The FastDay Forum

Hello,
I have a question today. Does anyone experience after the FD a high blood pressure. I just finished yesterday my second fast day for the second week on the 5:2 diet. I always feel really weak next morning after a fast day and also experience high blood pressure. Has anyone to deal with similar problems?

Hi @Jasmin R, I don't know about the high blood pressure, I've never checked, but when I first started fasting I remember I sometimes had the odd dizzy spell on non-fastdays. It doesn't happen anymore and I now feel great the day after a fast. I'm sure someone who knows about blood pressure will be along soon. You are still new to fasting so could just be your body getting used to it. Sorry I can't be of more help.

I too felt weak and even somewhat depressed and tired the first day after a fast, but it got better a few weeks later. I did not check my blood pressure, though. Is it very high? Can you keep going and let us know if it improves? I hope so.

I looked at several sources about IF and blood pressure. All indicate that it lowers blood pressure, most often because of also restricting carbohydrates.

High blood pressure often doesn't have symptoms so you should have your pressure checked. If you're otherwise feeling faint, a bit weak or have a headache during your fast days, you might increase your salt intake with a stock cube (bouillon drink) or a miso soup to counter these (well known) effects.

[carorees]

It would be useful to know how high your BP went and how it compares with your usual morning reading?

My blood pressure dropped dramatically after following 5:2 for a few months so that I was able to come off the ramipril I had been taking. Interestingly though, my BP went up on the ramipril at about 4 months into fasting for no obvious reason, when I came off the ramipril BP normalised at 120/80 so there seemed to be some connection with changes due to weight loss and the way the drug worked. Fasting itself usually lowers BP. Could there be other sources of your BP increase unconnected with fasting? It is natural to look at the "new thing" (in this case fasting) as the cause of any unexpected feelings/symptoms, but of course it may (or may not) be coincidence! You should definitely monitor your BP morning and evening each day to see if there is a connection with fasting or how you eat/exercise/sleep etc on fast days.