🎙️ Episode 6 - Dry Mouth and Fasting

Introduction

Welcome to the Dry Fasting Club and the beautiful world of dry fasting, I’m Yannick Wolfe and I hope to be able to guide you on your dry fasting journey.

Before we continue, it’s important to note that the information provided here is done to the best of my experience and research, however, it should never be taken as medical advice. You should always speak to a medical professional about your decision to attempt fasting in the first place. Please treat this information as entertainment only.

I’d also like to let everyone know that if you are interested in fasting, specifically dry fasting; make sure you join the Dry Fasting Club’s discord group. It’s where you’ll find expert fasters that can answer most of your questions. As well as like-minded people that are also on the fasting journey. The link to the discord, as well as references to the topics discussed will be in the notes. Ok, let’s get started.

Dry fasting thought of the day

Don’t expect for this healing journey to be a one and done experience. There’s a reason so few people actually do this, even though the healing is truly magical. It’s because people are not accustomed to the long game. They are not patient, and they avoid suffering.

Dry fasting is as close to actual magic as I’ve ever felt in my whole life. Unfortunately, it’s not easy, but over many years I’ve learned that the hard way. Suffering is necessary, running from it, is never the best solution. Standing up tall and straight, facing it head on is what separates the ones really living from the ones that are simply existing.

Different levels of dry mouth on a dry fast

Level one dry mouth

is simple. You are thirsty, your saliva starts to get a little thicker, and you really wish you could just drink something. This first level of dry mouth is not that big of a deal. Sure it’s a little uncomfortable, but that’s fasting for you.

Level two dry mouth

is when it really gets annoying. It starts drying out your mouth when you leave it open for too long, or talk too much. You really need to start actively monitoring your mouth, so you don’t keep it open and limit your conversations.

Level three dry mouth

is when most people consider breaking their fasts. But also when the most experienced fasters know that they’ve reached an important part of their dry fast. This is when the body goes into its super-water-conservation stage.

It’s very important to breathe through the nose, and avoid talking as much as possible. The arrival of this final stage of dry mouth is different based on different people and their fasting experience levels. This is the stage that causes people the most stress and causes a lot of people to consider rinsing their mouths. Which, as we’ll discuss later, may not be a good solution.

When does dry mouth usually occur

For most people, dry mouth occurs around day 4 of a dry fast. However, this varies with each individual. Some people claim to get it much earlier, while others who are extremely well adapted to dry fasting or have seriously prepared for it, claim to get it later.

Whichever group you fall into, everyone agrees that dry mouth sucks. It makes you feel worse, it makes it hard to focus because you’re constantly worried that your mouth is dry. It makes you worry that you’re too dehydrated to continue fasting, and it makes talking really difficult.

The worst thing about dry mouth is the fact that it keeps reminding you of how thirsty you are.

Everything improves with time

If you are slowly improving your fasting tolerance, and building up longer and longer fasts, you will start to notice that your dry mouth start time keeps getting pushed back as well.

When I first started dry fasting, I would get dry mouth just past day 3. Mind you, I had already multiple 14 and 21 day water fasts under my belt. So my body was already pretty fat and fasting adapted. Still, the next dry fast that I did I noticed that my dry mouth kicked in around halfway through day 4. The third long dry fast I attempted, the dry mouth kicked in halfway through day 5. This goes to show you how amazing the body is at adapting, and that the fasting muscle is a real thing.

Is dry fasting THAT different than water fasting?

That the body treats it like a completely new activity? It kind of seems like it, although some people do claim getting dry mouth as early as day 1 and day 2. So there may be some correlation between water fasting experience and dry fasting experience. If this is your first time fasting in general and you’re trying to speed run it, you will have to take it step by step.

🌊

My recommendation always stands, that you should be starting with water fasting. That’s the most responsible way to start and to train your body.

I will be dropping a detailed beginners guide to dry fasting for absolute beginners. It will include a speed run that starts with a few small water fasts, and gives a detailed guide on what to eat, when to eat, and when to fast.

Body water conservation mode

A successful dry fast requires you to keep your mind off of food and water, knowing that your body will be sending you signals to drink. It’s a natural defense mechanism, the same way ghrelin is used to remind you to eat at the same time every day.

Ghrelin is called the hunger hormone. If you eat breakfast at 10am every day, try to stop one morning and you’ll notice intense cravings around the same time. Start skipping breakfast and in a few days you’ll lose the 10am hunger cravings. It goes to show you that following whatever signal your body throws at you, is not always the right move. Some people have been raised their whole lives believing that when your body tells you its hungry you have to listen to it.

