Hi there Heidi, last night I too did my first flush. It took me a while in deliberation and preparation living here in china - Epsom salts are not available. Anyway Im looking for some support here as I went through a terrible ordeal last night and would like to know if anyone else has experienced the same thing and what I should do about it if I do another flush.

I followed the recipe just as said, and also drank apple juice for a couple of days before hand and mixed fresh grapefriut jiuce with the Epsom salts. About an hour after drinking the first dose of ES my belly started to swell and I started to get stomach cramps. These got increasingly worse and hit their peak about a couple of hours after my my second dose of olive oil. I looked pregnant i was so bloated and I was cramping for about 20 seconds every 10 seconds. The pain, almost unbearable.

The interesting thing is I was prone to this in the past since childhood until I started on the O diet a few years ago. I had been Vege for 15 years previously, living on Carbs and dairy and all the veg that are avoid for Os! Since being on the O diet I have had no more problems like that at all....I felt as if Id taken a massive step backwords.

Anyway I survived the night and in the morning decided to forget the Epsom salts. The nausea in the morning was pretty severe but to my great delight i passed a number of stones even without the extra dose of ES. So what does this all mean? Is sensitivety to ES something that should be paid attention too? And if I wanted to do a flush again, would I be able to do it without the ES?

I wouldnt discount the fact that the fruit juices may have had a hand there too, Im not very good with fruit and never drink apple jiuce or grapefruit jiuce normally these days. However i feel that it is more likely that the epsom salts where to blame, the reaction being so extreme after taking the first dose. Hearing from anyone else that may have experienced the same thing would be very helpful. Thanks for all your helpful info and support Colin Beijing, China

Hey there, Colin! I am truly sorry you had pain and bloating -- that's a terrible experience for you, and one I've never heard of before. I think I know why it happened... but read this & let me know if I've made some mistake in reading your post.

The first thing that leapt out at me was the ES mix you used.

Epsom salts are to be taken in water, not in grapefruit juice. The grapefruit juice goes with the olive oil. Have I understood you to say you took the ES in grapefruit juice?

So, it should have been 3 tablespoons of Epsom salts in 3 cups of water. 3/4 cup of the mixture is taken a total of 4 times over the 2 days -- timed as described in my earlier flush instructions post.

If you took 1 1/2 cups of grapefruit juice WITH the salts, I'm not surprised you had a severe gas reaction. It would 'fizz up,' kind of like pouring champagne into fruit puree. The ES/water is taken at 6 & 8 pm in my example, and the olive oil/grapefruit is taken 1 1/2 and two hours later, in two divided doses.

Colin, I can understand your reluctance to use ES again -- and it *is* optional -- and although you had a real trial using grapefruit instead of water with the ES, you did have a successful result in the flush by passing some stones! For the future, you have the choice of using ES in water, or not using it, it's really up to you. It does good service by relaxing the bile duct, and clearing out the bile-dump from the colon after the oil/grapefruit mix has done its work -- but the ES is optional.

You might try this experiment, if you're feeling well recovered: 1 teaspoon only of ES in one full cup of water. Mix WELL, mix it until no crystals remain at the bottom. Then take one gulp, and put it aside in the fridge. If you have any bloating at all, then it's certainly best not to use the ES. If you have no gas, you will have some evidence that the only problem was the use of fruit juice instead of water with the ES the first time.

Please do get back to me, dear -- and again, I'm sorry you had such a rough time! but congratulations on the results!! :-D

Happy New Year to you.

Things have been hectic since Christmas and I have missed your column for a couple of weeks. Also a bout of lethargy thanks to all that Christmas cheer, such a simple thing as turning on the computer seems to take such a big effort. Getting back on track now.

Anyway, I wanted to let you know how successful taking the pregnonolone in the morning is, 50mg. I have energy I haven't felt for years. I love it. The Maca Root has not kicked in though. I was on tablets then you said about powder so I bought that and was even taking 2 x 15ml spoons per day but I am back to 1 spoon now as it didn't make any difference. I have had a few sleepless nights as you said, but I think it was the full moon!

Have you any other suggestions? Glad to read about good results on the flush today, but I haven't tried it yet as I felt bowel movements are probably not right yet. Reading these good results though has given me some encouragement to focus more on it. Thanks Janet

Hello, Janet! That's wonderful news about your renewed energy -- give that pregnenolone time to work, you may see unexpected benefits there! Happy New Year to you as well, dear!

Well, the flush itself may resolve the constipation and a great deal more... hint, hint. Clearing the liver's way a bit with the flush will give it an easier time in its hormone-balancing act. ;-)

You've been doing well for some time, aside from the Holiday hiatus which most of us take in one form or another! so, I suggest going ahead with a flush, using the Epsom salts as described in my full description post to get things moving along and clear it all out. In preparation, you might take a small dose (a teaspoon in a cup of water) daily for the prior week. If it does well for you, then magnesium is what you've been needing more of generally (the greens & so forth as you & I spoke of before).

Let fly with questions as you go along, and I'll get you all the info you need to feel confident about it before starting the flush.

Bless you, and give the sea a wave for me! :-D