By William Weir, The Hartford Courant
Michael Drescher, a physician with Hartford Hospital, has found a kosher solution for headaches caused by Yom Kippur’s 25-hour fast.
In time for Yom Kippur today, the results of his study were published this week in “Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain.”
Unfortunately for U.S. observers, the FDA hasn’t signed off on it.
Why fasting causes headaches is unknown, but researchers believe possible causes include dehydration and withdrawal from caffeine.
“If you fast for 25 hours, it’s not uncommon for people to suffer,” Drescher says, adding that headaches often set in around the 16th hour.
Drescher, who divides his time between Connecticut and Israel, has been trying to find a solution for a while.
A few years ago, he studied the use of the drug Vioxx for treating Yom Kippur headache (the term has been used in medical journal articles). Because the medicine’s effects last for more than 25 hours, observers can take a dose before the fast begins.
It worked “extremely well” on subjects, he says, but the drug was taken off the market shortly after that due to its cadiovascular effects. So he tried again, this time with the drug Etoricoxib, a close relation to Vioxx.
It also worked well: Those who took it had fewer and milder headaches than those who took placebos.
I am a Baal Tefila and do not feel serous pains as some of the complainers do.If you eat righ before fast and think about the Importance of Yom Kipur your head will not hurt as much. Don’t think about food. Also a short nap on Yom Kipur won’t hurt. good Luck
Sometimes there is nothing you can but close your eyes and relax for a few minutes.
like B-complex, multi-vitamin/mineral, vitamin C, spirulina
both contain electrolytes, and make the fast much easier.
pedialyte also comes in ice pops.
its a fast! Just fast and suffer a bit. Its a serious day and u shoudnt be worrying about “is ny dose working? Maybe after yom tov ill calll the pharmacy and tell them it isnt so strong….” just CHILL!!!
Apple Drugs sale a suppository called Acetaminophen (Tylenol) 500MG with Caffeine 100MG, it’s amazing!! take in the morning and feel great the whole day. I LOVE the produced and suffer terrible Migraines before discovering the suppository. Highly recommended
Aleve (Naproxen) before the fast worked for me, its effect lasts a pretty long time.
i went off coffee almost a year ago, and i no longer have headaches when i fast. in fact, when i wake on a regular morning, i can begin my day refreshed without needing the coffee fix.
just fasting like normal people, and eating after the fast
two tylenols right before the fast with a light coffee…keeps the caffeine headache away wonderfully.
Advil with full glass of water works wonders!
how about headaches before yom kippur?