day 3 of cleanse difficulties

[Lizzie412]

Hello to everyone. I am completing my third day of the cleanse, and I am absolutely starving. I continue to drink the lemonade mixture, and I just drank some mint tea. I don't know what else to do. Will this really pass and day 4 will be easier? Also, is anyhone experiencing itchy skin. I am thinking that this is how the toxins are leaving me. And also, would going through an acupuncture session be harmful at this time? Thanks for the support.

[rvalle]

Days 3 and 4 were the absolute hardest for me. You can do it though. By day 4 I just boiled a bullion cube and had that and it seemed to take away my hunger. Stick to it!

[Crazed_Pomeranian]

Hi Lizzie, I feel your pain. I was like that the first 2 days of the cleanse. I did find that excercise helped with staving off the hunger pangs, as well as help stop, or lessen my withdrawel headaches (I confess I'm a lover of coffee). Perhaps this would help you as well?

The skin is our largest organ, and so it seems to make sense that your skin might itch. I haven't had that symptom, but chills like the Dicken's!

You can do this.

[mrsmezen]

This is also day three for me of MC#1. This is the worst day ever for me it seems. I am grumpy, hungry disoriented, tired irritated, depressed and I want to go to Taco Bell really bad!!!!!!!!!! Is this normal? Will this pass? It is making me think that if it continues this way I will not make it to 10 days, can't handlemuch more of this. Help.

[ladydi]

Hi mrsmezen - Please hang in there. These are definitely detox syptoms! Many of us have gone thru these cravings/days, but they/it will pass. You can do this!!!

[mrsmezen]

Thanks Ladydi, these are terrible symptoms I am feeling. Uggggg, I am so over this. I hope this feeling doesn't last much longer.

[mrsmezen]

Another question for anyone who knows. Burroughs says that you should have 3 eliminations a day at least right, so I had 4 on the first day but only after the SWF, had none at all yesterday and did the SWF and only had two little ones today after the SWF. Is that okay or should I be going more? I don't want the toxins to just hangout and not be released. That worries me.

[Peter]

Hi MrsMezen,

Your experiences on the first 3 days are what most people go through. They are the worst days and the rest of the cleanse is not like that at all.

I suggest you get my book so you know what to expect. Your questions are all covered in there. The reason I wrote it is that the procedure works great, but people have lots and lots of questions that are not answered in the original book. In addition, I tell people what to expect.

Your question about 3 eliminations a day is for people who are not on the Master Cleanse. After you're cleaned out from the SWF, there's not enough bulk left for 2 more elminations.

In addition, it's normal to have watery eliminations and nothing solid for many days at a time on the Master Cleanse. Of course, some people do have a lot of stuff to come out.

I hope this helps,
Peter 8)

[Guest]

I have just started the cleanse and I am experiencing an unreal headache. I think that it is because I am not taking my allergy med.(zyrtec) I think that I need to stop taking this med. and want to get the residue from it out of my body, any ideas for dealing with this headache though???

[ladydee]

i also had monstrous headaches on my fist cleanse so i totally sympathize. (My pain lasted at least 5 days and ultimately, caused me to stop the cleanse. i wish i'd kept going. )

The headaches can be caused by coffee/caffeine withdrawal, or they can be "generic" detox symptoms. But you can survive them if you're committed to the cleanse!

Drink *lots* and lots of water.

Breathe deeply (i'm serious - this works).

Apply hot and cold towels to the spot (forehead, then neck).

Do some light stretches.

Drink more lemonade. And take a relaxing bath before bed.


i'm on MC4/Day 27 presently and have had only a few mild headaches.


Best of luck; hope this helps.

[Guest]

Today was my third day . I quit at the start of the day.
I was going to the bathroom liquid fire from the start of the second day . All liquid no solid eliminations -weird-. I felt so icky , and ON TOP of it some said that I was going to slow my metabolism down in the long run from doing this. I ate so much today all carbs.. bread, cereal, pizza,lettuce, broth ,sauce and seeds . I feel huge ..my colon hurts it's depressing me. I am not in the best of spirits. I hope you all do stick with it. I want to try this again .I have two concerns can this be detrimental to your colon from all the tea and only liquid eliminations (in my case would of been the entire cleanse). My other concern was my metabolism slowing down to a hault . To respond to another post as well, my skin itched a lil.