So when your dry mouth kicks in, it’s a part of a multi-layered approach by your body for water conservation.

What happens when your body goes into water conservation mode?

Sweating decreases, of course that makes very good sense.
Mucous membranes in the nose dry up. If you’re one of the many people with constant allergies or inflamed sinuses, you’ll start to be able to breathe through both nostrils. Hallelujah!
Inflammation drops drastically throughout the body since inflammation requires water.
Moisture in your mouth decreased heavily. Welcome to dry mouth.

In general, expect a much harder time to sweat, even if you feel warmer as the dry fast fire rages, you will be sweating much less. Your nose will open up, and your mouth will get dry. See? Even though the dry mouth makes it seem like you’re on death’s door, it’s not necessarily a sign that should force you to stop.

But remember, if you’re experiencing heart issues, or you have very specific late-stage diseases, or are very sick, you should have someone monitoring your vitals during an extended fast. Very toxic people will have crazy symptom flare ups, and if this occurs, its important to break your fast, refeed, and repeat. You’ll want to clear up your toxicity with a few shorter strategic detoxifying fasts first.

The big clue

So during a dry fast, It’s important to avoid activities that would make you sweat, specifically once you hit the super water conservation stage. This includes saunas, running, and high blood pressure activities like gambling, watching pornography, and competitive video games. Notice how most non-workout activities that raise your blood pressure are addicting and not really the best for you? Funny how that works.

By abstaining from these activities you're doing good for your health and safety. But at the same time you’re detoxing from both mental addictions and body toxins. I want to add that I am being a little bit of a hypocrit because I have played video games in the past like League of Legends to help pass the time and keep myself occupied.

Be aware

As fasting also helps you rewire your brain, doing activities that are addicting may force themselves into your rewiring, and you’ll have a harder time letting them go. So you either end up choosing Monk-mode for the best results or find a vice that helps you pass the time in a pick-your-poison type of situation.

If you can handle it by just reading books, watching TV, taking walks, and meditating, you’ll be in a more productive position when your fast is over.

Dry fasting is known to help heal past traumas that have embedded themselves in your brain. It is viewed by some doctors as the best method for eliminating addictive behaviours and mental disorders like schizophrenia. There’s a whole paper written about healing schizophrenia with dry fasting, but that’s for another episode.

A lot of people with bacteria, ulcers or parasites in and around the mouth cavity, claim that the acidity causes a lot of the dry mouth, and that it’s also a detoxing mechanism that helps kill and cleanse everything in the mouth.

Some people claim that using an alkaline spray in the mouth helps. Although this would require you to put a liquid in your mouth, which goes against the tenets of dry fasting.

What can you do to combat dry mouth

There are many different ways that you try to fight dry mouth. One of the most important ways is to prepare correctly before the fast. That means taking methodical steps like hydrating correctly, eating the right diet, not overexerting yourself during the fast, keeping your mouth closed and learning to breathe through your nose. There’s also taping your mouth shut, resting, and talking less.

💧 Hydrating properly

You can’t hydrate properly without electrolytes, or else all the water will just go straight through you. I’ve never been a fan of the new age spin on hydration. People like to repeat the self-proclaimed fact that you need to drink 8 glasses of water a day.

That study that the recommendation was based on was proven false already. It did not take into consideration the amount of water that you would get from food throughout the day. Not to mention drinks like coffee, tea, alcohol, or juices.

So real hydrating means upping your electrolytes, so that your body can actually retain some of that extra water, while storing a little extra minerals inside the body’s cells.

🍳 Eating the right diet

Eating the right diet is one of the simplest and most effective ways to prepare your body for any sort of fasting. Of course, a lot of people don’t want to go out of their way to prepare or don’t understand how much it actually helps. If you are a masochist who enjoys suffering the first few days, then ignore this information.

Ketogenic diet

The reason you want to eat keto for at least the few days leading up to your fast, is because it allows your body to prepare for the fasting environment.

The keto diet slightly acidifies your body, which is something fasting does and what causes a lot of the terrible feelings during the acidification. By getting a gentle start on acidic adaptation, you’ll make sure your fast runs smoother.

When doing keto you train your body to use fat stores for energy via ketosis. This ketosis is very similar to ketosis that the body will be performing during the fast, just on a smaller scale. The day before the fast, try to make sure you eat easily digestible keto foods, like kefir, broth, and eggs.

