Here’s a question about one of the more common master cleanse side effects – headaches.
I completed the Master Cleanse yesterday. I am so looking forward the the soup!
I had a headache that seemed to start in my right ear and go down my neck. I would come and go but I seemed to have it almost every night. It became very intense when I stood up from bed. I can actually still feel it now. Will it go away? Do you know what would cause this?
Other than the headache the Cleanse was wonderful. I lost about 12 pounds.
Thanks for all the information.
Cheryl
Headaches usually happen early in the cleanse, and for most people go away after 3 or 4 days. The severity of the headaches varies from person to person, but there are a few common factors that can cause them.
If you drink a lot of caffeine you might experience headaches when you do the master cleanse because your body is going through a withdrawal of sorts.
If this is your first time doing a detox diet you’re likely to experience headaches.
In the short time it takes to do the master cleanse your body will go through a massive internal cleaning.
This is a good thing, but it can be uncomfortable because years of waste that’s been dormant inside your body is now being ushered out by your bodies cleansing mechanisms.
Stress can also lead to headaches.
Like I mentioned above, your body will be taxed by the master cleanse so try to not to push yourself too hard.
3 Tips To Get Rid Of Master Cleanse Headaches
Focused relaxation helps. Use your breath and intention to melt away tension in your head.
An Epsom salt bath can also help unlock stress in your body and help you relax your muscles.
Aroma therapy is another gentle way to soothe stubborn headaches. I’ve found the best scented oils to use are peppermint and lavender.
Here’s a helpful tip from a blog reader about how to avoid headaches when you do the Master Cleanse…
I had been doing the ten-day master cleanse once or twice a year since the mid-90?s and always felt great. If you’ve done it a few times, there are no headaches, etc. because you’re probably not very toxic. (A side note about the headaches: Before starting the cleanse, if you drink regular coffee, begin substituting decaffeinated about a week before so that you’re drinking straight decaf for at least a few days before you begin. Some headaches are just from the lack of caffeine.)
Anyway, after I moved away from the warm climate I lived in, I got out of the habit of doing the cleanse every New Year’s Day because of the cold weather. After four years of no cleanses, I knew it was time to detox. I had a headache, and actually threw up at the end of the first day. I’ve felt fine from the second day on, and am now on day four. I’m going back on my old schedule – thanks for reminding me of how great I always feel on this diet. (And there’s so much more time in each day with no cooking!)
Here’s a comment from a blog reader that I want to share because it really shows the many health benefits of the master cleanse. Most people know the master cleanse can be used for detoxing and weight loss, but this reader has experienced a reduction in migraine headaches, and is sleeping better which is not something most people think the master cleanse can help you with.
Here’s the comment…
“I read about this cleanse and also heard about it from my friends. I was hospitalized for a medication overdose in April of this year. Since being released I have been on MANY medications for depression, chronic insomnia, fibromyalgia, and other issues. I started the cleanse on Tues. Aug. 19 which has been exactly 7 days, and I have lost a total of 18 pounds so far. This system does work so far for me. I use grade a maple syrup, pure lemon juice and bottled water, and still have experienced this success. I have even eaten during this process. I get severe migraine headaches regularly and this 7 days has been the best that I have felt in a VERY long time. My daily migraine headaches are now reduced drastically and usually respond to Excedrin, as opposed to a prescription. I am even going to bed at 11pm every night (this is early for me; I am usually up until at least 4am). I don’t do the laxatives, any of them, because I don’t need them. Nothing works for everyone, but I have a lot more energy than I have had in years due to the fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. I will continue on as long as I feel is necessary for me. Good luck to all of you.”
Day 4 and I’ve had a headache for the past 2 days. This is my 4th time doing the cleanse. I’ve never had headaches before. My goal is to do the cleanse for 15 days.
Good info, especially the wheatgrass, gonna give that a try soon. Been doing the MC twice a year for 12 yrs now. Glad this site is here. Learned a few things in those years and would love to share. Thanks for the cheat sheet.
I’m On day 3,day 2 was the worst my headache was brutal! Day 3 has been great i’m sure my headache was very intense because I’m a BIG coffee drinker 13 cups @ day ;(
I’m going to do my best to do the diet for 6 days.
good luck everyone.
Day 1 – an entire day of migraines and vomitting! Caffeine withdrawal Im assuming.
Day 2 – I did the SWF and that went well. Still have a headache and feel Nausea….hope it goes away soon! My system must be a mess inside
I am on day 2 of th MC and I have this terrible HA, besides that I feel fine.
I am on day 5 and headache is really bad…:( My biggest problem though is that I can’t sleep!!! Any suggestions?
I have another question for everyone – are you allowed to take prescription medication while on this Lemonade Diet? Has anyone else had this question or heard anything about taking meds?
So I started this morning for day one, couldn’t stand the drink, but managed most of the day until the headache came. It was horrible. I felt so sick already and realized that I have such a busy week ahead of me and weekend, so I had a cup of coffee and a rice cake with peanut butter and my headache disappeared shortly after. Now I’m reading all your comments and see that the headache comes with the territory and you have to get passed it. I will try again next week and hopefully will be able to make it. I wish I liked the drink more. You all are amazing for being able to stick with it for so long. How many glasses of the lemonade are you drinking? Is anyone feeling weak or lightheaded? Are you able to still do your regular exercising or daily routines? Support is definitely what someone needs during a detox.
I’m just completing day 6 of my first cleanse and this evening was the first time I felt like I was going to break. I think it’s because it’s Friday night and I’ve been in the practice of splurging on foods that I like when I start the weekend. I have lost 10 lbs. so far and for most of the MC I have felt strong and committed to completing it for the sake of my health. I’m going to bed early tonight and think about the many reasons I went on the cleanse and recommit so that I can make it successfully to at least day 10.
I am on day 1 and peeing every 20 min LOL hoping to do 14 days well see i was eating about 2500 cal a day gained 45 lb since october ( we moved to MN from AZ ) stressful! Plusa i was running oevery day and i havent been since, we got up here in oct- hoping this will give me some jump start to get back in shape!
Entering Day 3 of the MC and I have a crazy headache hopefully it goes away. Other than that, I lost 3lbs so far and my cravings aren’t as bad
Day 14, eeeeassssyyyyyyyy 🙂 roll on clear tongue, i’ve commited that if the clear tongue takes ten days or ten weeks then so be it, i’ve spent thousands through the past 5 years and done every extreme protocol in the book to remove symptoms only for others to appear shortly after. This is the final straw.
Day 4! Getting ready to wake up and do the worse part of the clense…..swf. I think I cook more on the clense than I did before. Going to restaurants, the smell is intense, so I stay away and just cook for my family. Work isn’t that bad, I’m always walking the floor in retail, so I have very little time to think about food or sit behind a desk and make my mind wonder. This is my second time and for some reason it seems harder. And…..organic lemons in the winter are EXSPENSIVE! .89 cent a lemon. If your thinking of doing the MC, don’t let anything deter you from starting. New year, new you!
Day 3 coming to an end. No real issues to report. I drink a lot of water so feeling sort of bloated right now. going to drink my night time laxitive tea and wake up earlier tomorrow to do SWF. The affects of SWF have taken as long as 2 hours, so hoping i can get it happen faster. Good luck everyone.
3 day for me and already lost 5 pounds .. i just drink the mc drink and not the salt water ..im still having great results … some cravings and slight headache not tho want to do atleast 10 days but if possible i wana go up to 30 !
Day one of the MC. Hunger wasnt too bad and the lemon drink helped take the hunger pains away. Did my first salt water flush this morning….little advice….dont trust a fart and stay close to the toilet! Too make the salt water fluch easier I put one teaspoon of sea salt into about 4 oz of warm water, pounded it back then chugged the additional 28 oz of warm water. I dry heaved and gagged but managed to keep it down. Going to the gym for a stretching session followed by a long steam to help with the detox. I do have a massive headache right now and HOPE it goes away after a couple days!!
On Day 4 now and feeling really good. Had a headache on Day 2, but since I started my MC on the weekend, I just ended up staying in bed a little longer than I typically would have and the headache eventually went away. So far I have lost 6lbs and counting (yeah!)…..will hopefully make it to 18 or 20lbs on Day 10. Self-control is definitely the KEY….wish me luck and stay strong everyone!
I am on day 8 and have experienced no hunger or nausea, but I have a headache that feels like I haven’t had enough sleep. That tired dull feeling. I really think it is due to dehydration, as I haven’t had enough water the past two days. I am drinking more now so I hope it subsides. I have lost twelve pounds so far.
I’m on day 2 of MC; I have a headache and have not had a BM since yesterday morning. I will drink laxative tea tonight and do SWF in the am.
