficient in B6, which is so important for so many processes in the body, including protein metabolism. And this was never picked up by anyone. If you can get the Nutreval testing done, that would be great. And if you can't, I would ask your doctor to check your B6 levels. It's important for neurotransmitters, energy, just a ton of things and it was overlooked by me and the doctors until relatively recently.

 

[Bansaw]

@Bansaw

One more thing - Nutreval testing showed I was very deficient in B6, which is so important for so many processes in the body, including protein metabolism. And this was never picked up by anyone. If you can get the Nutreval testing done, that would be great. And if you can't, I would ask your doctor to check your B6 levels. It's important for neurotransmitters, energy, just a ton of things and it was overlooked by me and the doctors until relatively recently.

Appreciate the reply Mary.
My doc did do a Neurotransmitter test on me a while back. Showed I was low in a number of areas.
I am taking Acetyl-L-Carnitine for mental clarity and must attest that this is the best supplement I have taken so far (and I've spent $1000s on supplements over the years.)
My doc also did put me on Drenamin for a while but that had ltitle effect. I wached a video by Dr.Vicki Peterson on youtube who said that adrenal support from animal sources is outdated and shown not to work.
Zypan, I agree there you're right, is a terrific supplement.
My doc is also recommending High Grade Licorice for adrenal support or Withania (Ashwaghanda +)
I am on good B vitamins (Methyl Protect) too. I might mentiont he Nutreval test next time.
I had been looking at muscle testing but not gone for that yet.

Overall, I must say, my health has upturned slightly in the past few months, and I put this down to mainly Acetyl-L-Carnitine and Essica tea (a great detox) and vit D levels back up.

 

[Sushi]

She is thinking there's something wrong with my digestion etc. I am just not absorbing. My minerals are very low; I have gut issues....
Anyway, would you do a master cleanse for 7 days?
(Its lemon juice, maple syrup B, cayenne pepper)

Personally, I would never do this. It sounds risky for a patient with ME/CFS and one who doesn't yet really know what is going wrong with your gut. Can you have your gut tested for specifics, like infections, bacteria balance etc.? Then you would have a better idea of specific treatments that might help.

Best,
Sushi

 

[Mary]

@Bansaw - I'm glad the acetyl-l-carnitine as well as Essiac tea and vitamin D are helping you! FWIW, when I was given Drenatrophin back in the mid-1990's, I had to take around 3 times the recommended dose because I was so weak. I doubt if the recommended dose would have been effective for me. Based on my experience I'm afraid I have to disagree with Dr. Peterson who says that adrenal glandulars don't work - they worked amazingly well for me, when taken in a high enough dose. But I'm not saying don't try the licorice or ashwaganda - I'm sure those can help you too.

Best of luck -

Mary

 

[taniaaust1]

My doc is also recommending High Grade Licorice for adrenal support or Withania (Ashwaghanda +)
I am on good B vitamins (Methyl Protect) too.

My CFS specialist has me on Ashwaghanda for my adrenals. (I cant say it has helped me but it must help some of his CFS patients or he wouldn't have suggested it. I know Dr Cheney also used to suggest Ashwaghanda).

Licorice I think also can help if a person has low BP.

It sounds like you have a decent doctor there with most of her suggestions. (she probably desperate to get your gut fixed and seems to be grasping at straws with that.. maybe you will need to seek out another ME/CFS specialist who specialises in the gut side of it).

 

[Bansaw]

Licorice I think also can help if a person has low BP.

It sounds like you have a decent doctor there with most of her suggestions. (she probably desperate to get your gut fixed and seems to be grasping at straws with that.. maybe you will need to seek out another ME/CFS specialist who specialises in the gut side of it).

Doesn't Licorice interfere with testosterone (in men)?

I did also see Dr.Lapp (who has been mentioned on this forums a few tiems.) He was good and very experienced, and I've seen some other [very expensive] doctors too. My current doctor is good at Methylation pathway, and good with the gut. She's a bit dogmatic sometimes (!) but some would call that confidence I suppose. I know what my body responds to, and I tell her that I do better with teas, liquids rather than pills and capsules generally. She's getting that.

 

[Bansaw]

@Bansaw But I'm not saying don't try the licorice or ashwaganda - I'm sure those can help you too.

As I wrote just below here I am wary of Licorice because of its alleged affect on testosterone. I tried Ashwaghanda a few months ago, but maybe it wasn't high does. My doc recommended "Withania" which is basically Licorice, Ashw, Skullcap and Ginseng. This is from standard process so not cheap.
There's a limit to what I want to spend (although God covers all my needs) but I want to be wise and not just buy everything.

 

[Hip]

I am just not absorbing. My minerals are very low; I have gut issues. (I might post my mineral results on another thread?)

Anecdotally ME/CFS patients report low stomach acid (HCl) levels, which may impede mineral absorption.

Have you ever performed the burp test to check your own stomach acid levels?

 

[jimells]

What is a "master cleanse", a fancy name for an exotic enema, or some kind of fasting diet, or something else?

 

[Bansaw]

What is a "master cleanse", a fancy name for an exotic enema, or some kind of fasting diet, or something else?