[alabalik]

9:40 AM on the 3rd day of my first cleanse...It has been the worst so far. I did my SWF at 7:30 AM. I have been nauseous since then. I have technically spent the first two hours of my work day in the bathroom. I thought about going home, but I have meetings and cannot afford a sick day today. These forums have been very helpful. It looks like I am not the only one that deals with a bright yellow liquid for two hours on the 3rd day. I finally started to feel better now and I am having my first lemonade, a little on the sweet side. Heck yeah I deserve it!

[Res]

alabalik:

What you're describing and what others are describing is TOTALLY NORMAL. We lovingly refer to the eliminations as, "Butt Pee" and "Hot Toxic Exits" ;D If you're following along with any of the "busy" threads you'll read that everyone goes through this and the first 3 days are the worst.

What you'll be "passing" will be mostly liquid with flecks thrown in to make it interesting. Sometimes you'll get thick gunk or maybe solids here and there (everyone's experience is slightly different) but mostly what goes in will be what comes out.

Keep up with it though because the benefits are amazing. The reason you feel terrible at times is because you're "eliminating TOXINS" and that just plain isn't pleasant. :) But that's what you're doing here...Cleansing.

Keep us posted on how you're doing. :)

~Res

[alabalik]

4th day here, woohoo! Feeling much better today. I had a terrible lower back pain yesterday. It is still there, but less painful today. I was scared to do the SWF this morning because of my work load, so I had senna tea. It still was a productive morning though ;-) Thanks for your reply Res.

[Guest]

Hello there. I'm on day 4, but I don't know if I should technicly call it that, since on my first day I broke down for 2 bananas, and on day two I ate a pear. On my second day I had a terrible headache which I sleapt off with a nice nap. Today I'm having awful lower back pains as well. Food is still on my mind, but everytime I want to eat I ask myself which I place more importance on: a sandwich or healthy bowels. That train of thought keeps me on track because of the discomfort my digestive system causes me. Also, my skin is looking awsome! which pleases me very much.

[Guest]

Hi - I am on day 2 and I am trying like hell to stick with this.....my period came extremely early, my lower back is also killing me - why is that? and the few I've spoken to about this say - your body needs solids or things will start to shut down not to mention destroying my metabolism which is already in the tank and that's part of my weight problem.....

I'm discouraged...please help!

[Guest]

Hi - I am on day 2 and I am trying like hell to stick with this.....my period came extremely early, my lower back is also killing me - why is that? and the few I've spoken to about this say - your body needs solids or things will start to shut down not to mention destroying my metabolism which is already in the tank and that's part of my weight problem.....

I'm discouraged...please help!

[Nicey]

Hi everyone, I am on day 4 of the cleanse. I am extremely overweight 100+ lbs. *I too experienced lower back pain last nite. *I really cannot stand the taste of the Maple syrup, so I've been using very*little syrup. *I feel like any other addict would feel I guess. I am very depressed to give up the "bad" food, but I know it's something that must be done to get my addiction in order. *I do feel better, more in control. *It's just the cravings that are hard. *Last night was really hard, my stomach was still growling, today is okay so far. *I feel a little weak.*

I am trying to combat the slowing down of the metabolism, so I have been exercising as well. *

Good Luck, will write again.

Nicey

[daftcat]

It's funny that a lot of people are saying the first three days are the hardest because those were the easiest and most enjoyable three for me so far. By day four, waking up at 5am with cramps from the senna tea, I started to feel like a slave to this fast and I've been getting more and more depressed about it since. I really want to finish this but I want to get back to food too. I haven't really been hungry this whole time, I just really enjoy food. I'm also a healthy normal weight, not exactly as slim as I'd like, but certainly nothing to concern myself with so I'm not really losing that much weight. I don't have a whole lot to speak for with this cleanse except more energy and less sleep. It seems like an awful trade-off sometimes.

I'm getting ready to do a second SWF today. I really want to speed this up so I don't have to linger on this cleanse any longer than 10 days.