Jusy started the Master cleanse. I tryed the Salt water flush wasnt that bad. But felt like I wanted to throw up and I felt tired. Fix the drink it wasnt that bad either. I am looking forward to 14 days going strong.
I am on day 3 and I have not had a bw since yesterday morning, I am just wondering why I have not poop like they say I would.
I’m on day 4.I started having a headache last night but I’m sure it will pass.I’m still craving food, but Im staying strong.The swf is doing wonders.I’ve already lost 5 pounds..yay me!I had a dream that I ate bacon and broke the fast.lol..Get thee behind me satan.Lol..but you guys stay strong.You know you owe it to yourselves 🙂
Day 6 and my head is aching. It’s day two for the headache. I’m reading its a part of the detox. I am a big coffee drinker so maybe that’s my issue. It’s discouraging but I’m going to push forward. I’m not hunger but this headache makes me want to have a cup of chamomile tea and go to sleep.
This is my 1st time. Morning of Day 3 for me. I have had a headache since the night of the 1st day, the 2nd night the headache was the most intense, like a really bad hangover, I drank lots of water and had the wife give me a neck massage before bed, I woke up feeling quite a bit better and now I am doing my SWF. I am using 2 teaspoons of sea salt to 32 oz of water. I didn’t work the first day but on day 2 it did and I am sure it will today. Good luck everyone.
hii day 2 in my MC and its my first time to do such crazy diet
i have lots of cravings but im still strong. The Headache is killing me right now I think its caffeine withdrawal, or maybe i have a lot of toxic to expel. I think I need to drink more water…
8 more days to go 🙂
I am on day 3. I’ve had a headache since yesterday. I haven’t done the salt water flush yet. I will do it after I finish this comment…lol I think I need to drink alot more water. I dont really have any food cravings anymore. I feed my cravings by preparing food for my family…sounds weird but it works for me. What can I do to get rid of this headache? How long is too long to stay on this diet. I’m wanting to go full force since I have finally after years of trying it, have gotten past day 3. HELP ME!
Hi Ali-
I just read that for the salt flush it is:
1 teaspoon of sea salt
25-35 oz of filtered water
Good Luck….I just made my first batch….Tomorrow will be Day#1 for me!
Kat
On day one of MC!! Hoping to be strong and get all the benefits out of this since it’s not going to be easy! Can anyone tell me how much salt to use for the flush? Is it a full glass of water?
Thank you!
I’m on day 3 of MC! I’m super proud of myself, I have resisted many food temptations, came home last night and my family was eating geppetos, thought I was gonna DIE but I drunk my laxative tea and went to bed! Plus I work at Sams Club and they have free samples of food all the time smh its been a struggle but I’ve pulled thru and I believe I can make it 10 days. I love getting on here and reading other stories, its a great inspiration
This is my first day on the master cleanse. I was wondering with the swf, do you add the salt to the water or do you take the salt & drink water afterwards? I have a silly question as well, when it says you can drink herbal tea with the lemonade…does it mean mixing them together or can I keep them separate?? I’m very excited I started this today, can’t wait to reap all the wonderful benefits from it 🙂
Day 5.5 lotta craving but still goin strong!!
Day 3!! not bad so far. Self control is a KEY!!
Im on Day 2 of my cleanse. So far so good. I do feel hungry here and there but i drink more of the water and keep myself busy to get mind off food 🙂 Hope I can make it to 10 days!!
Hi! I am on day 2 of the cleanse…I am drinking 60 oz. of the lemonade, doing the swf 2 times a day, and drinking water in between…I have had a headache but expected that because of my previous caffeine consumption…I haven’t had a movement yet so I am concerned that something isn’t working correctly…does it take a couple of days to kick in?
Hey ken. How r u doing ?
Good morning everyone started the cleanse. Wish me luck!!!
Thanks ken. I know the headaches r the worst, this will be the 3rd time doing cleanse.. I’m doing cleanse to clean my body and to lose 10 or more lbs. I’m a sweet alcoholic!!! Good luck!!!
Go for it Stephanie,
I am on day five, headaches from day two and the gone. Yea!! No hunger pangs, just feels weird to go to the store and buy nothing but lemons. This is the third time I have done the cleanse and each time was great. For me it is about resetting my “habit” clock and starting new with a clean system.
Hi everyone. I’m planning on starting the M/C on Monday.
I am on day 2 and it is terrible. I have extremely high metabolism and I am drinking the lemonade too quick because I am starving and no energy. I don’t crave food nor have terrible unhealthy habits. I am doing this cleanse to help my IBS calm down. I am very thin so I don’t need the weight loss, I am thinking about stopping the cleanse. Any suggestions?
Im a doctor , stop the cleanse not for IBS
Hello All,
I’m on Day 3 now and yesterday was the worst day so far. I had a banging headache yesterday afternoon, with blurred vision and light sensitivity. I have never experienced a headache like it! It culminated in vomiting yesterday afternoon and I ended up in bed to sleep it off. I feel better this morning, a bit groggy and heavy headed but nowhere near as bad as yesterday.
The only issue I have today is that the thought of consuming the lemonade today makes me feel nauseous. I am drinking water and doing ok and I’ll try some lemonade later today. Fingers crossed this gets a lot easier!!
I’m on the first day of the cleanse and I have a pretty decent headache. This blog has really helped convince me to keep going. I’m definietely not giving up after day 1. However, I think this is just the start of a very brutal weekend. Day 2 and Day 3 are pretty bad, so it seems?
I think I may start munching on ice cubes…. is that allowed? 🙂
Hi everyone,
I am on day one of the lemonade and I did two days of easing in with the veggies and fruit. I did the MC this time last year for 8 days and it really was the best thing I have ever done for myself. Not only did it feel amazing to practice saying no to myself but the momentum that I gained was tremendous!
I am so glad that I found this forum becuase I am experiencing the headache right now and I remember getting a minor one on day two or three last year but nothing like this. It is helpful to know that I am not the only one that this is happening to!
It was great reading all the positive responses and good luck everyone!!!
No aspirin just sleep it off. Trust me, it is worth it because you drop the caffeine dependence after the detox. Of course, the smell and taste of coffee will draw you in again after the detox is done. Can you tell I like my coffee? Only having 1 cup a day, though.
The best time to do the flush (I didn’t do the salt, only the tea) was before bedtime. It took 1.5 hours for the first occurrence. It lasted for about 1 hour, sleep was peaceful, and finally had another one 20 minutes after waking up…that was pretty much it.
I am on my 2 day and my head hurts so bad. I drink as many as six cups of coffee. A day plus 3 dr. Pepper. I am having withdrawals. Can I take a asprin.
I am starting the cleanse tomorrow and feel so much better after reading the posts! A little concerned with what my happen when out and about? What are the best times to drink the SWF or tea?
Anabel, I hope that happens in my case too because mine usually lasts for about that time! I’ve already noticed its much lighter. I love that there are so many benefits to this cleanse besides the obvious weight loss.
Kendra, I wouldn’t doubt the cleanse is the reason for that. I was also there during the cleanse and it actually shortened the duration. I ALWAYS have it for 7 whole days. This was the first cycle that only lasted 3.5 to 4 days…I loved it!!!
Day 3 hasn’t been that bad. I haven’t been drinking the recommended 6 glasses though, I’ve settled for drinking 3-4. So far I’ve lost 6 pounds which I’m sure is just water weight but its still motivating me to continue for another 11 days. Today mother nature came to visit as well. I usually feel like I’m dying on the first day, however the cramps only persisted for an hour or so…. so I’m attributing that to the cleanse as well.
Teetee, have you tried upping your water intake? It might help you with the cramps. Great Kendra!!! Keep up the good work.
Hello…I’m on my 3 day of the cleanse and I hope it gets better. Right now I’m having abdominal cramps and leg pains..I was told that after day 3 they go away..I really want to detox so I’m going to stick to it….
I’m on my second day and surprisingly I don’t feel hungry at all. The lemonade is actually kind of tasty lol. I also am very surprised at how well I’ve resisted eating. Yesterday, I had to cook about three meals for my boyfriend and not once did I think about snatching some off his plate. However, the headaches started today sadly.
I have just completed the first day of the cleanse. i have such a headache and I’m afraid i won’t be able to sleep. I’m more irritable than hungry. throughout the day it was a breeze, but i tend to overeat on junk food at night so this is the struggle for me. i am also a frequent coffee drinker having at least 2 cups a day. but i hope to keep at it.
