They actually thought I drank "antifreeze" because the only time they had seen a human poisoned in this way was with that type of poisoning. It took me 2 days to convince them that, I had only been on the Master Cleanse and nothing else!!! They thought I had tried to commit suicide!!!
My heart went into arrythmias and was 173 while I was laying down in the ER.
My symptoms started with feeling queasy the evening of the 5th day after starting the cleanse, to throwing up repeatedly throughout the morning of the 6th, and profuse diarrhea. I got so weak I couldn't walk or hold my head up. My son found me on the floor barely conscious.
I just want people to see the other side of this "cleanse". It washes your electrolytes out FAST. I was only 42 years old when I did this, and in good health. I wanted to try it to "detox".
PLEASE BE CAREFUL! If my son didn't find me when he did, I know I wouldn't be alive now. I've been in the medical field for 21 years, so if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone. I also met a nurse in Eastern Wa who told me a woman had died several years ago from this cleanse. For her.. it was too late.
I AM AMAZED THAT PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THIS FOR WEEKS ON END!!! THEY ARE PLAYING WITH FIRE!
Replied By Vicki (Austin, Texas) on 05/21/2011
I'm confused about your remark about the ph of 7.11. A ph of 7 is neutral, and anything above 7 is moving toward "basic" not acidic.Replied By Bryana (Ithaca, New York) on 06/21/2011
Normal human blood pH is 7.35-7.45. Therefore 7.11 is too acidic. Our blood is slightly alkaline.Replied By M21 (Vancouver, Bc) on 08/01/2011
My experience wasn't that severe, but I had a really bad experience with master cleanse too. I got so weak, my whole body was shaking, I was sick like never in my life. Maybe those are detox symptoms, but such detox is way to hard on the body, I think. There is simply no quick fix, balance is the key.Replied By Van (Sunnyvale, Ca, Usa) on 10/06/2011
Errrmmm...I have a natural PH of 6.25-6.5 and I NEVER had any major issues. Rarely get sick. My skin is perfect too. All my medical test pass flying colors. Healthy as a horse. So 7.11 is not too acidic and that is not the issue.
Perhaps there was issues with the source of your water or lemons. I am wondering if you used organic lemons or the cheap kind or had any household chemicals laying around. Like the lemon might have fallen on the floor, table, etc, etc. Might of been a chemical reaction with something else inside your body.
I had a friend who did the lemon cleanse and lost 20lbs in one month. No health issues. I personally don't like to side on extremes. South beach works for me.
Replied By Van (Sunnyvale, Ca, Usa) on 10/06/2011
Also, if your Master Cleanse consists of chemicals like Borax I wouldn't recommend it because there is food grade and household uses grade which is dangerous according to my materials data sheet.
The master cleanse I know is just water (not distilled), organic lemons, cayenne peppers and maple syrup.
Replied By Kelly (Bellingham, Wa) on 02/04/2012
I just thought I'd check back and see if there were any responses to my "nay" on the master cleanse. There are a couple of people who are confused, and I forget, not everyone is medical minded, and I should have stated my PH was NOT my urine PH. A normal urine Ph CAN be anywhere from 4.8 to 8. That is correct. However, the Ph I was referring to was my ABG results. An ABG is an arterial blood gas. Blood is drawn directly from your artery. 7.11 is dangerously low for a Ph and I scared alot of people that night, not only at the hospital but my family members :-(. Frequently, a person with a Ph of less then 7. 20 (arterial) is a strong candidate for a ventilator (a machine that breathes for you)... So 7.11 REALLY did freak some people out, including myself. Also, I DID use ALL organic lemons, maple syrup, distilled water etc. This diet is just NOT for everyone. Please be careful!Replied By Sarah (Dallas, Texas) on 06/29/2012
This is a reply to Kelly. The first time I tried a fast, I also got dangerously sick and weak. My husband nearly called an ambulance, but I told him to just bring me some carbs instead--stuff like pasta. And after eating a little, I began to feel better. Then, a friend let me read his copy of the book The Master Cleanse, by Stanley Burroughs. Have you actually read this book? The key thing which I needed to do, to avoid sickness, was to keep bowels moving somehow. This might be why you got so sick. The book says that fasting without having bowel movements, is like sweeping the dirt around and around on your floor, without picking it up in a dustpan. If you don't move all those toxins out, and they are letting loose because you are on a fast, then you will feel extremely sick and weak and head-achy. I have fasted many times since then, and the thing which keeps me from getting sick, is keeping bowels moving from day one. Now, the book says to drink a precise mixture of water and salt, and chug it down every day--and it really works (the salt water comes out the other end in about an hour)! --if you get the balance just right for your body. But it's awful to drink all that salt water! I found that a good colon cleanse with psyllium, bentonite clay, and fruit pectin works great.Replied By Citygirl27 (Richardson, Tx, USA) on 09/23/2012
Perhaps some psyllium in a glass of water each day while doing this cleanse can help sweep out your system of the cleanse by-products.