Nausea, headaches and tiredness?

[Sarah Mc]

As salamu aleykum
Yesterday, from sunrise until sunset, I fasted, and didn't swallow even the slightest trickle of food/water down my throat.

Throughout the day I felt a bit sickly as time went on, I felt tired, even the orthodontist said I looked half-asleep, and headaches on and off. Is this normal to feel this way in Ramadan?

This morning, I slept right through Fajr ACCIDENTALLY. I couldn't think last night. Yesterday I performed all five but last night after Isha'a I was so tired I didn't perform Tarawih and I went to sleep just after 12:30am, school starts too again this morning.

So when I got up this morning, as soon as I woke up, I got up and performed wudu and Fajr - so I made it up. I felt bad, I didn't mean to sleep through it

So what I did was I ate grapes and a date and dry cereal this morning as soon as I got up, even though the sun had risen 50 minutes before, it was Ramadan and I wasn't going to leave one day.

So tonight I'm going to break my fast as usual at sunset, insha'Allah, and then I'm going to perform Isha'a and then I'm going to be less tired, insha'Allah, because I will have eaten A LOT more than last night's sunset meal, let it settle, had my shower and then performed Isha'a so I will be ready to perform Tarawih as the final prayer of the day. I will eat dates and fruit and have a sit down and read the Qur'an or relax and think about my day for a little while before I perform Tarawih, insha'Allah.

Also, can anybody tell me how Tarawih works? ...

I mean: Each 2 raka'as, we sit for a little break, but then the next 2 raka'as, do we perform them like the first or like the 3rd and 4th raka'as of salaah and then start all over again?

Sarah

[abdulwahhab]

Tarawih is an optional night prayer. As a new Muslim as well as a young Muslim who is also going to school and not living with Muslims, you'll be burdening yourself unnecessarily. If there are any mosques nearby with a women's area, you can attend the tarawih and see how you are able to handle it.

Also, eating after dawn (fajr) makes your fast void so avoid doing so. Eating before dawn is a sunnah and not a wajib act of fast (your fast will still be valid if you don't eat before dawn).

[syed bin muhammed]

Throughout the day I felt a bit sickly as time went on, I felt tired, even the orthodontist said I looked half-asleep, and headaches on and off. Is this normal to feel this way in Ramadan?

Salaam

As a new muslims you are doing very well to cope Alhamdulila, but av been a muslim /& fasted all my life, still i get headace's.

But dont worry your body is just reacting to the change, it will ease off soon.
it's the lack of suger, water etc...

Headaches
The most common complaints during Ramadan are headaches. No one is quite sure what causes the "first-of-Ramadan headache," but there does seem to be a correlation between caffeine intake pre-Ramadan and headaches during. Reducing caffeine intake gradually during the two weeks leading into Ramadan seems to ease the headaches.
Dehydration seems to have something to do with the headaches. Very little fluid intake can lead to dehydration, especially on particularly hot days. If untreated, dehydration can lead to fainting or shock (very low blood pressure). The basic treatment for dehydration is drinking water or sports drinks.

Low Blood Sugar (Hypoglycemia)
Most instances of hypoglycemia are related to diabetes. Diabetes is a metabolic condition that leads to increased blood sugar levels. Treatment is aimed at decreasing blood sugar, but many factors can lead to sugar levels dropping too low. The most common factor is not eating. While visits to the emergency room are not uncommon for diabetics, during Ramadan the ages of diabetic patients visiting the emergency room are much younger.
Otherwise healthy people with no history of diabetes can also suffer from low blood sugar from not eating. Worse, a person with no history of diabetes may not recognize the signs of hypoglycemia.

Hypoglycemia can cause confusion, slurred speech, and fainting. If the blood sugar drops low enough, hypoglycemia can even be fatal. The treatment is food. Simple carbohydrates work the fastest to elevate blood sugar, but complex carbohydrates and protein maintain it.


Peptic Ulcers
Bleeding from peptic ulcers is worse during Ramadan than during other times of the year. Bleeding into the stomach and intestines can lead to shock and possibly death. Bloody or dark bowel movements or vomit can indicate bleeding in the digestive system.
People with evidence of bloody discharge should be seen by a doctor right away. For any signs of shock (weakness, dizziness, confusion), call 911.

Kidney Disease
Fasting during Ramadan may not be good for those with kidney disease. While there's little first aid that can be done for most kidney disease problems, chronic kidney disease patients should check with their doctors before fasting.

The Good News
For patients of other chronic conditions there is good news. No evidence suggests that folks suffering from cardiac-related disorders or asthma have more problems during Ramadan than any other time of the year. In fact, changes in emergency room visits during Ramadan seem to be limited to the issues listed above.

[syed bin muhammed]

Ever wonder why you are getting a strange headache at night during the first days of Ramadan? Right around Iftar (break-fast) time? Do you think it is a caffeine headache? Do you usually drink a lot of coffee or tea?

As Muslims begin fasting in Ramadan, a lot of Muslims will complain about "caffeine headaches". Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset and not drinking coffee in the morning leads many to believe that they are having a caffeine headache. Is this possible?

Caffeine is a drug. In fact, it is the most commonly abused addictive drug in the world. It has many effects on the body. It is found in teas, coffee, diet pills and other goodies. A weaker form is also found in chocolate. But can a lack of caffeine cause headaches?

Caffeine has a 3 to 7 hour half life. That means that after 7 hours your body still has half the caffeine you started with. After 14 hours you still have 25% of the initial caffeine concentration in your system. Of course, caffeine clearance varies, but this is the average. In pregnant women caffeine is not recommended and has a half life of over 18 hours. Women taking oral contraceptives will clear caffeine in 13 hours.

Because caffeine takes so long to clear, your headaches are probably not being caused by a lack of caffeine. Yes, caffeine withdrawal causes painful headaches, but it may not be the culprit during Ramadan. In fact, it may take a few days to a week for your body to clear caffeine completely; hence caffeine is the least of your worries.

The most common causes of "Ramadan headaches" is probably dehydration. Throughout the day, you are losing water through urination, sweating, and breathing. The imbalance will usually cause a mild, tolerable headache. This is usually what you are feeling close to Iftar (break-fast) time.

If your salt and electrolytes are out of balance, make sure you keep them in check. A lack of salt may also cause a caffeine-like headache. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids and replace your electrolytes well.

Another common cause of headaches is not enough sleep. Make sure you get a good night's rest. People usually overlook this, but it causes headaches more often than caffeine does.

In order to avoid caffeine headaches, try to drink your caffeine in the evening. Reverse your daily routine. Caffeine stays in your body for a long time, so you should not experience any headaches.

If you are having a headache that is "the worse headache of your life" then you need to call 911 and get to an emergency room. It's definetly not a caffeine headache.

Hopefully, these tips will help you out and keep you Ramadan headache free.

[syed bin muhammed]

Good eating habits

During the holy month of Ramadan we should consume more slow digesting foods and less fast digesting foods. Slow digesting foods last up to 8 hours, while fast digesting foods last for only 3 to 4 hours. Slow digesting foods include barley, wheat, oats, millet, semolina, beans, lentils, wholemeal flour, unpolished rice, and so on. These are called complex carbohydrates. Fast burning foods are foods that contain sugar, white flour, and similar products, and are called refined carbohydrates.

Eat complex carbohydrates at suhoor so that the food lasts longer. Dates are an excellent source of sugar, fibre, carbohydrates, potassium and magnesium. Almonds are rich in protein and fibre with less fat. Bananas are a good source of potassium, magnesium and carbohydrates. Food eaten should be well balanced, containing foods from each food group, i.e. fruits, vegetables, meat/chicken/fish, bread/cereals and dairy products. Fried foods are unhealthy and should be avoided as much as possible. They cause indigestion, heartburn, and weight problems. You should drink as much water or fruit juices as possible between iftar and bedtime, allowing your body to adjust fluid levels during the night.

Bad eating habits


•Over-consumption of fried, fatty and sugary food.
•Over-eating at Iftar/ suhoor.
•Drinking too much tea at suhoor. You will pass more urine, taking with it valuable mineral salts that your body would need during the day. In addition, Ramadan is an ideal time to stop smoking, although it may be wisest to lessen your smoking before quitting completely.
The body will have to make enough of an adjustment in the first few days, and for a regular smoker completely cutting out cigarettes at the same time will be difficult.
Common problems
•Lethargy ('low blood pressure')

Excessive sweating, weakness, tiredness, lack of energy, dizziness, pale appearance and feeling faint are symptoms associated with "low blood pressure". This tends to occur towards the afternoon.
It is caused by too little fluid intake, and decreased salt intake. To remedy this, keep cool, do not exert yourself unnecessarily, increase fluid and salt intake.
Low blood pressure can be confirmed by taking a blood pressure reading when symptoms are present. People who suffer from high blood pressure may need their medication adjusted during Ramadan, and should consult their doctor.

•Headache

This can be caused by caffeine and tobacco withdrawal, overexertion, and lack of sleep. This may occur as the day goes by and worsens by the end of the day. When associated with "low blood pressure", the headache can be quite severe and can also cause nausea before Iftar.

To avoid this, you should cut down caffeine and tobacco intake slowly, starting a week or two before Ramadan. Herbal and caffeine free teas may be substituted. Reorganise your schedule during the Ramadan so as to have adequate sleep.

•Low blood sugar

Weakness, dizziness, tiredness, poor concentration, perspiring easily, feeling shaky, unable to perform physical activities, headache, palpitations are symptoms of low blood sugar. The symptoms can be similar to low blood pressure, but the remedy is different.
It is usually caused by over-consumption of sugar and refined carbohydrates at suhur (suhoor). The body produces too much insulin, causing the blood glucose to drop. Consumption of sugary food and drink should be limited.
Diabetics may need to adjust their medication during Ramadan, and should consult their doctor.

[faqir]

If you are having a headache that is "the worse headache of your life" then you need to call 911 and get to an emergency room. It's definetly not a caffeine headache.

(just in case its a SAH clause)

[Saeed M]

Sister

I'm very pleased to hear that you've started fasting and pray to Allah that He grant you strength and stability thoughout Ramdhaan.

Due to your young age (I remember it being 12, forgive me if it isn't) and never having fasted in Ramdhaan before, you should take it easy and keep a very careful eye on your health. Somebody has already mentioned above that tarawih is an optional prayer, so don't let it worry you if you don't have the ability to pray it at the moment.

My advice would be to make sure you have a good suhoor in the morning and try and take it easy during the day. Ask your PE teachers for concession due to religious reasons if you find it hard back at school. Take plenty of rest breaks during the day. The main things should be staying away from sins and keeping up the fardh (mandatory) salaah.

[Quraatulain]

My dear Sister in Islam, you have such determination at such a young age . Great advises above that you should follow .
May Allah swt grant you steadfastness and make the rest of Ramadhan easy for you . Take care sis ....Wasalam

[saud_o1]

SubhanAllah. Such determination at such a young age. May Allah keep you steadfast and may He Increase you.

There are some really good advices above, i don't really need to repeat them because they said it all

Umm, i guess i'll repeat them lol - getting used to fasting will take time, eat healthy foods and don't put too much burden on yourself with tarawih for now.

Just because you asked - We take a break after every 4 rakahs like 2 then 2 and then a break and so on...

You perform them like any other 2 rakahs.. not like the 3rd of 4th rakah of a fard prayer.

[Sarah Mc]

As salamu aleykum
Not too bad today, al-hamdullilah, ma sha Allah. I don't drink tea/coffee. I still have lots of energy, I'm resting during the day, and I'm eating lot after sunset (believe me, a lot).

I haven't been going fainty, or dizzy, or weak. I have been producing waste as normal, no problem with my bowel. No blood. I don't have diabeties or any form of blood pressure, or asthma, I am free of any problems like this.

I'm glad to say, al-hamdullilah, that I haven't got any headaches today, and I have gone to school. I didn't at lunch but I took a packed lunch as normal as an "emergency supply", just in case I started to feel shaky or weird.

Well I've reached puberty and I'm getting good sleep, dozing off throughout the day, I'm going for a doze now. Less than 4 hours until sunset now, so I'm just going to buy my Subway vegetarian sandwich, and get my sunset meal(s) ready.

The only things I can see on one of the posts is low blood pressure and low blood sugar.

CAN YOU DRINK IN RAMADAN????? I THOUGHT YOU HAD TO ABSTAIN FROM DRINKING AND EATING.

I haven't been drinking all day, someone said increase fluid intake, can you drink water??

I am going for a sleep now. I don't think it's fatal, i'm not shaking or going all weird, getting confused and all of that, not that bad.

PLEASE make dua'a for me. I might end up, being it my first Ramadan, eat a few times in the month all day if you know what I mean.


Sarah