In the success column, I found that making a fresh glass of lemonade is so much more palatable than making the next day's batch before I go to sleep. Well, I can't really make fresh lemonade at work, but it gives me something to look forward to on days 8 and 9. Also, the cayenne is hardly noticeable in a fresh glass but it seems to get stronger and stronger throughout the day when I pre-make a batch. Maybe for work, I'll just pour my lemonade a glass at a time and add the cayenne to each glass individually.

Anyway, y'all, hang in there. This must be worth it or we all wouldn't be doing it.

Cheers!
M

[sonia_m]

Hello,

I am new to the forum and this is day 4 for me. I am so glad that I decided to check out this forum because day three has been extremely challenging. Yesterday I could not take it any more, I was so hungry! I broke down and had some broth and globe grapes. I was not craving junk food as I do not eat junk food but I was craving fruits and soup and a few other things. So will today still count as day 4 or am I having to start over?

Today I craved this very hot salsa that is all natural (with Cayanne pepper) I licked it off of a spoon but I did not eat it with chips or anything else. I have had a few cups of tea today. This is so supportive reading all of these post because I realize that I am not alone in the feeling that come. My ankles were swollen the second day, lots of water, I was also fatigued and restless. I do not feel that today. Well anyway someone please tell me if I will have to start over due to my falling off of the wagon yesterday. Thanks!

[zerolema]

Hi Sonia,
I know from my cleanse that days 3 and 4 were riduculous.....but by eating a few grapes or drinking even a little broth will potentially make it worse for you. Also, eating anything but the lemonade, even chewing GUM messes up the cleanse since it is all very chemical and balanced.

If you are STARVING I reccommend buying some blackstrap organic molasses and eat/suck on a tablespoon of that or drinking some more mint tea as a "treat" if you use the PULP of the lemon in your lemonade too, it will give some more substance and you can actually chew it! Ah to chew again!

I just don't want you to upset the cleanse or mess anything up so you'll get the full benefit. It's so worth it.....day 6 and 7 were bad for me too, that's when I broke down and ate the molassess! By day 8,9 10 I had TONS of energy!

Good luck!
Lanie

[sonia_m]

Hi Lanie,

Thanks for responding. I managed to make it to day 7 at this time. I have not had anything else since day 3. However yesterday afternoon I suddenly got very mucusy. I was sneezing and blowing my nose, it was awful. I am better today so we will see what the rest of the cleanse brings. My tongue is very yellow! My energy level is fine. I am ready to eat some fruits.

I am doing the cleanse because I have had problems with my digestive system and I need to have it resolved once and for all! I plan to continue the lemonade drink after the 10 days along with my normal eating. I will resume the cleanse again in a month and aim for 15 days then. Thanks for your support!!

[Res]

Sonia:

Keep going and don't quit, BUTT, make sure you're drinking Lemonade when you get hungry and drink a lot of water as well. The hunger is more mental than anything, even if you're feeling it physically.

Anytime you deny yourself something you WANT IT MORE. Those are cravings.This cleanse is only for 10 days (out of 365 ;)) and you can do it! You haven't realized the benefits yet because you're not at the end of it but you will. Keep in mind that it's a "DETOX" cleanse so you're going to feel like crap periodically. And feeling bad varies for everyone.

On my first two cleanses the first 3 days were a breeze. That all changed on cleanses 4 and 5 and I fell into the same pains as others by detoxing heavily those 3 days.

Steer clear of food. You can smell it, but no tasting. ;) It's not a good idea to take tablespoons of anything either. You'll defeat the purpose. Keep trying, keep going and just grit your teeth and finish.

Way to make it to day 7!! ;D Yup being mucousy is all a part of it. That usually hits me the first 3 days and I feel like I'm coming down with the flu. I'm also one of those who LOSES energy, I don't gain any, so most of the time I'm just putting one foot in front of the other. It may have something to do with the thyroid medication I continue to take while on the cleanse. Again, symptoms vary for everyone.

Hang in there. We're here for you. ;D

Love,
~Res

[sonia_m]

Thanks again Res,
Well tomorrow morning I will be waking up to day 9. Oh I am so ready for the cleanse to end. Yes I know that it is all in my head but I do miss the pleasure of eating. The thing is that I don't crave junk because I do not eat junk, I don't even eat meat .