Hey guys, so today is my first day on th cleanse and I actually think I’m dying and it’s only two o clock… someone please help me stay motivated! hahaha
So glad to have found this blog. Need support as everyone around me thinks i’m crazy for even attempting this. I seriously over indulged at Christmas, putting on a whopping 17 lbs that I had fought so hard to loose. I feel bloated and sluggish and just not myself at all. I’m hoping that this cleanse will help me kick start. I am on day 2, suffering from headaches and feeling a little tired and a little hungry. Meghan – I know all about the weird looks so I try to be discreet. Herbal teas are really helping me. It’s hard not to be social and drink a coffee with friends but a herbal tea is a nice compromise. Any tips or tricks for me? how long should i hold out on this diet. I’m afraid to weigh myself…
Wow, you guys are really inspirational. Makes me really want to give this cleanse a try. My goal isn’t weight loss, but rather to get my system clean and back on track. I’ve begun noticing some health issues, but I think they’ve just been sneaking up for awhile and I never thought they would be an issue before now. I’m trying to get mentally prepared to start the MC later this week but Temptations will be difficult because my coworkers love to get fast food at lunchtime. Plus, I can’t imagine a day without coffee. BUT if you guys can do it then so can I. Any body have tips for easing into the cleanse, so that maybe I can avoid the dreaded headaches in the first few days? Do you get weird looks from people when they find out why you haven’t been eating food for the past several days?
Anabel – Congratulations !!!!!
Charmaine – It does get easier to drink. With both the tea and the SWF maybe you should try using more water with, so the taste doesn’t seem so strong. Myself I haven’t been pre mixing my lemonade because I’ve had the week off of work. I’ve read you should consume the lemonade within 8 hours of squeezing the lemon. It is better to use freshly squeezed but that seems time consuming when you are at work, or out in about..
Day 6 – Well I made it this far passed the hump 🙂 Might as well give it all or nothing!! I’m feeling okay, low energy, trying to sleep as much as possible. It helps that its like -30C outside so I don’t feel so bad about hibernating 😉 Doing a lot of reading during my awake hours… which is all good, I love to read! I am consuming approximately 8 glasses of lemonade a day and almost 4 litres of water. I weigh myself first thing in the morning before I do the SWF, my weight has dropped 6lbs… My lower back is feeling better, but my calf and ankle seem to alternate with pain. I have convinced myself this is my sciatic nerve, trying to stretch as much as possible and soak in the bathtub 🙂
Hi all,
I’m so happy to have found this forum. I am on Day 2 and am proud to say I made it through Day 1. I couldn’t sleep all last night due to a pounding headache that I had. Also, last night after I drank the tea, I ended up purging everything I had in me. Is this normal? I just drank my 1st SWF and now feel like I’m fighting to purge again. Any recommendations on how to curb the purge?
Also, I noticed you all say that you take the lemonade with you to-go. Do you actually put the cayenne and lemon in as well (pre-mixed)? I have read that you should only have freshly squeezed lemon and the cayenne gets spicier if you leave it in the mix all day. Can you tell me what you do?
Thanks so much!
Oops, the Anonymous above is my post.
Day 9.5: Noon tomorrow, after my Zumba class, will be my 10th day, so I will just celebrate right now, yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My last day already! I can’t believe I made it this far. The beginning and last day were difficult for cravings. I’m just glad that this diet really shrinks my stomach enough to go on a low calorie diet without feeling like I’m starving, giving in, and finally gaining more weight than what I wanted to lose. I’ve lost 7 lbs altogether. I just want to lose 4-5 more so I know it will be much easier from here. I will do 1 lb a week now. I’m 4’11” so a few pounds is very noticeable on me. I have to say, though, I can’t wait to have a nice meal. Of course, I’ll have to start light. But I have no intentions of going heavy, not as if I like fast food anyway. Good luck everyone!!!
Brittany, you can do it! All you have to do is get past the first 2 days. after day 2 your cravings and sense of smell basically go numb. Don’t think about food, stay busy, try to seclude yourself to avoid temptations, and think that it only takes a few days to make the rest of your year. When I did my first cleanse last January (for 8 days), I was thankful all year long, especially during the holidays. I think I posted this before, but before my first cleanse I was able to eat an entire frozen pizza alone in one sitting. After the cleanse, I could only eat 1 quarter of that same pizza. By the end of the year, it went up to almost half. As you can see, I never did get my previous appetite back. It was one of the best things that I could’ve done that year and for myself.
Good luck!
I have tried the Master Cleanse soooooo many times and have failed every time within the first 2 days, BUT since I started a traditional diet and am seeing results, I think I’m finally pumped enough to give it another go. If that doesn’t work out then I’ll at least try to finish the day out and go back to regular dieting. However, I have a really good feeling this time that I might just succeed. I guess I just needed a little boost. This will also benefit my regular dieting since it’s a good metabolism booster. Just remember it’s KEY to stay busy busy busy while on it
Day 8.5—I had an all day meeting today. We were fed from a local restaurant. I took by boxed lunch home with me because I had enough lemonade and water with me to keep me focused. Yes I resisted, because I have only 1.5 days left. I can’t wait to finish. Energy is good and I’m feeling great, but I can’t wait for all my stomach noises to stop.
Thank you Adam!! 🙂
On day 3 today.. headaches seem to have passed since last night. I struggled to fall asleep, with also pain in my lower back and calf, thinking it could be my sciatic nerve? I did end up taking an advil after laying in bed for 4 hours with no sleep and eating an orange to too… I don’t know if technically the orange takes me back to day one.? The day is going good today, no headaches still feeling very cold. My weight has dropped 5lbs since the first day. Trying to keep moving, I’m not working this week so it makes things a bit easier. Drinking lots of water!
Sara – Definitely wait it out on the headaches it seems like we all get them. I have been using something like tiger balm that I got in the Philippines, called Methyl Salicylate Camphor+Menthol Omega Pain Killer. I’ve been putting on my temples for headaches, it does help. Also my lower back and calf…
Keep it up guys, I enjoy reading your comments:)
Sarah, it is recommended that you drink at least 64oz of the lemonade a day. It is what’s giving you the nutrition during your fasting. I had a really bad headache the first day, drank a lot of water and lemonade, like Adam, and it never came back. I hope this helps and you can continue. Good luck!!!
I am on day 2 and right now I am dealing with caffeine headaches. Yesterday it started early after skipping my coffee (usually I will drink a large travel cup on my way to work and then no more coffee during the day), and then it morphed into one of the worst headaches I have ever had. I went to bed early, and felt better this morning, but as the day goes on it is getting worse. Yesterday I was in so much pain the thought of drinking anything but water made me nauseated. Am I not drinking enough lemonade? I don’t like the taste so I have been stalling on drinking more. I don’t think I can continue if I am going to have headaches like this every day.
Brit –
I found this thread after searching online about headaches during the master cleanse. Honsetly, My day 2 was terrible. I had never had a worse headache in my life. I almost quit. Instead, I went home – drank a ton of water, more lemonade than normal and WENT TO BED!
As is the case with most people that have come back to comment on here, the headache went away and never came back. I hope you were able to fight through it!
Update: Day 8 and I’m feeling wonderful. I’m pumped up and motivated to bring it home.
Adam, great test for you and you didn’t fail, awesome job!
Day 7.5, yay, almost done!! A Facebook friend posted some tacos on her page, hard not to think about them when I’m almost done. I’ve noticed cravings are strong the first day and the last couple of days. I had pretty good energy today but still stayed out of exercise, will be going back tomorrow, though—Zumba again. I’m shocked since I haven’t had coffee at all during the cleanse, where has my addiction gone? I haven’t had headaches since the first day. My weight loss has been a bit disappointing. I was hoping to loose quite a bit but it looks like it’s not going to be as much as I thought. My guess is that I’ll be down 8 pounds at day 10, but we’ll see, not there yet. I was hoping for 12 pounds. The good thing is that this makes it easier to shed off the rest. Last time I did this my stomach really shrunk, so it’s a great benefit!
Heidi, it is so worth it. It’s a great feeling and the after effects are the best. You won’t be able to eat as much as you did before the cleanse. Good luck!
I am startin the cleanse this monday and I am so encouraged by all the comments. Can’t wait. Each of you inspire me 🙂
Hi guys, I’m on the 2nd day of my cleanse… I’m feeling very tired, cold and low energy.. Is that affects of caffeine withdrawals? I’m not doing the cleanse for weightloss but detox. I’m afraid is this is how I’m going to feel, maybe I should stop the cleanse…??
Jen – It’s kind of funny when a piece of cucumber sounds so fantastic!
Anabel – Great job keep it up!
Ultimate challenge this morning – I had to bring in breakfast for my team at work. A car full of the amazing smells of Chick-fil-a had me dealing with some cravings for sure. No worries. I am now on day 7 and, while I might be a bit tired today, I am just as motivated as ever to complete. Avoiding a headache by upping my lemonade consumption a bit today.
Did Genelle start yesterday?!
I gave up the salt flushes because they made me gag and bloated, so I stuck to the Sienna tea.
Day 6.5: last night I didn’t have as much water during the day and I felt fine until I went to my Zumba class. I felt a little dizzy afterwards and continued the water and lemonade. However, all night I felt very dizzy and today was so exhausted at work. I felt like closing my eyes and going into a deep sleep. I think the exercise, along with lack of water intake, were a bit too much. I skipped my workout for today. Getting closer to the end! Funny how people react when I mention my diet, they look at me like I have some sort of eating disorder, far from that!!!
Anabel: thanks! I bought it and drank it today for the first time.. Hope it works. The salt flushes aren’t “flushing” as strongly as I was wishing and feeling a little bloated.
End of Day 5 so I’m so happy! Half is done. Today I was probably the hungriest so drank more than usual. Cannot wait til I can eat a piece of cucumber or fruit!
Good luck to everyone
Day 5.5: I only got 6 hours of sleep today and thought I would give in to coffee! Luckily, it didn’t happen. It turns out that I never felt tired at all…shocker! I was terrible with water intake, though, and am beginning to feel the effects. I had 9oz up until 5 o’clock, continued with the remainder of the 7 oz, went to my Zumba class, had 16 more oz there, and am trying to make up the rest right now. I can feel a little dizzy spell coming on. Adam, it won’t happen again, learned my lesson. I didn’t have as much lemonade during the day as I have been the past few days because I was very busy at work. I REALLY craved food and thought about a little cheat, didn’t happen, thank goodness. Happy to be getting over the halfway mark!
Adam, thanks for the encouragement. I am going to try to increase my water..easier to do the lemonade though. Great job getting through 5th day!!!! I’m nearing my 5.5 day. I am going for the big 10!!!
Genelle, I also LOVE my coffee. The first 2 days will be difficult, after that you won’t need coffee to stay awake because you’ll have natural energy. Today I made coffee and will have to continue making it for the remainder of my 4.5 days for one of my volunteers. I can’t say I didn’t think of taking a few sips because it smelled delicious. What helped me overcome that craving were two things. First, I thought about how far I’ve come and how much I’ve already sacrificed. Second, I put that lemonade straw right into my mouth immediately. Somehow the sweetness of the lemonade really helps supress that craving; I pushed it out of my mind. I was very proud of myself. So I hope that helps and keeps you motivated. When you go to work, keep a half gallon with you so that you always have the lemonade.
Anabelle, Great job resisting everything. If you made it through all that you can certainly make it to 10 days! I’d think about trying to start shifting to more water consumption as you continue. I’m drinking about 30 oz of lemonade and tons of H2O (but im probably on the low side of lemonade intake). This is the end of my 5th day and I’m pretty excited to be moving past the halfway mark.
I am syching myself up to start MC tomorrow. I love my coffee, how will i fnnction without that?
Day 4.5: I went to my family’s house and resisted all the wonderful smells, including the free French fry (fries are a weakness) got from the McDonald’s clerk when I stopped by to use the restroom and get a cheeseburger for my dog. As long as I’m sipping (with a straw) on my lemonade I can say, “no thank you.” my energy is still good, no headaches, but have only had 20oz of water. As I’ve said I loose weight slowly, so I’ve only lost 3-4 pounds. I can feel that my stomach is slimming down because of clothing fit. My double chin is the first to start going down. I bought more ingredients to keep me going to day 10, figured i made it this far so I should go to 10 instead of 7. Some of my family members are motivated by my diligence and may be starting it as well. I’m planning on going to Zumba class tomorrow because it’s what I usually do anyway and energy is still here. Didn’t have my laxative tea and barely had any movement today so I better drink it tonight. Good luck to all and thanks for logging in your experiences, great motivation!!!
Just checking in to say that I’m middle of day 4 and I feel great. I haven’t weighed myself but I can tell I’m shrinking a bit each time i cinch the belt. Hunger pains are completely gone and energy is raising each day. Truly inspired by everyone doing this together.
Shawn, it must be great to be a guy, my weight loss is always slow. I’ve only lost 4 pounds and I’m on day 4. Can you really hold out for 22 days? You are brave because I was originally thinking about doing this for 6-7 days, but now I’m considering 10 days. My big test is today. So far, I have to really been around temptations. I will be visiting family and everything revolves around food. I am not a big girl but I know that my sister will be waving a thing or two in front of my face.
Jen, I haven’t been doing the salt water but I have been doing Sienna tea
http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/traditional-medicinals-organic-smooth-move-senna-stimulant-laxative-tea-herbal-supplement/ID=prod6028688-product
It takes 1.5 hours, so I brew it arou d 9 pm, let it cool down, chug it, and by 10:30 it does it’s job. It doesn’t bother me at all at night, the next day I may have some slight movement but no emergencies. Hope this helps!
Today is my day 4 so I’ll post tonight.
Day 3: I felt energetic again today, so much so that I went to spin class and cardio pump (90 minutes). I had good endurance and motivation. Besides, I had to get my body moving because I had very little activity the previous day (glued to a very good tv show). The only downfall was that I didn’t have as much speed as I normally do. Cravings have been minimal. This is my 2nd time on the diet (last January was first) so I feel much more disciplined this time around. I’ve had no headaches since day 1. I’ve only been doing the Sienna tea at night and not in the morning. I’ve noticed that if I’m thinking about a certain food, it helps to sip lemonade at the same time and it subsides that craving. So make sure to keep a gallon of that lemonade for the day!
End of Day 3 of MC! How fun to see that so many are doing this currently!
First 2 days were the hardest, I was craving food and was very out of energy, but today has been better. Except had a migraine this morning. I took my meds coz it was so painful. The appetite for food is disappearing slowly so I’m happy! I’m a food junkie so hoping that this will get me back to eating healthier again.. Did it years ago and lost 12-15 lbs or so don’t remember exactly. Now not doing it for weight loss but to get all toxins out of body. If someone has good tips how to get the movement after the salt water solution to be faster please share! Seems to take me a while..
Middle of Day 3: The headache is gone and I’m fully renewed. I am confident that the first three days are always the worst. Great work everybody! Keep it up. Madelaine – maybe you should stop drinking the tea? The tea didnt agree with me last time so now I only do the flush. Michelle – I would try to avoid taking the OTC drugs. Keep in mind that weight loss is a happy occurrence but detox is the goal. Doing at least a ten day cleanse will help flush your system clean and ideally help you need less drugs in the future.
Hey guys so glad I found this blog! This is my first time doing this and I’m on day 2, the pepper burns my stomach , I am doing the one capsule emptied out it in a shot of the lemonade then drinking the rest if the 16 oz serving because I do not like the taste mixed in all day.. Does anyone know if its ok to just take the capsule and not break it open in my drink?? Or does it have to be straight ??
Day 4 of my master cleanse – 8am in the morning, just weighed in, lost all my holiday weight gain + 4 pounds YAHOO!!! 18 days left to go. Goal weight loss 36 more pounds. BTW – headache is completely gone ( thank God!)
Thinking about starting this diet on Sunday..concerns with the headaches cause I get Bad Migraines.. I take Aleve… can I still take OTC meds while on this diet?
Day 3 of my master cleanse & I have an intense headache; can’t wait for it to go away. Other than that, I feel great!
End of 3rd day. Headache is gone and the pain in neck and back is almost gone. But I felt so weak today. I just could swallow two cups of the Lemonade and then only water. After drinking the L-Tea I vomited. Not nice. I think I have to stop. Because vomiting was not part of the plan.
Day 2: Third time doing the cleanse and I dont remember ever having a headache like this. I’m flooding my system with water and hopefully by tomorrow morning I will be over the worst of it. I’m happy to see a couple others started yesterday/today as well. Good to have some support. Good luck all.
Day 2: My headache subsided by drinking a 16oz bottle of water. I guess the people on this blog were right; it may be a symptom of dehydration so make sure to drink lots of water! I have not had my laxative tea this morning but yesterday’s tea is still doing its job. My stomach hasn’t growled, haven’t had huge cravings yet. Lemonade for breakfast isn’t so appetizing, though. I must admit, it’s pretty effective when I do get hungry. Will continue my posts tonight.
Day 1 of 10: Doesn’t taste too bad, actually pleasant – like a spice cocktail. People in the office thinks I am crazy. Starting today so the worst is over by Monday. Good luck all!
1.5 hours after taking laxative (organic smooth move tea) I had to run to the bathroom. It does not take 8-12 hours, but 1.5 hours to begin.
The morning of the 3rd day. Yesterday I thought my headache would kill me. At work I could barely move because my back and neck hurt so bad. The night was sleepless because I felt like vomiting every minute. Woke kind of up, headache is much better. But my mouth feels like I haven’t brushed my teeth for days and when I even think about the tea I feel sick, because I always almost vomit after drinking. Yuck! But I want to get through it….
Day1: I started the cleanse 15 hours ago, so I guess I’m on day 1. Headache started 5 hours ago. Time to drink my water, hard to remember to do this. Went to zumba class yesterday at 6:30 and spin class today at 5:30, still feeling energized. I’m planning to go to turbo kick cass tomorrow morning. Just had my first laxative tea 15 minutes ago and can hear activity in my stomach already. I’m wondering if morning is best for tea instead of before bedtime. Not hungry as long as I keep my lemonade nearby. My first batch was very sour (stay away from Myers lemons), but this next batch is sweet and tasty.
This is my 2nd time doing the cleanse. I was a bottomless pit for food last January, before the cleanse, but got great results afterwards. I did it for 7 days, had a tiny meal, for the next 2 days before ending it on day 9. I lost 11 pounds, some belly fat, felt energized, and kept my appetite down. I was able to eat an entire frozen pizza in one sitting, then it changed to less than a quarter. Now I could do almost half. This is why I’m doing the cleanse again this year, to reset my body.
Day 1-very bad headache started at 4:00 pm today. I don’t have the right tea so I gave to wait until tomorrow to add the tea. Any re ommendations? It dies help reading the comments so thanks. My goal
Is to just feel great, energized, no more aches and pains in my joints. If I lose the 10 pounds I put on in my stomach I will be very happy! If not, it will come off soon. I hope I can sleep with this headache.
Hi, i have almost completed the 10 days, but have woken up almost every night with a headache around my temples and neck. Has anyone else experienced this? Any recommendations?
Thanks
Day 3 – I am feeling like a million dollar baby!!! 🙂 …full of energy, rested. I thought I won’t be able to move, for first two days I was very sleepy, today I woke up like brand new! Not hungry at all! Only issue is that SWF, that thing taste soooo bad, but it’s working. I almost vomit this morning after drinking. I hope I will countue feeling this way without headache.
Antoinette,
Cayenne Peper – It is good becuse it will bust your metabolism. If you can not have it in drink, get your self pills.
Thank you so much Selma! Well, I’m at the end of my first day of taking the Master Cleanse….and I must say I feel GREAT! I had to get use to the taste at first but it got easier. I’m determined to complete these ten days and it’s encouraging to read up on you guys journey as well!! We are a family of 6…my husband & I with four daughters ranging from 3 to 17. I went FOOD SHOPPING today and to my surprise, where i would’ve cheated and ate something (especially the junk food) I was not overcome with temptation! 🙂 Here’s another Question: I’m not really feeling the Pepper…I read a review which said the Conyae Pepper can be eliminated because what it’s giving is also in the Lemonade….IS THAT TRUE?
DAY 2 – I woke up and I felt my stomach is empty the and taste in my mouth. My only issue for now, I get so sleepy. I work for 0630AM-0400PM, it is so hard to keep eyes open, then suddenly I get some energy. My heaches come and go…but nothing too much!!!
Antoinette, you can drink up to 12 cups daily.
Well, I just had a cup of the Laxative Tea about a half hour ago and I’m anxious about tomorrow being my first day on the MC!! I’m sure it will be a challenge…but I’m ready for CHANGE! MY QUESTION IS: HOW MANY GLASSES OF THE MC DO I DRINK ON A DAILY BASIS??
First day on MC. Morning was long and I felt weird and sleepy. Finally I woke up…I don’t have major headache, but my neck and shoulders hurts. I hope for easy days. My goal is 10. We can do it!!! Good luck everyone!!!
Day 1 – my eyes are swollen too. And the headache. I am hoping it will go away by tomorrow.
I am on Day 3 of the MC… I cannot believe I have not been hungry! However, I have had headaches and today my eyes are swollen and I feel like I look weird. I’m gonna keep on trying. What have I got to lose besides weight and toxins?!
Well….I am going to try the MC cleanse for the first time. Am a little worried about all the talk of headaches with this. Lots of water! I know. Is this cleanse really for real? I hope the benefits are worth it! Good luck to all!
End of Day #4. Very strong headaches all day, but I am very commited. 2nd time doing this, lost 20 lbs first time did not have headaches the first time.
It is all psychological.
We can do this! Everything is temporarily. Nothing lasts forever.
1st Day of my Master Cleanse. I have a headache that is shooting from the base of my scull., neck & head. I drink a pot of coffee a day! 🙂 So this is probably normal. I’m pretty excited to see the end results. I’m going for the 10 day cleanse. My belly is rumbling.. I was so hungry for Chinese. Since my husband had take out! I took a nap today! So I didn’t have to watch him eat it. I hope you all are doing good. I’m not giving up! I also will be having mint tea in the evenings. Cheers to our health!
Just finishing up day 2 and felt great the first two days. In fact, this morning I went out to do an easy pace 5 or 6 mile run and ended up running 16 miles because I felt so good and it was so nice outside.
I’ve been home alone all weekend and staying away from temptations. Haven’t really felt all that hungry and when I do, I’m drinking the lemonade. In between trying to remember to drink water. About a half hour ago I started feeling hot (like a slight fever), and have mild headache. I think that may be from dehydration, so going to make sure and drink more water. Going to bed and will wake up to day 3. Good luck everyone!
Day 7… First headache but have had it since 8:30 am. I just googled it and exactly what I thought. I need to drink more water … More water.
I just started this detox this morning. I am doing it because of health issues arriving from being in a different country, just allergies nothing serious. I plan to “reset” my system by doing this. I am doing well, did pt this morning, and drank two glasses. I have found that if I keep drinking water the head aches are not as bad and quickly fade. Just up your water intake in addition to the lemonade and you might be good!
Hi, everyone!
I had some questions about the MC. I’m thinking about starting it soon.
First, does the diet lower your metabolism? It seems like it would, I looked up the amount of calories and it’s under the least amount you should take a day, so it seems like it would push your body into starvation mode… And wouldn’t it get rid of your muscle and make you kinda weak?
Also, it seems like everyone on here is an adult. Is this diet okay for teenagers (I’m 16, btw)?
Ha, I’m a poor teenager at that. We have more expenses than money, and I don’t even know if I could start a whole new diet after the cleanse. Organic produce is not cheap.
Hey Evereyone!!,,, day 3…. omg my head !!! i feel a little bit of nausseas…..and i can feel my stomach grumping!! PFF .. VAMOS!! si se puede!!
Hello everyone! Day 1 for me as well…off & on headaches that made my jaws/teeth hurt & my throat feels scraped by the cayenne lol. My just “had” to fry some chicken wings but I was faithful enough not to cheat. Wasnt hungry all day but couldn’t stop thinking about food.. Hoping 2moro is whyyy better & gonna try to reduce my cayenne amount by a tad..felt like I drank lemonade flavored hot sauce lol… Good luck everyone & wish the best 4 me too!
Today is day 1 for me on the Master Cleanse, i must say that i have a huge advantage today @ the office, in this that the dude who likes to eat isnt not in, the same with the chick who likes to feed others (gone for a week) and the one lady who is in just had an opt so she cannot eat solids either… what a great support system i have today… LOL.
I have a headache of note though , i know its because my body craves coffee, Hopefully tomorrow will be better…
I just started the Master Cleanse yesterday.
I am doing wonderful SO FAR….we’ll see come Fri. LOL
A bit of a headache yesterday, but nothing major, & not one today.
Looking sooo forward to seeing the changes in my skin and how I
feel….
Working on training my mind to better choices of eating once I
have completed my 10 days….
Good luck to ALL OF US!!
Brenda
Good morning,this is my 4 days,I feeling littly headache , about caffe , I stop drinking cuople weeks ago and start my morning with good organic tee, always help me when I want get of from caffe,good luck everybody .
Hi Quiana,
I have the same problem with headache and lack of appetite. I finally succumbed to the headache and took a painkiller as well. I found that drinking a lot of water really helps. It processes the lemon mix a lot faster so you feel hungry sooner. I started with 2 glasses a day, now I drink 6 glasses of lemon mix and 6-7 glasses of water other than the salt water mix. Once I started drinking the extra water, the headache vanished. My problem is that I feel too tired and lazy and my tongue has gone numb from the lack of flavors.
If you’re feeling too nauseous, try reducing the quantity of salt in the salt water mix.
I’m on Day 2 of the diet. Yesterday all I could do was think of food, but I guess cooking a nice meal for my family of one of my favorite dishes didn’t help. Well after overcoming Day 1 hungry teases I was surprised but I still couldn’t drink the full 8 glasses.
Today I have only drunk 3 glasses and it is 7:20PM and I have a major headache that radiates down into my left ear canal, actually a migraine to be more precise. I get them often. I have no appetite at all which makes it hard to drink the drinks but I had to take 2 Excedrin which only ease the pain a bit, I am still in makor pain and feel like I am about to vomit. Not to mention tired.
If anyone know of any ways I can get rid of this extremely fast I would be so grateful.
Day 1 of the process. Have terrible headache. Usually have headaches even on the normal diet. Not sure if I can take any medicine or painkillers. I do drink a lot of tea, I think that’s why the headache is so bad since I haven’t had any today. Hope tomorrow is better.
Day 1 of cleanse. I’ve done this several times but don’t recall headaches being this bad…maybe it’s because I recently started drinking coffee. Anyway, I knew it was time when the lady in the McDonald’s drive in told me on morning, “See you tomorrow”! 6 feet tall 223 lbs..goal is to do at least 20 days (14 is most done by me to date). About to go to bed at 8:20pm just to shut down this relentless headache!
Day 1:
Oh my goodness. This is not a fun experience. I didn’t find the hunger getting to me until I babysat and watched the little girl grab a bag of sun chips. Talk about rubbing it in!
Major Complaint: Starting around 8:00 PM the most intense, throbbing headache occurred. Uffda. This like it will go away after a while, but seriously not fun at all.
Complaint #2: The “Smooth Move” herbal tea…. Talk about movement! And it does not quit either! I drank it last night, nothing happened… then 4:00 AM and I was running to the bathroom.
“Endeavor to Persevere” all! Let’s do this!
I’m on day 1. Was going strong, but now my head is pounding. Glad I’m not alone.
Hi,
I started today and I’ve got a horrible headache, I’m hoping this is due to me not having coffee (severe coffee addict). How long will this last for?
I’m looking forward to the end of it already and dreading uni this week!
Day 3 of the Master Cleanse
Head Ache is almost gone. Thought of food alot last night but wasn’t hungry. Feel bloated today. That seens odd. I think I am through the worst of it and actually believe I can do this. I usually take four pain killers a day for AS but yesterday I took none and didn’t notice that I didn’t take them. How this helps inflamation I don’t know but it must.
Day 2 of the Master Cleanse.
First off I want to say thanks for posting and keep posting so we can all get through this. Day 1 I had a terrible headache but by morning it was tolerable. I can feel it creeping back so I am sure by night fall it will return. I am not hungry but certainly miss my coffee.
High Five to all of us skipping our Valentines Day supper!
Day 1 of the Master Cleanse.
Pounding Headache. I feel it the most in my neck. I have pre-existing neck problems, however this is making it hurt more. I also feel like i might vomit. Is this part of the cleanse?
Day 6 of my Master Cleanse – I decided to go a step further and do a body, mind and soul cleanse. I had a bad headache the first day it ended the morning of my second day. I have incredible energy and my face has lightened in color. I had some stress from other people yesterday and I believe that has caused a faint headache. I will limit access these people have to me while on this cleanse. As the Master Cleanser book says you can drink mint tea occasionally while on the cleanse. Good luck to everyone and don’t give up – the rewards are worth it.
I’m on day 2. My period decided to come as well. I get headaches during my mnestrual cycle. But I usually take excedrine. I need to know another remedy to get rid of this headache fast.
This is day two for me and I also have a headache just in my right temple. I’m weak also, but still feeling okay. I’m gonna do this, and I love seeing that so many of you are doing it also.
Hi Brooke,
I’m on my day 2 and is hard because I miss my coffee too.
But it gets better believe me.
And you shouldn’t drink other than the lemonade and the smooth move tea.
Wow, I am on Day 1, and so far I have severe nausea, pounding headache, lethargy, and fatigue. The only way I can describe it is… it’s like the worst hangover EVER! I am praying that these symptoms go away or at least lessen in severity. Please tell me that it gets better. Also, can I have chammomile tea on this cleanse? I should also mention that I am a coffee addict as in… I drink at least 8 cups a day. This is rough stuff. Need Motivation.
Day 1 was horrible!! I had punding headaches and was extremely grumpy. Day 2 isn’t that bad. My skin is glowing and some of the sun spots on my face are slowly disappearing. This is my main motivation- besides the weight loss.
Good luck everyone- let’s support each other:-)
Day 1 was horrible? I had punding headaches and was extremely grumpy. Day 2 isn’t that bad. My skin is glowing and some of the sun spots on my face are slowly disappearing. This is my main motivation- besides the weight loss.
Good luck everyone- let’s support each other:-)
Hello there!
If the cayenne burns your throat and is too spicy for you, take the capsules! That’s what I did. I hated how spicy it was, and I bought a bottle of capsules from the Whole Foods Store for about 9 dollars. In that, I got 100 capsules. Good Luck!
Ps
I am on my second day… and the headaches are awful… I feel like I’m going to throw up.
Hi Michele, I started today (May 16th) and my headache is awful! I don’t think I will be able to sleep with it. I don’t know what to do..!
Omg, I just started today, and it was pretty tough, all I can think about is food !!!! I didnt think that it would be this HARD- and now i have a really bad headache 🙁
omg, thank you, i thought i was the only one with the extreme headaches…i thought it was somthing that i was doing wrong…but i did notice that after having the first two glasses of the lemonade it made me go to the bathroom within the hour…
For some reason I cnt enter my entire email address . Anyway this is my third day of the cleanse and I have been having very bad headaches today..I started at 195ibs and I am 5’11’. I am shooting for a total loss of at least 20 lbs by the end of the cleanse if not more..I ultimately want to get to 165 or 170lbs..wish me luck journaling helps me..I came very close to eating tonight but I need this discipline right now.
Folks I am a strict Vegan and rest assure when I do the cleanse I too suffer with extreme headaches…..what i do is the first day of cleanse have a salad and a protein shake, the 2nd day of cleanse, I omit the salad and just have the protein shake by the 3 rd day I am fine, the headaches are so bad I want to vomit and my body feels like a bad flu but stick with it, If I am getting this and a strict Vegan , this is part of the toxins leaving the body, good luck and drink plenty of water besides the lemonade , dont forget your mint tea that helps alot of warm steamy showers, baby yourself during this period
I get headaches often, migraines too, so I am used to them. I suppose for people who are not used to headaches, the MC headaches would cause them concern. To me they’re no big deal. I have a slight migraine today on day 2 of the Master Cleanse.
I am sticking to coffee during this cleanse, I am addicted and can not give it up. I’ve had caffeine withdrawl haeadaches before and they suck. The sea salt flush is so hardcore it seems brutal to subject my body to this everyday of the cleanse. I am not doing the laxative tea at nights, I can’t imagine doing that on top of the seal salt flush.
My eyes are always puffy and I’m sure it’s due to toxins in my body, I grew up eating junk food. Pizza, cheeseburgers, soda and cookies. My mother wasn’t much of a cook and neither am I. I am not doing this for a diet, as I only weigh 105 lbs anyway, I really need to clean out my insides. I hope the puffy eyes go away, I have it everyday and it really bugs me.
I had to stop the MC 2 weeks ago due to a blinding headache. It was the worst I ever had and it happened on day 6 and I had to throw in the towel on day 7. It didnt go away after I starting eating food either which really made me mad. Im starting MC over again this weekend as the main part of MC was no problem for me. I was thinking this is so easy till the headache. When I say it was bad that is an understatement I thought I had a blood vessel burst in my brain and was seriously thinking about calling 911 it brought me to my knees (shear hot blinding) above my right ear going from there all over my head. To be honest I couldnt even think strait. I am not a coffee drinker I usually only drink water. Can anyone help me with what to do with the headache because this time I want to make it all the way to 30 days. BTW I did follow up with my Dr. I talked to her before I started and after/ during the headaches she had no answers for me as we went over enough water enough calories SWF in morning, Tea at night I was doing everything I was supposed to do only change I made was the C. pepper I put in gel caps and took 2/ 3 times a day total of 6. HELP….
Its my second day……of the MC program…….I have had the most horrific headache since yesterday…….
Taken two paracetamol and headache better within the hour……
I am not hungry, but do miss food and look forward to eating after…….
I have not lost weight yet, but only day 2 ……
today is my 5th day of mc but it has been the worst i have a really bad backache and headache and i feel like vomiting and feel like i like i geting i having a low pressure can some please give me some advise if i should stop or keep going please? feel desesperate send me a email at
instead of using the maple syrup you can use the ideal formula which calls for fresh squeeze cane juice along with the lemon and cayenne pepper
Hello, its day 2 for me on MC and I already cant stand the taste of the cayenne pepper. I feel so nauseated the hour after drinking the lemonade, but havnt vomited yet. I burp alot though..eww. The headaches started last night and basically are always there, I had a nap so I might forget about the pain…kinda worked. Im hitting the wall already as I do not want to even think about my next lemonade drink. I really want to clear my body and be healthier inside so how do I stay with it????
