Cramps, bathroom issues

(Rachel Lasky) #1

I’ve been off and on keto for 5-6 years. Sometimes strict, sometimes dirty. Sometimes not at all. I feel better when I am keto, intermittent fast when I feel like it and makes my job easier, and it just makes soo much sense! Ideally I’d like to lose weight but really, just feeling better and clearer is a huge win.

My husband and I are on a roll again. Been 30 days dirty. But mostly the entire time I’ve had diarrhea or mild form almost every day since we started counting how many days. I tried to be careful with the supplements because I know it can be problematic for that. I take magnesium every night but still twitchy muscles. So I upped it from 200 to 400 after listening/reading stuff. Didn’t help my muscles, so I’m back to 200. I added lowest amount of potassium (99) being careful knowing that potassium supplements can be dangerous.

And now I’ve had enough. I woke up with a cramp in my toes. Not a bad one, but enough to frustrate me because I take supplements every night, and have blowouts almost everyday. I need help. I keep fasting drops at work. I don’t eat in the morning because I hate using work bathrooms during the day. I’m a teacher but my students are after school(online, compounded with I’m a special learning center) and I hate having these bathroom issues at school! So I don’t eat meals until I’m home to lessen the bathroom issues. My muscles are still twitchy. I know that your body takes time to adapt again… but 30 days of basically peeing out of your butt?! Which then depletes you of water, nutrients, electrolytes and then rinse repeat!!!

I have tried to search for this stuff and I just haven’t stumbled upon someone with a month of this. Please help a teacher out.

Edit: Yeah I’ve had these issues then they go away just not this long before. I like to salt my food and eat salty things, but as advised I will focus on this more and see if that helps.

(Allie) #2

Salt… ?

(Rachel Lasky) #3

I salt my food. Much more than my husband. Salt for twitchy muscles or salt for bathroom?

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #4

Magnesium is tricky. Dr. Phinney recommends a slow-release tablet called Slo-Mag, which is available in the U.S. (don’t know about elsewhere). You can also absorb some from an Epsom salt bath. Might avoid some of the digestive problems, I don’t know.

I also find that excessive salt intake, while it doesn’t actually cause diarrhoea, does unpleasant things to my stools (I’ll spare you the details). Be sure you stay within the range of 10-15 grams of table salt a day, taking into account the amount of salt already present in your food.

(Allie) #5

Potentially it will affect both.

(Rachel Lasky) #6

Yes, I try to use epsom salt every time I have a bath(time man, time!). I haven’t found the slow-mag to help me much. I live Kaua’i so I often have to order that stuff now that GNC closed… no target or anything like that.

I notice a big difference when I do more salt. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced excessive salt but seriously, nothign would surprise me at this point.

(Rachel Lasky) #7

Yeah? Okay. I’ll focus more on that too.

(Rachel Lasky) #8

I couldn’t possibly be having too much salt with what I’ve been eating lately. But as per yours and Allie comments, I’ll monitor salt better.

(Bacon for the Win) #9

@Rachel_Lasky I get the same cramp every. damn. night. Starts in my left great toe every night, multiple times during the night, leaving me exhausted the next day. I take supplements, eat a whole food keto diet, mix in some IF & EF, and drink plenty of water. I also stay overnight at my son’s house to babysit one or two nights a week, and I never get cramps there.

I’d be interested in any solutions you find, other than staying at my son’s house more often!

#10

STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING. Real simple. Stop taking the Mg right away. See if that helps. How much water are you drinking? type of water? I also had disaster pants when I first supplemented with Mg. However, I stopped and the symptoms went away immediately. I gradually built up my intake. I also drink lots of mineral water. 2-3 litres per day. Unfortunately there still is not a clear reason why muscles cramp. Dysfunctional nerve firing that doesn’t let go. Good luck

(Edith) #11

Not all magnesium supplements are created equal. Some are more bioavailable than others. Magnesium oxide is the least bioavailable. Supposedly, ReMag is completely absorbed. Unfortunately, it is a foul tasting liquid. I take magnesium glycinate which is more absorbable than oxide or citrate.

Also, I get cramps when my sodium is too low. If I have been really remiss with the salt, it turns into all over muscle knots.

(Rachel Lasky) #12

It’s worse(cramps) when I stop the magnesium. I love mineral water. I try to drink it regularly but great excuse to get the hubby buy me more. Thanks!

Edit: I’m more terrified of the cramps than disaster pants.

(Rachel Lasky) #13

It’s infuriating right?!

(Rachel Lasky) #14

Yeah I re-read and update myself constantly over the past 6 years. I take glycinate. I took glycinate in the past when I get back on the wagon and never had this for this long. Thanks!

(Bacon for the Win) #15

@Rachel_Lasky I think my answer might just be more plain ‘ol water. I noticed I drank more water when at my son’s house so I drank more than usual when I got home yesterday. Made it through the night with no cramps. It’s hard to make sure I get enough when I’m home but that might be the answer for me.

#16

Probably what’s giving you the diarrhea, salt pulls water towards it, if that happens in the stomach/intestines only one way that ends! Combine that with fasting which by itself can have that effect for many that’s my guess. I’d stop the fasting and normalize salt intake.

(Jon) #17

I’m not noticing that anyone has explained that magnesium relaxes smooth muscles, ie is a mild diuretic. So upping your intake is probably not what you want to do.
In my house, we focus on IF with some EF for detox. My wife did super strict keto for over 2 years, and finally has decided to just go light on the carbs. She’s feeling great. We do supplements, like magnesium and daily multis.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #18

Oh, well. I kind of knew the solution wouldn’t be that easy. Good luck!

(Rachel Lasky) #19

Yes. I’m well aware of those details about magnesium. I took the same supplement off and on for the past 6 years when I was stricter keto during that time to help with my cramps and never had this problem.

Also why I take it at night to help me relax to sleep (teacher here… sleep is precious right now).

I haven’t upped my intake, I reduced it. I still have twitchy muscles which is a big worry for me. BUT if I don’t take it, like some people have told me to do… the cramps I get are so debilitating. I’m terrified of getting one of those cramps while I’m at work. I’ve had one while in a massage and luckily she was talented enough to help me through the cramp.

(Rachel Lasky) #20

I’m going to try and be more consistent with the water and sodium now though. Some people say not enough and others say too much so I’m just going to be better about paying attention. Thanks Paul :slight_smile: