Hi all,

Long time lurker, first time poster. Took minoxidil for 3 weeks in 2021 and applied it on cheeks, and have gotten bad symptoms we all are familiar with. I've been inspired by the positivity on this forum and the desire to get better.

I have been on the strict protocol for the last 7 months and it has really improved me from the hell my life was. About a month ago I decided to try out UH cycle since I've gotten to a confident, stable place in my recovery, I still have symptoms like ED but they are becoming manageable and less prominent.

I started having digestion problems a month ago, like it would take a long time to digest food and I would always feel bloated. It started after taking some bad protein powder, I have discovered that drinking milk for me would lead to similar digestion problems. It is manageable as I'm still able to maintain my life but it makes pfs symptoms more prominent and setting me back.

As I started my UH cycle, the first week of it I felt on top and really good. But this food poisoning is really messing me up, and I don't feel like I can get all the benefits of ultrahard because of it.

I want to do a couple day water fast as that should help me in recovering my gut. My question is do I need to pause my cycle for a couple days for that or it's okay to be on it when doing a fast?

I have already thrown away that bad protein powder and the milk I was drinking as I've identified the cause of the problem.

I would appreciate any ideas or assistance on dealing with gut problems on the protocol. Thank you.