With much excitment and anticipation I started my first Master Cleanse today. I am a coffee drinker and just an hour after I started work I had a terrible terrible headache. I was working on something complicated and it got worse and I was so slow. If I don’t fix it I knew I wouldn’t be able to finish it. So I surrendered and grabbed a coffee. Within an hour the headache’s gone. Tomorrow is weekend and I will start again. I hope the headache only lasts for a few days as I won’t be able to take any time off at work next week.
I am breastfeeding my 14 month old about 2 times per day. She eats 3 solid meals a day and is mid-wean so she does drink Milk throughout the day in place of some nursing sessions. I am on day one of my cleanse – 7 hours in – is it ok to do this cleanse while Breastfeeding her? my email is [email protected] – can someone email me and let me know. Thanks.
Dont worry Jennifer! I am recovering from cancer last year, and just started a different cleanse program (eating vegan and supplements) 3 weeks ago. I had the WORST headache I have ever had in my entire life. Not only that, but my body ached, especially my legs. My body was hot and i felt like i had the flu and ran a marathon at the same time. if you havent done a Coffee Enema yet, DO ONE NOW. i finalyl broke down and did the enema 4 days into it, and once i stood up my headache was 85% better, my legs were 100% better, and i felt like all the badness just came out of my body. Make sure its organic coffee. look up on the internet how to do a coffee enema. i swear to you, it will make a world of difference.
Whats happeneing is all those toxins in your organs are flushing out, and entering the bloodstream to be filtered and cleaned. But your body neesd help getting these toxins out of your blood (now that they are out of your organs). The enema will flush them out from your liver and make you feel sooo much better. i promise.
Omg! This is the worst headache. Like my brain is pulsating. Throbbing within my skull. Im trying not to pop a lortab. Especially on an empty stomach but uh somethings got to give.I’m on day two. I am not hungry and I don’t have any cravings but the headache is a killer. I didn’t think I was gonna make it through the night. I know I’m in the cleaning process this sucks.
I have done the Master Cleanse before and have had headaches the first round of the MC as well as this round of MC. The headaches are something that is just par for course with the MC. Most people that I personally know who have done the MC typically have pretty significant headaches from day’s 2-5. Also, most of the food cravings and so called hunger pains are also felt within day’s 1-5. If you can get through the first five days than you should have no problem finishing the entire MC. The first time I did the Cleanse I did it for 18 days, but this time around I am going to be doing it for 25 days. Typically the weight that you loose you will gain about half of it back because it is water weight. The longer that you do the MC the more actual body fat that you will end up burning.
I definitly think it is a good idea to be active and to exercise daily as most of the toxins are released in the morning after the saline flush; meaning that there are toxins that your body hasn’t released yet or until the next morning…hence the headaches…perhaps the majority of the toxicity buildup is during the first 5 days. So by exercising you should be able to loose some of the toxins through your sweat glands.
If you are doing the MC to loose weight…and that is not the right reson of doing the MC…but if you are you should definitly be drinking the saline solution in the morning along with the herbal laxative tea in the evening before you go to bed and DEFINITLY WORKOUT AND EXERCISE!!!! I can’t stress how important that is.
My first round of the MC I lost about 26 lbs. of which half came back fairly quick and the other half eventually came back by continuing old bad eating habits…stear clear of the fast food drive throughs. This round I am anticipating about 2 lbs per day with my daily workouts in which i have been doing prior to even starting the second round of the master cleanse. I feel great with more energy than evera and just ignore the headache, it will go away even if it takes up to day 5. I recomend no asperin or IBprofin as that is not good for your body to absorb without a solid food in your stomach…if you have done this or are contmplating taking something like that ask your self if you would otherwise takie it on an empty stomach?
OK….. preparing to start the MC tomorrow…. Kind of nervous, but my body really needs this! Hopefully, my headaches will not be very bad. 🙂
THESE ARE TENSION HEADACHES!
From concentrating long and hard on things, RELAX
The body is going through a detox and chemical changes, there is more than just this reason, but most of the time the body is used to us reacting to it with food, substance or sorts and since we’re only reacting to it through drinking it’s affecting us. Not to mention the day may give us more tension and stress. I’m not a Dr. however,
My advice, and I have one over my neck and shoulders right now,
Is a magic bag or a hot bag to warm up and rest over your lower neck and shoulders to reliefe the mild pulsing headaches.
For the more brutal ones, like I had yesterday- Just try to sleep it off, relax, chill out!
Thanks for the other posts they’re really encouraging me to stick with it, it’s 730pm on day 3 and let’s hope I don’t have another headache tomorrow!
Km
Ok. So back in 2008 I had the lap band surgery, at about 260lbs.
Now Jan of 2010, last weight in at the doc I was 237.
Well I’ve been having complications with the band, and have been told to do an all liquid diet for a few days. So instead of drinking yucky Chicken brooth for a week, I decided to try the MC for a few weeks.
I’ve tried it once before, but quit the evening of day 2, after having a headache for 2 days. I couldn’t take it anymore. I ate and took Advil. Later that evening I found a support site where a person has the same symptons but decided to just take the Advil and keep going.
Thus, this time…and it’s only 10am for me, and I’ve only had 2 serving of the mix and the Headache is ON AND POPPING. I’ve taken about 600mg of Advil, but it’s still there.
If this thing is suppose to last only a few days, I don’t see the harm in taking the Advil, if I’m going to be on the cleanse 2 weeks.
Note: I am a avid Coffee drinker (but not on the cleanse thou)
If u have not lost weight – u are not doing the uniodized seasalt flush in the morning and the stimulant laxative tea at night. These are very crucial steps in losing pounds. The lemon mix itself is just to loosen the waste on the walls if ur digestive tract.
I am on Day 2-3 of the Maser Cleanse and I have an incapacitating headache! It’s in the back of my head and neck, and also at my forehead and behind my eyes. It’s so bad, I had to call in sick to work. I feel like I’ve done so much work and made so much progress, I don’t want to quit the cleanse. The headache is so bad now, I’m going to take an old Percocet that I had from a past surgery. Is this really so terrible? I can’t take this anymore.
I am on day four and I haven’t lost any weight….is it possible to go the whole ten days and not loose any weight?
I have done the cleanse at least once a year for many years now. I have stayed very active, including very intense boot camp type workouts during some of them and felt just fine. You know yourself and modify accordingly if need be. I have never experienced headaches during the cleanse but am doing it now and have had one for days 2, 3 and 4 with the worst being today, day 4. I am not a caffeine drinker so withdrawal is not the issue for me. Any other thoughts given a long history of doing the M.C. without them??
I’m on day 2 of the Master Cleanse. Yesterday (day 1) I had the worst headache ever. I had to go home from work and yes, I’m an avid coffee drinker. My headache was blinding and I threw up all the lemonade. Finally, I took a couple ibuprohpen and it took the edge off, but the headache was still there. Today, the headache was not as bad. Still a dull pain, but not throbbing. I used my lunch break to rest in my car and that helped alot. I drank some lemonade when I came back in. I’m feeling better this afternoon. I’m going to keep pressing on!
First time doing the MC, today is day 2. I do not intake any caffiene nor smoke. Bad headache today though, full head from front of forehead to back of neck and shoulders. Maybe too much pepper as I add extra. I use the pulp of the lemon as well, put it all in the blender and mulch it up which gives the drink some substance to it. hope this headache goes away but pretty easy to not eat food. Not going to the bathroom much, after the salt water in the morning but not the rest of the day. I drink the tea at night and today I drank during day and will tonight. I drink 75 oz of lemonade and about 40 additional of water, plus the salt water and tea.
Okay, so a bit of a sting…after a couple days it does pass (get it…pass ) that’s from the cayenne pepper. I did loose the weight, but not the reason for the cleanse. My brother in law, whose a fitness fanatic hooked me up with this. I did get really bad headaches AFTER the first three days! I mean killer headaches. I stopped drinking decafinated drinks sometime back and changed my eating habits…mostly veggies and organic meals from my local health food store. My main reason was because of the change in diet, I wanted to cleanse of all the other bad things out of my body. Now that I’m eating properly and not putting all the junk in the trunk…lol, I can enjoy the benefits of the good stuff. I lasted 6 days due to the really bad headaches. The weight loss of 6lbs was just a benefit. If you can go the full 10 days without headaches, then you can do this. I am giving it another try in about 3 months. Happy Cleansing!