I want some fruits and a really good salad!! Today I was so excited to cook dinner for my son!! Oh the smell of it cooking was heaven to me!! That is the first time that I have had to cook during the cleanse. Well I am almost at the finish line. Thank you so much. This message board has been the best source of support for me. Today I felt like quitting because I really just got tired of the routine but I talked myself into making it all the way through. It really is worth it. Thanks again!!

Sonia

[LuxurySandy]

I am new to this board, and this is my second day on the Master Cleanse. I am having headaches, but no cravings as long as I drink the potion.

[gillmoli]

maybe i'm not drinking enough water, but i've been at work today and from about 2pm on, after 5 servings of the lemonade and about 20 oz of water, I started to get the "gurgle", very reminiscent of pre-diahrea (sp?) moments and knowing that in a few minutes, I was about to blow! Unfortunatley, it's now almost 6pm, and NOTHING. Should I be concerned? I've also been burping a lot today too.

[sylviebumblebee]

Hi, I'm on Day 3 today. I've felt very few hunger pains and have totally gone off of cigarettes. However, I feel cramping and pain in the backs of my legs and lower back/kidney area. I wonder if I could be drinking too much water and flushing out too many electrolytes?

When I've gotten hungry, I've just had another lemonade and that seems to help. You can also try freezing it a bit to make a "slushy.'' Keep it up! You've come this far!

[cristalf]

I am on day 7 of the cleanse and I feel terrible because I ate today and yesterday! The first five days were fine but then the weekend set in and my menstrual:mad: I felt so cold and needed something warm so I had some veg soup yesterday...today very bad pizza! I plan to just continue for the next 3 days and start 10 days again in another month when I don't have my period!

[janerima]

I also had bad headaches. The first day I just put up with it, slept a LOT, then eventually threw up. That got rid of the headache! I am usually prone to headaches, so I wonder if that's how departing toxins will affect me.

I'm only on day 4, but the last couple of days when I felt a bit of a headache coming on, I made some more lemonade, which helped. Also naps!

good luck.

[San Diego]

I am finishing day three too, and have really had no effects. RES, help! You said to get back to you after day three. Basically, nothing has really happened. I have followed the directions very specifically. One regular B.M. day one morning, and since then (sorry!)but only stuff that looks like urine passing. Awful cramps at night in the abdomen. Did not do the SWF this morning but did do it on day 1 and 2.
I am so hungry and just can't help but wondering....what is this really doing???
HELP!!! I don't want to quit but am getting really discouraged!

[chloecov]

Help! I'm doing everything right but the tea and swf aren't working!
I am having a really hard time at the beginning of day three... was sick w/ migraine and vomiting day one and totally lethargic. today i can barely get out of bed. the worst part is that i haven't been having regular eliminations, and my mom says that this means all the toxins are just sitting inside me making me feel like hell. she suggested an enema, (she swears by them) but my understanding is that there isn't supposed to be need for that on the master cleanse and i want to stick to the program. I plan on staying with it until I get some results and ten days at the minimum, but this malaise is really unbearable-- i haven't done anything but read and watch movies for two days.

[Res]

Chloe:

Truly the first 3 days can be hell-ish. Up your water intake and if you can, take it easy. You're going to feel much, much better tomorrow. I know that's not much hope for now, but rest assured we've all gone through what you're going through. Tell yourself to hang in there until tomorrow and then let us know how you're doing. I wouldn't necessarily do an enema. The SWF just moves it straight down...the enema moves it up first, and then down. Down and out is best.

Make a strong cup of peppermint tea (just hot water and tea bag). It will help with the nausea.

Hang in there. :)

~Res

[Harri]

:eek: Day 3 passed by in a haze of pain - I had a headache all day. But, I held fast to the principles and after a night with my friend "Ben Gay" I am happy to say on day four it's all gone away.:D . Thanks to all those who shared their pain - I had them all the vomiting, headache, etc. but I hang on in there it really does pass.

[chloecov]

Res~
thanks so much for your input-- today (day four) has been SO much better so far, as you said it might be. i even went to yoga... and i'm really excited to go on for the next 6 days
thanks again for your help!
chloe