Avoiding carbs is crucial, especially the day before starting. I would also add that you should avoid fried foods and red meat. They are both foods that take the longest time to digest and may affect your feeling of well-being if any get stuck in the digestive system when it shuts down.

Avoid caffeine, sugar, and diuretics.

If you can do this for a few days before the fast, half your battle is already won. You’ll avoid the intense caffeine detox symptoms, and the sugar detox symptoms. The body will be better hydrated and topped off with electrolytes. All of this will make your fast easier.

Dry fasting hack – Covering your mouth with tape

I’ve gone and tested all different kinds of tapes and run the numbers for you. My lips will never be the same. There’s something about duct-taping your face and the feeling of having your hair follicles ripped off on a cellular level. You’re welcome. So one of the most ideal tapes for this is surgical tape. You can also purchase it at any local pharmacy, or find it online. There are also fancy tapes designed to cover your mouth, but you’ll have to look for those yourself.

If you’re able to handle the mental barrier of forcing your mouth closed during the night, you will realize that you actually have a more restful sleep and you wake up much more energized, with fewer cavities, and a better oral microflora.
If you are someone that often wakes up with a dry mouth, wakes up often in the middle of the night, or with a sore throat – This might be a game changer for you.

Are you willing to experiment but are scared that you’ll have a really hard time breathing? There are a few tricks you can use. Make sure you fold the tape on both sides to create a sort of handlebar for easier tear-away. Another one is, don’t fully tape your mouth closed, but leave a little bit of space for emergency venting.

The truth behind mouth-breathing

Did you know that a study found that breathing through your mouth instead of your nose can lead to things like high blood pressure, heart problems, and sleep apnea?

Apparently, mouth breathing also leads to the worsening of symptoms of asthma. It can cause cognitive dysfunction, and deprives your vital organs of good oxygenation. You just don’t get the same level of oxygen when you breathe through your mouth.

This is pretty crazy, because obviously if you have debilitating asthma or other sinus-related problems, you’re going to breathe more through your mouth. This looks like it creates a positive feedback loop.

The more you use your mouth, the worse your problems become. Breathing through the mouth is also correlated with a higher body stress response, crazy! Stress is one of the leading causes of illness, so improving that can work wonders on its own. Good thing a dry fast is one of the most anti-inflammatory things you can do. That along with the nasal mucous drying up with less water means that you’ll have a much easier time getting your nasal passages open and allowing you to force yourself to breathe through the nose.

What should you NOT do to combat dry mouth

🛁 Overdose of showers

You can take cold showers. This works better for fasts shorter than 5 days, it can help you keep going. If you do this on very extended dry fasts, you risk making the fast harder, as your body starts to crave water more after being touched by it. No matter what, it’s extremely important that you do not open your mouth when in the shower.

👄

Two places that water should not touch during an extended dry fast is inside the mouth and in your intestines/colon. That’s why enemas are advised against during a dry fast. Your body is not eliminating much through the colon, so you don’t need to perform enemas.

🚴 Activities that make you sweat

In fact, it will be counterproductive as it will re-awaken your body to water. When you are dry fasting your body goes into complete endogenous nutrition, meaning its producing its own energy and metabolic water. Even though the metabolic water is limited, and it requires you to take it easy so as not to overstress the body, it is enough to keep you going without damaging your kidneys or other organs.

That’s why if someone overdoes it with exercise, sauna use, or other activities that make you sweat, or increase your heart rate, you are playing a dangerous game.

Be strong-minded

With the complete endogenous nutrition that you get with dry fasting, you need to keep water away from your mouth and intestines as I said earlier. That’s another reason why you want to prepare by eating more digestible food prior to the fast. Getting some water in the mouth or performing an enema will ruin the mechanisms that perform the strongest healing, so stay away.

With water fasting, you never enter full endogenous energy and water production, because you are supplementing outside water continuously. This drains your electrolytes, but also forces your body to clean the impure water that you’re drinking over and over.

A lot of people get severe dry mouth and let their mind get the better of them. After some time they persuade themselves to just rinse their mouth. “Just this one time should be good”. It’s similar to people with addictions to sweets or even pornography. “One quick look and i’ll be ok”. It’s never one quick look.

Dead end

Most dry-fasters who have tried to rinse their mouth with water will say that initially it felt fantastic and they were able to go back to work or study or watching tv. But after a few minutes, or maybe an hour, the dry mouth feeling goes into overdrive. Your body basically starts screaming to put water in your mouth again, and slowly bit by bit, rinse by rinse, your will to continue the dry fast evaporates.

What does this mean? When you think a nice mouth rinse might do the trick, be vigilant! Don’t fall for it. If you do it, you will trigger a stronger thirst.

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If you are taking an ice-cold shower for the rejuvenation effect because you’ve decided to soft dry fast, remember to keep your mouth closed. In this situation, it’s so easy to just forget about it, and open your mouth to breathe and let a few drops fall in. Be mindful and keep your mouth closed.

People’s experiences with dry mouth.

I gathered a few dry fasters opinions and here are some of them – there’s 7 opinions:

Before I fall asleep, I use lightweight paper medical tape to keep my mouth shut and I find it helps with dry mouth

Just swish water around your mouth and keep on trucking! Not worth it to suffer through it.

Since you are soft dry fasting, maybe soak a cotton pad and put it on your lips for a minute or so? For the dry mouth, hold water in your mouth, maybe give it a swirl or gargle, then spit it out.

Don’t wet your mouth, the more you tempt yourself with water the more likely you’ll lose motivation

Turn off the heat in your room. Walk outside

If it’s a soft dry fast Ill crack an ice cube in half and let it melt a bit on my tongue then spit it out. I couldn’t think of anything else at the time but it helped a ton.

I brush and floss my teeth without water. Seems to help me.

Filonov’s view on dry mouth

All of my patients who have tried to rinse their mouth with water say that they felt much better at first, but then the dry mouth sensation intensified several times so that it became almost impossible to continue fasting. Just like with salt enemas, there’s no cleansing effect, but thirst is triggered, making it almost impossible to undergo a full therapeutic dry fasting treatment course.

My personal experience with dry mouth

Dry mouth sucks, and it can be scary. When I first started getting dry mouth I was persuaded that it meant that my kidneys were getting damaged. There’s no doubt that it’s a scary feeling and your mind will jump to conclusions to try to get you to drink some water.

Since doing more and more dry fasts though, I’ve been able to push the dry mouth stage further and further, meaning that my body got more and more adapted to it. This could mean that my body became better at water conservation and that the hormones and regulatory mechanisms became a little more relaxed as opposed to firing off too quickly.

Similar to intense hunger cravings for people who have never fasted before. Skipping a few meals would have the body’s alarm bells ringing. We know this is overcompensation and a natural evolutionary defense mechanism. However, we have the ability to put mind over matter and create controlled stress on the body to force hormesis.

📚

Dry fasting is not easy. You are embarking on a journey for your health. Whether it be weight loss or healing and fixing your body. Don’t forget to keep a journal to keep track of your progress and to be able to refer to when trying to find patterns and improvements.

Summary

To summarize everything. Dry mouth is a condition that will affect you as long as you continue pushing for longer dry fasts. It can strike at different times, depending on your fasting tolerance, body adaptability, level of health, and diet leading up to the fast.

Beware rinsing your mouth with water

This is something most dry fasters have tried at least once, and it is very common to hear that it messes with your continuation of the fast. It seems that putting water in either your mouth or through enemas can make your fast unbearable. It disrupts the bodys water conservation attempts. It tricks the body that you may be getting water soon.

There are a few tips that help with dry mouth by making it occur deeper into your fast

Eat a proper keto diet with very digestible foods before the fast.
Cover your mouth and breathe through your nose as much as possible.
Grow your dry fasting muscle through fasting experience.
Hydrate very thoroughly the day before.
Don’t expect to avoid dry mouth, and be ready for it.
Don’t let it convince you that you need to end the fast, unless you start getting tons of other side effects.

💡

If you want to play it safe, end it early, and try again after refeeding correctly, you may notice that the dry mouth comes at a later time.

A few words at the end

Well, we’re near the end of the episode. As always, references are in the show notes. If I’ve convinced you to try a day or two of dry fasting, maybe I’ve saved you some money on groceries or some bottled water.

If you would like to support this podcast and my work at exploring dry fasting topics, I have a link in the show notes where you can donate and buy me a coffee. You’ll also get access to a private server for members. Leaving a thumbs up and a comment goes a long way. If you’d like to give me any ideas on how to improve the show, or any comments, in particular, I’d love to hear from you. Please send me an email to yannick@dryfastingclub.com

That’s it for this episode. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for listening, make sure you join our discord, telegram, or facebook group. Thank you and good luck on your dry fasting journey!