Alright, I am doing the cleanse and it is only day ONE and I have a killer headache! And like most of you, I never usually get them. Besides this, I DO NOT DRINK caffeinated beverages usually. So it is not from caffeine withdrawal – sorry all you caffeine haters. And yes, hot and tingly burning sensation – I am getting that as well. It has got to be the cayenne pepper. I am going to cut back on that. And seriously? All you crazy people that are puking should probably double check that this cleanse is ok with your doctor.
I was wondeering about the headaches, why do u have them, and what could i do about them
Today is day two of the MC for me . This being the first time for me, your coments are very helpful . I have experienced moderate headaches and was wondering if it is okay to take something?
Hi, this is probably the 3rd time I have done the master cleanse. But I have always done an abreviated version 3-5 days. I am very active for my job and feel that 10 days would begin to compromise my health. Has anyone stayed very active durring the cleanse? What were the effects for you? I also have a family and am trying to take care of their food needs as well. That is proving to be challenging, having my 2 year old shoving food in my face, “your turn?” haha!
Is it a good idea to NOT workout while on the diet?
..i thought my head was going to explode earlier this evening…& only 36 hrs. into the cleanse…its my 6th time fasting & my 3rd on the m.c….my head hurt so bad i became nauseated & im not a puker…so i finally took some ibuprofen w/ only mild relief….THEN…i realized w/ my other fasts i had the same experience (but only when drinking coffee & have been lately)…but i did an enema w/ those other fasts…so i did an E & felt 95% better 10 minutes after i was done…i did a pretty vigorous skin brushing this morning…& its been warm here lately (finally!)..so maybe i was also dehydrated.
..hang in there folks…i keep telling myself to remember the suffering the next time i look longingly @ a chilly old style & chicago style hot dog….mmmmmoderation : (
I’m on day 2 and have had an enormous headache that started as of last night. I took a couple of advils earlier. My headache feels better but it still hurts a little. It’s mostly behind my eyes and it doesn’t help that I have a lot of work to do and have to stare at my bright computer all day. It’s all part of the detox and it will get better. The same thing happened the last time I did the cleanse and it was exactly on day 2. Just keep drinking the stuff and it’ll be okay.
You definatly will have severe headaches after 2-3 days without caffeine.
I was addicted to caffeinefor a number of years. After I quit, I had a severe headache for a numberof days. When I asked my DR why he told me it was a swelling in the brain that occurs because of withdraw.
I am just getting started with MS,. I am in he ease into phase. I made my first batch of juice this AM. Tase is not to bad but the pepper is going to kill me.
I appreciate all the i put on this blog and hope to read more soon.
I am sure it will help me get through these next 10+ days.
This would be my second cleanse. My first, which was a huge success, resulted in me living a more healthy lifestyle and losing about 100 pounds.
Now, flash forward to today, I started my second cleanse and have hit some bumps. I started to get a headache in the afternoon. It was faint at first and then built up some major steam. I took a nap to try to stop the ache, but it wouldn’t work. It was so bad, I threw-up.
I believe these headaches are a direct result of caffeine. What a terrible thing caffeine is.
It is a bit discouraging this time ’round as I never had any side effects the first cleanse. But, I’m not giving up.
It’s good to see that I’m not the only one with some headache and puking issues.
It’s important to drink quite a lot of filtered water during the cleanse. I’m on Day 21 of mine, and try to drink 8 8oz glasses a day in addition to the lemonade mixture. Having lots of water helps to flush you.
I had a terrible headache today when i woke up and I was really hurting almost to the point of nausea. I have been on the cleanse for 3 days now and was a big coffee drinker so hopefully that is gone now. I did take some advil and was able to go to sleep. Now, the headache is gone!! I feel so much better and am grateful for all of you doing this at the same time. I have done the cleanse before, and drink all the water you want. The last time I was doing the cleanse I was in very hot weather playing sports everyday and I just drank plenty of drinks and lots of water and I was fine. Good luck, namaste~
Drink all the water you want in addition to the lemonade. It won’t hurt you and in fact helps flush out your internal organs.
It’s hot outside!!! Sooo, should I be drinking water in addition to the lemonade or not? I’ve just finished day 1, and I can’t find anything definitive about the effects of drinking additional water, besides Burroughs “extra water may be taken as desired.” Love water, i’m happy to drink it if i get thirsty, but do you think it will compromise anything? In what amounts? Hope you veterans out there can help!!! Thank you guys!
you want noniodized sea salt due to large quantity, iodine is need for your thyroid but taking too much is dangerous. Also, sea salt won’t stay in your system due to its tonicity, it flushes through your system and cleans you out. (as long as you drink enough water)
question though: i didn’t make it past 5 days with the cleanse due to really low blood sugar, and its been over 5 days since I stopped. I am just now within the past couple of days getting horrible horrible headaches in the back of my head. Nothing is really helping and I don’t want to take too much tylenol or motrin. ????? why?? Im eating a normal, healthy diet with enough fluids.
The recipe I got for the lemonade said to use non-iodized sea salt, which I found at Whole Foods (formerly Wild Oats). I got it in the fine crystals. I use the senna leaf tea with some sea salt instead of the straight salt water flush. That’s been working just fine for me. I have a mild headache in the front of my head and behind my eyes today (day 5), which makes it hard for me to focus at work since I never have headaches. It’s such a weird sensation. I am almost tempted to eat a piece of chocolate for a quick fix but I will be strong because I have lost four pounds so far and love the results I see. I’m already fitting into clothes I haven’t worn in a couple of years. Keep it up everyone and good luck.
Just wanted to say to everyone…keep it up ! i am on day 4 of the cleanse and i have had a mild headache for the last 8 hours or so. also, does anyone know if there is a difference in sea salts? un-iodized ? does it have to say that or is sea salt all the same besides the size of the crystals ? i am using epsom just because i couldnt find a straight answer anywhere. and i read and talked to a few people that said i could us epsom.
Just wanted to say to everyone…keep it up ! i am on day 4 of the cleanse and i have had a mild headache for the last 8 hours or so. also, does anyone know if there is a difference in sea salts? un-iodized ? does it have to say that or is sea salt all the same besides the size of the crystals ? i am using epsom just because i couldnt find a straight answer anywhere. and i read and talked to a few people that said i could us epsom.
Hi~
Last night I had the worst headache I have ever had in my life. My husband was out of town and I must say I was worried I might have to go to the hospital. I then got up from bed and vomited. More information then you need but I vomited so hard the lemonade/cayanne came through my nose. Yikes~ I did take two asprin. I am not sure what helped but it did subside somewhat! I had to sleep sitting up with my travel pillow. I still have a faint to medium headache today. Also I think I was dehydrated. I am pressing on. The blogs with this cleanse/journey have been amazing!! Thanks:)
Ok, I’ve done the master cleanse before. Four years ago I did the minimal ten days. I found the experience to be very positive as I felt more in-tuned with my body and made better dietary decisions afterwards. For two years I maintained a vegetarian diet which was ushered in by the cleanse. I also stopped drinking coffee for some time afterwards because I didn’t feel the need to. I didn’t lose weight on the cleanse itself but I lost quite a bit in the subsequent months (probably 40 lbs) having more control over myself.
However, I have attempted the master cleanse twice in the last few months but was unable to continue past the end of the second day due to the most extreme headaches. Furthermore I cannot explain why I experienced these headaches which are cured immediately when I eat solid food. They appear to be connected to a need for protein or starches. I’ve been looking around for answers but I keep seeing the same ones of substance withdrawl, toxin buildup (bs), or a first outing.
I don’t get headaches often at all and these were as bad as it gets. This last time, in the end it felt as though I were having an allergic reaction to something. The skin on my face and scalped burned. My head throbbed and could be put in no position to relieve the pain.
I know it was not the cleanse that was responsible because of my earlier experience. But, I wonder if there is a physical condition such as diabetes that could be the cause of this. Or is this simply food withdrawl? I would have thought that a withdrawl from food would be impossible since the lemon and maple syrup provides plenty of caloric intake.
The cleanse will do you good. Hopefully you’vve read the book comltely? If you haven’s you need to prior to starting. All your questions will be abswered there. Why would you want to go back to these activities you call habits?
i wanted to try this master cleanse.. but i have a dry throat problem and i am a frequent beer drinker. i drink 4-6 beers once a week.. but i am aware that i need to stop it while im on the process, . my concern is .. will that be safe to go back to my habits even just on ocassionally only? cuz my friends bday is coming up .i also have a digestion problem.. i dont poop regulary..
I just started the master cleanse today and i wanted to know if the lemonade should be as spicy as it tastes. It tates really strong.
I had headaches several times during my 10 day cleanse and I broke down and took ibuprofen once and aspirin the next time. The headaches went away immediately. I lost 20 pounds during my 10 day cleanse. Be good to yourself!
i live in india and keen to do the cleanse but we dont get maple syrup here what do i use instead??