Been having abdominal pain for a week

#1

Hello!

My first post here… is to seek help on my abdominal pains

Been on keto diet since 04/02. The first week went pretty well, but starting from last Wednesday I’m feeling pain right in the middle of my upper belly after meals. The pain would last for hours.

Done a ton of research. Tried eliminating certain food but seems like I’m not intolerant to any particular food in my current diet. Not taking MCT oil, either. I’m in my mid-20s, pretty healthy, and didn’t have any health issues with my GI, liver, gallbladder or pancreas in the past.

I tried drinking water with Himalayan salt and cream of tartar this past few days, also taking Calcium, Magnesium and Zinc supplements. Felt okay after breakfast this morning, but the pain hit badly after lunch. It has turned into a pattern where the pain would occur around 2 in the afternoon and last until I go to bed. But the next morning I’ll feel no pain.

I eat very regular meals every day - breakfast 8:30am, lunch 12:30pm, and dinner at 5:30pm. I’ve been eating like this even before I do keto.

Anyone experienced similar episodes of belly pains?

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #2

Eliminate cream of tartar to see if that helps. If you think you need to supplement potassium (why?), try French’s No Salt instead.

#3

That sounds massive. I would see a doctor for a check up. You could try to stop keto and see if the pain goes away, to narrow it down a bit. But is it more like a burning pain or more like a digestive, intestinal one? I am thinking along the lines of too much acid because you say “upper” belly. But even that should not be a result of keto. Honestly- if I had that kind of pain from noon till evening I would run to see a doctor!

#4

I can’t really tell between the two…I planned to make a doctor appointment today but I’m having less pain today. I’ll see how it develops tomorrow.

#5

Updates:

Ordered OTC digestive enzymes and ACV online, arrived today. I took digestive enzymes with every meal today. No sharp pain but slight discomfort in the afternoon. Just had my dinner and I added two tbsp of ACV to my water.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #6

You should probably consult your physician about this. The kind of pain you describe is not normal, and most likely has nothing to do with eating a ketogenic diet.

A couple of decades ago, I experienced random unexplained episodes of abdominal pain, heartburn, and nausea. About nine or ten months after the onset of these symptoms, I had an episode of excruciating pain, requiring a visit to the hospital. The problem turned out to be appendicitis, which no one had considered earlier because I was too old to fit the normal diagnostic profile. The surgeon told me later that he operated on intuition and was glad he did, because the appendix burst in his hand, just after he had gotten it out of my body. The moral of the story: don’t mess around; seek professional help.

(Canadian Beauty) #7

Upper abdomen is your stomach. ACV gives me stomach pain as it is so acidic. Higher fat meals/foods also tend to give me stomach pains. I monitor how much fat I take in at every meal and also if I want I take ACV pills instead. A change of diet can wreak havoc on your stomach.

#8

Thank you for all the advices. I’m getting better today.

Had breakfast this morning and felt okay until lunch. Had 567 Calories for lunch, 67% fat,15% protein, 18% carbs. My stomach doesn’t hurt this time but I got slight discomfort in lower abdomen a couple of hours after eating…Took digestive enzymes with both meals.

I made several changes to my routine, not sure which one is actually working. One thing is that I switch to a 13-hour fast instead of 15-9, giving myself more time to digest between meals during the eating window.

At this point I suspect it’s indigestion but I’ll see what my physician says…have to wait a few more days before my appointment though. Shall I lower my fat intake in the next few days? I did more research on getting off keto. I don’t think jumping back to a ‘normal’ diet is a good idea, at least I should switch gradually.