Can medications throw you out of ketosis?

#1

So I’m a migraineur and started keto as suggested in Dr Stanford’s book on how to prevent migraines naturally. I’m only a month into ketosis and i stick to it religiously, no cheating! I had a week of headaches at the start which could have been the keto flu, then a couple of mild ones which I managed with salt ( and triptans when it’s gone too far). Now I have noticed that the morning after I take rizatriptan (maxalt melt) my ketone level is at the trace level ( I use the urinalysis sticks). I’m thinking has anyone else noticed this, any fellow migraineurs? And can medications really affect your ketone levels? Any thoughts welcome

(Allie) #2

There are numerous things that affect ketone levels, medications are one of them, monthly cycles another, illness (like the flu I just had) another. Also what you eat, your activity level, stress, sleep (or lack of) will all have an impact, not to mention your level of keto adaptation as generally higher adaptation leads to lower ketone readings.

Don’t let it worry you, just carry on doing what you’re doing.

(Alex ) #3

I get migraines pretty bad, although at the moment they are reasonably subsided.

I was taking amitriptyline last year / year before for migraines, and whilst I dont think it actively affected me from a keto perspective - it definitely caused a lot of weight loss stalls.

There a tons of meds that throw you out due to flavourings though - just as an example, I noticed the Codeine/Paracetamol effervescent tablets I have contain Sorbitol yesterday, thats a sugar alcohol sweetener with a reasonable GI effect.

Lots of pain medication can cause constipation too, although again not really keto related.

So many filler ingredients with pharma products, definitely a grey area.

#4

I thought rhings might affect the balance, but didn’t realise how many things do, thanks for your response, I’ll keep a close eye on different triggers from now on :+1:

#5

Thanks for your answer, migraines are awful, do you think yours subsided thanks to keto?
You’re right about the grey area in the medications domain and I couldn’t find the nutritional info on maxalt anywhere by googling, is there another way to find out?

(Alex ) #6

I think at the moment, keto living is definitely keeping quite a few niggly ailments away, my migraines peaked a couple of years ago when I was still VERY heavy, drinking a lot, and was having a really tough time with life.

My paracetamol and ibuprofen use had become chronic, I wasn’t wearing my glasses properly, it was getting crazy - my GP had me in for eye tests and subsequent MRI scans VERY quickly. all clear though, bar me needing to get some decent glasses for close up use.

Mine were more situationally charged, once the stress in my life had died off, so did the headaches, and thankfully I could throw the tablets away. Definitely wasnt happy with the idea of being on an old school antidepressant medication for headaches! AND they made me feel like crap, although they did stop the headaches.

(Mike W.) #7

Just curious how the flu would affect them? I recently got over a bout myself, and although I didn’t test my cravings for crap was HIGH.

(Allie) #8

Really don’t know the science @MiKetoAF but tested here and there while I was sick and levels were strangely high, even after eating a whole tub of Halo Top (trying to freeze my throat to ease the pain and coughing) I tested at 1.8mmol. Makes no sense to me.

(Mike W.) #9

Oh wow! So they were actually higher?! I would have guessed they dropped. Maybe our body uses ketones in the repair and rebuilding process? Interesting indeed.

(Allie) #10

Massively higher yes. Normally when I have Halo Top my levels go right down to 0.1 or 0.2 so this was a real surprise but I have no way of explaining it.