Dizzy

(Erik) #1

Hi.

I’ve been on keto now since August and it’s going well. I’m down about 18 kg, it’s about 1.2 kg average on a week basis.

I have a problem though with getting dizzy when I stand up sometimes.

It’s worst on the evenings and after gym, I lift pretty heavy weights, but when I’m in the sauna or jacuzzi afterwards I can get pretty dizzy when standing up.

I’m trying to compensate with electrolytes, on the morning I east potassium (100mg), magnesium (250 mg), sodium (200 mg).

When I workout I drink some extra electrolytes, lmnt, 1000 mg sodium, 200 mg potassium, 60 mg magnesium.

And sometimes I get another round of my morning electrolytes in the afternoon.

You guys think it’s still to little?

I tend to eat one or two meals per day, if two it’s one at about 13.00 and the second around 17.00. if one I eat around 17.00.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #2

This is called “postural hypotension,” and sometimes it is caused by lack of salt, but sometimes not. Make sure that your sodium intake is in the range of 4-6 g/day (including that already present in food), which is 10-15 g/day of table salt. Also be sure to drink to thirst. Don’t let yourself be over- or under-hydrated.

This may or may not help the problem, but it is a good place to start. Getting your salt right won’t hurt you, and if it doesn’t resolve the postural hypotension, then the next step is to talk to your physician.

#3

Paul gave great advice. Plus might I add, get up SLOWLY :slight_smile: Sometimes we truly move so fast. I do that :slight_smile: I learned to just take a minute, let the body catch up to what you were doing, give it that moment to recover and reacclimate ya know. So many of us move so fast thru our days at warp speed, sometimes a few minutes to just breathe, reset, especially after a bigger physical exertion isn’t a bad idea ever :slight_smile: Sauna and jazz. plus heat means take it slow cause that is super stressful on the body anyway, while we get benefits we can be stressing ourselves out also at that same time.

(Edith) #4

Just to add to what @PaulL said… The 10-15 grams of salt is a little over 2 teaspoons. I need a lot of salt on keto and carnivore. I measure out two teaspoons every morning and put it in a little container. I make sure I use up my container by the end of the day.

The symptoms I get when my sodium is too low include muscle cramps, heart palpitations, and the postural hypotension - which is because my blood pressure drops pretty low when my sodium is low.

(Erik) #5

Cheers for the response.

So it is as I suspected, more salt and water. I will try to push in more in my diet and see how it works. (And maybe try to stand up slowly :slight_smile:)

Yeah, I guess sauna and jacuzzi will dehydrate and stress the body. I guess in my case it’s lack of salt.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #6

Most countries recommend a level of salt intake that is insufficient, according to the latest research. The U.S. recommendation is particularly low, dangerously so.

#7

Do you have low blood pressure? That would fit with it happening at the gym and after the sauna. If you’re lifting heavy once you’ve got a real good pump going you’re holding a lot of blood in your muscles, and when you’re in the Sauna for a while after the initial rise in blood pressure from the heat burst, everything relaxes which then lowers your BP more. That would be a prime time to feel it the most.

(Marianne) #8

Wow - surprising. For all these years, we’ve been led to believe that salt is so bad.

#9

To be fair, it is if you’re eating the diet they recommend. Which is clearly a problem by itself.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #10

Most low blood pressure is not salt-sensitive. Only a very small number of cases are.

#11

Yup, this is something you should research. The guidelines only make sense for those highly sensitive to salt and even then it doesn’t negatively affect blood pressure as materially as metabolic syndrome does.