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Forum -> Yom Tov / Holidays -> Shabbos, Rosh Chodesh, Fast Days, and other Days of Note
Fasting and emotional health question



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amother
OP


 

Post Sun, Aug 07 2022, 3:59 am
One of my kids (college age) has a terrible time fasting. Daytime ones are bad, overnights are horrible. She can manage the physical symptoms, but her emotions take a serious nose dive. Think on verge of tears, miserable, etc.

I've told her we will speak to our Rav and her doctor before the next taanis (and yes, if she's miserable when she wakes up I will see if our Rav will allow any modifications for today).

Has anyone else run into this? She thinks the fact that she can't take her adhd meds like she normally does may be a factor, but I doubt if it's only that, as she was already miserable at night and normally wouldn't take her meds until quite a few hours later during the daytime.

Anything I'm finding online is about intermittent fasting and how that can sometimes improve moods, but that's not what I'm running into here.

Thoughts or advice, anyone?
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amother
Mint


 

Post Sun, Aug 07 2022, 4:03 am
Emotional health factors are very real. I'm not sure if your question is about taking meds or breaking the fast, but please do not make her suffer. Her issues are as real as physical ones, if noy more.
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amother
OP


 

Post Sun, Aug 07 2022, 4:17 am
amother [ Mint ] wrote:
Emotional health factors are very real. I'm not sure if your question is about taking meds or breaking the fast, but please do not make her suffer. Her issues are as real as physical ones, if noy more.




Completely agree. That's why I plan to check with our Rav/Doctor before the next one, and to check with our Rav what to do with the rest of this one.

I'm just wondering if anyone else has run into this, and if so, what details they feel comfortable sharing.
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amother
Topaz


 

Post Sun, Aug 07 2022, 4:50 am
https://mnefesh.org/
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amother
Lightgreen


 

Post Sun, Aug 07 2022, 4:52 am
Why are you waiting for the next one?
Check with a Rav right now.
It’s a nidcha.
It’s more than likely she is permitted to eat right now.
Don’t make her suffer another minute.
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amother
Mauve


 

Post Sun, Aug 07 2022, 5:54 am
Also, ask a rav about taking meds. Someone I know was told they were allowed to even on yom Kippur with specific parameters.
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amother
Sapphire


 

Post Sun, Aug 07 2022, 6:00 am
amother [ Mauve ] wrote:
Also, ask a rav about taking meds. Someone I know was told they were allowed to even on yom Kippur with specific parameters.


Yep. All my kids with adhd take their meds on all fast days. (Note- they don't ever skip their meds in general.) If my teens knew the night before that they would have messed up functioning the next day, they would not react well emotionally the night before. I also have a kid who has so far fasted fine, but other biological factors do cause her to be an emotional mess- if fasting did that to her l, I would ask a shailah in a heartbeat.
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amother
Junglegreen


 

Post Sun, Aug 07 2022, 7:26 am
I think a person can take meds with a sip of water -- but as your LOR.
also - my husband takes meds for depression. he used to fast all fasts and afterwards felt ill for days. he asked a rov who told him to only fast yom kippur. so don't assume anything and always ask.
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amother
Blue


 

Post Sun, Aug 07 2022, 7:58 am
My husband takes meds with a mouthful of water definitely ask about it can be withdrawal symptoms from not taking them which are pretty serious.
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amother
Ginger


 

Post Sun, Aug 07 2022, 8:01 am
People with hormonal, thyroid or adrenal issues don’t do well with intermittent fasting either. Some peoples brains go into panic mode when blood sugar drops.
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amother
OP


 

Post Sun, Aug 07 2022, 10:45 am
amother [ Lightgreen ] wrote:
Why are you waiting for the next one?
Check with a Rav right now.
It’s a nidcha.
It’s more than likely she is permitted to eat right now.
Don’t make her suffer another minute.


Sorry, I should have been clearer. Absolutely agree about talking to our Rav about this one, but I also want to get guidance about her and fasting going forward.
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amother
OP


 

Post Sun, Aug 07 2022, 10:52 am
amother [ Junglegreen ] wrote:
I think a person can take meds with a sip of water -- but as your LOR.
also - my husband takes meds for depression. he used to fast all fasts and afterwards felt ill for days. he asked a rov who told him to only fast yom kippur. so don't assume anything and always ask.


Re taking meds - We've gotten similar answers for medicines when the kids were sick, so I definitely hear what you're saying.

We've never worried about it with her adhd meds because she usually tried to sleep through most of the day on a taanis, and/or takes them early in the morning before the fast starts.
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amother
OP


 

Post Sun, Aug 07 2022, 10:54 am
amother [ Ginger ] wrote:
People with hormonal, thyroid or adrenal issues don’t do well with intermittent fasting either. Some peoples brains go into panic mode when blood sugar drops.


This - I mentioned to her the blood sugar question, interesting to know others have run into that.

Do you have any sources for this?
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amother
OP


 

Post Sun, Aug 07 2022, 10:58 am
amother [ Sapphire ] wrote:
Yep. All my kids with adhd take their meds on all fast days. (Note- they don't ever skip their meds in general.) If my teens knew the night before that they would have messed up functioning the next day, they would not react well emotionally the night before. I also have a kid who has so far fasted fine, but other biological factors do cause her to be an emotional mess- if fasting did that to her l, I would ask a shailah in a heartbeat.


It's an interesting thought - that since she knows a taanis will make her feel worse, she's more of an emotional wreck going in to start with, which makes her even more miserable later...
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amother
Ginger


 

Post Sun, Aug 07 2022, 11:18 am
amother [ OP ] wrote:
This - I mentioned to her the blood sugar question, interesting to know others have run into that.

Do you have any sources for this?
Symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia include anxiety, irritability, confusion, dizziness, lightheaded ness https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-g.....cemia
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amother
Rainbow


 

Post Sun, Aug 07 2022, 11:19 am
Hsp people also have a very hard time with fasting. It brings up a lot of intense emotions.
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amother
Papaya


 

Post Sun, Aug 07 2022, 11:47 am
I really hope you asked, especially about the meds.

Our (yeshivish, relatively strict) rav said that on Tisha B'av, even not a nidche, you can take any pills at all without water, even just vitamins.

I have two kids with ADHD and would never think of having them skip their meds. It definitely affects their moods, fasting or not.
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