Basically its fasting and all you consume is lemon juice, maple syrup B and cayenne pepper all mixed with water.

 

[jimells]

Anecdotally ME/CFS patients report low stomach acid (HCl) levels, which may impede mineral absorption.

Have you ever performed the burp test to check your own stomach acid levels?

Well this is really interesting. After stumbling over a thread about baking soda I tried it first thing for a week or two. It didn't help my illness. I don't recall ever burping. I vaguely recall that the point of taking the baking soda before anything else was to get the baking soda into the gut before the stomach turns on the acid and neutralizes the soda, but perhaps I am misunderstanding how this works.

At any rate I have had gut problems since the illness started, including H. pylori, B-12 deficiency, and borderline iron deficiency, and an apparent inability to absorb carbohydrates, so low stomach acid sounds like something I need to look into. God knows the doctors won't.

 

[jimells]

Basically its fasting and all you consume is lemon juice, maple syrup B and cayenne pepper all mixed with water.

Thank you for the explanation. It doesn't sound like a very good idea for sick people, at least, not for this poster.

 

[ukxmrv]

I've done really badly with the so-called cleansing programs that I would run a mile (ha! if only...) from any doctor that suggested one.That's just my personal experience. I've tried fasting with water, with juices and with various other preparations but I never last more than 1-2 days due to passing out. It takes me months to recover to my previous level.

It seems to be doctors who treat illness with a "one size fits all" idea that suggest this to me. It's never been suggested by a ME or CFS doctor (i.e. the ones who have a specific interest in that are).

There are individual patients who seem to do better if they don't eat (have been threads on this forum). Are you of this type?

 

[Bansaw]

There are individual patients who seem to do better if they don't eat (have been threads on this forum). Are you of this type?

My doc says I could do the fast with the caveat that I don't do any physical activity. I tried extended water-only fast for spiritual reasons (as a Christian) a long time ago when I was really in good health , and I felt really tired nearing the end, but when I broke the fast, I felt amazing.

 

[CantThink]

I've done it, but not for 7 days. I think I did it for 4 or 5 combined with a really disgusting detox tea made of weird things like leaves and bark. The tea acted like an enema.

I have also done juice fasts and 500 calorie fasts out of desperation to 'heal myself'. I personally wouldn't recommend any of them. I think they are harsh on a body that's already struggling to cope. In my case I'd just end up so ill (I'd go into a detox state very quickly - migraine, vomiting, shaking, sweating... Anyone who didn't know would think I'd taken drugs and was trying to get off them!). I felt extremely weak - there was no way I could do anything except lie down.

I've found better results by identifying food allergies and intolerances, and eating according to that. I also changed my diet to include bone broths, and a lot of slow cooked food.

 

[Bansaw]

I've found better results by identifying food allergies and intolerances, and eating according to that. I also changed my diet to include bone broths, and a lot of slow cooked food.

I think just reading between the lines that you might have a similar gut absorption issue as me. I am not absorbing minerals and what I should be from food. Simple as that.
I have been taking kefir for a while now and may up that, but I took a heavy anti biotic regime a few years ago and that has floored me. I digest well with home made soups and slow cooked soft stuff, salads but not much else.
I'm going to get back ont he Zypan and that will help too.
This is why I try and avoid pill/capsule supplements now as I am not convinced they are getting through.

I might try the master cleanse but come off it if I get any adverse reaction.

 

[howirecovered]

I have CFS and CIRS and am on day 6 of the master cleanse. I'm video blogging my experience here: http://howirecovered.com/the-master-cleanse/

 

[u&iraok]

@Bansaw - I don't think it's a good idea either. I tried that cleanse back in the mid-1990's before I started crashing but after my health had started to go south, and it was not a good thing. I got very sick - my body's detox system just did not work like a healthy person's. Major cleanses are not recommended for people with CFS - they're too rough for us in general.

Lemon juice is good for mild cleansing and to aid digestion generally.

I've spent many years detoxing (often involuntarily - just reacting to things) though finally my detox pathways seem to be functioning somewhat normally but it's taken a long time.

I think you probably need to concentrate on healing your gut - l-glutamine is supposed to be very good for healing leaky gut. I saw your other post, and think Zypan is a very good idea for you also. I think you need to strengthen your body first, fix your absorption problems and so on before trying something major.

And work on strengthening your adrenals if they are weak - Drenatrophin PMG and Drenamin by Standard Process both helped me a lot with this as well as pantothenic acid. I was helped a lot by a chiropractor who does muscle testing and they can often help pinpoint what is going on, especially with digestion.

Agreed. Build up your adrenals, don't tax them and other parts of your body with a cleanse. Plus when you have adrenal problems you don't want to skip meals. Fasting would be even more of a no-no. You need to eat protein at each meal. Some which adrenal problems have found that eating 6 small meals a day beneficial.

If you try drenatrophin PMG or drenamin start small, like a quarter of a pill. Also, you want to be careful if you try and treat just one part of the endocrine system, it can throw off the balance of the endocrine system as a whole. I've taken PMGs for all parts of the endocrine system, but a specialist would be able to help you with that.