Does keto flu re-occur?

(John Black) #1

Most resources I have found on the web say that keto flu occurs when you start out on keto. However on the reddit keto forum it states it can re-occur.

I’ve been pretty steady at less than 60g of carb per day for around 6 months now. I’m not sure whether I am in ketosis or not, but I seem to experience keto flu-like symptoms every so often - around every 1-2 months.

I am careful with my electrolytes, extra magnesium and a sports electrolyte supplement on days when I exercise a lot.

Do others experience multiple keto flus even though carb intake is low and stable?

Cheers John

#2

Hi! I am sure that with 60g of carbs per day, I wouldn’t even get into ketosis, much less have a keto flu. I have to eat around 20g of carbs/day to get into ketosis.

(Allie) #3

Keto flu is an electrolyte imbalance that reoccurs whenever the imbalance occurs, however, unless you’re insanely active with intense sports, you’re not likely to be in ketosis at 60g a day.

#4

what might be re-occurring is your body dumping toxins and releasing that into you and it has to handle it, and many can easily feel tired, icky and all that stuff.

so if one ‘picks a carb limit’ and holds it, yea you could be experiencing just ‘different times your body’ is adapting thru the changes you did make.

I was extreme low carb for like a year easily…then I walked into carnivore for like 7-8 months and felt fab.

boom…like 2-3 weeks I was so tired I could not move a muscle. I got brain foggy again, sleep went off and all. I had no clue??? I was so FINE and then down I went.

I held plan firm. I slept naps all I could. I just powered thru it all and woke up one morning in fine shape. No clue why any of that went down at all…so???

take what ya can from my post LOL and I think you hold your eating great as you are…work thru the ‘down crazy times you can’t quite put into a known category’ and be sure to eat clean and well.

I think you will find you sweet spot of it all soon. I think it is adaption, body healing doing its’ thing……………as long as you ain’t eating binge days of crap and then re-starting again and things we just don’t know from your post?

the ‘pretty steady’ at less than 60 per day…what are the real fluctuations of that and the real menu behind that, we don’t know so…

and if you exercise truly a lot…you might not be getting enough protein, the body has to take time to repair and heal muscle etc…another so in there LOL but you know you and hope all things come together for ya!

(Davy) #5

John, how much weight have you lost during this 6 months?

#6

I never had keto flu. The type caused by lack of electrolytes is avoidable if you consume enough of them (or if you are lucky like I was. I never needed anywhere close to the recommended sodium intake). I’ve read different definitions of keto flu but the sudden depravement of carbs doesn’t happen in your case as you do low-carb since long.
Most of us wouldn’t be in ketosis at 60g but maybe you are, maybe go in and out sometimes… But you still shouldn’t have keto flu. It’s quite possible you have electrolyte problems. You may need to supplement sodium even when you aren’t very active or more when you are… Not everyone does, it has an individual factor but if you feel dizzyness and other known symptoms, it’s easy to try adding sodium…

(Full Metal KETO AF) #7

I think at 60g of carbs daily you have one foot in the door, maybe. So ongoing carb withdrawal and as @Shortstuff said probably an electrolyte deficiency too. Go all in keeping carbs as low as possible and increasing salt and I would put down $$$ that you’ll feel better in a few days if not sooner. You don’t need the carbohydrates at all. The more you play around on the border the longer fat adaptation will take. You’re in carb purgatory is my guess. :cowboy_hat_face:

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #8

@JBNZ Low carb is better than not. If you’re metabolically healthy, not overweight, not insulin resistant, not prediabetic and/or T2D, have little/no arterial calcification - it might suffice. Ketosis, on the other hand, comes with a lot of additional health benefits that don’t come otherwise.

Some of us on this forum came to keto for the health benefits. I personally came to keto after watching family members lose health on SAD all their lives. I want to live my life to the end. If that means learning to like/love the world of fat and protein, great. I can do it. :slightly_smiling_face:

#9

Doesn’t need to. It can occur when you start keto, because the body releases stored glycogen when you go into ketosis. That glycogen has a lot of water bound to it, and that water gets released. It’s why some people can lose (water) weight quickly early on. However, sometimes that water can flush out electrolytes as well, leaving an electrolyte imbalance – the keto flu.

Absolutely. Most people on keto are eating a lot fewer processed foods. Those processed foods have a lot of additions to them (i.e. “fortified with xxx minerals and vitamins”), as well as a lot of sodium, mainly as a preservative.

Sodium used to be a very valuable mineral, because people would die without it. They needed to add it to their diet. Ever hear of a “salt lick” for cattle?

The two things are irrelevant to each other.

When I feel myself getting a little lightheaded, or thinking a little foggy, or just feeling off, I either take a half-dose of my potassium supplement or have some chicken broth or egg drop soup with a good dose of salt. I usually feel better within a half hour or so.

(Susan) #10

Most of us here try for under 20 grams of carbs or less a day; so I am wondering if you have ever even been in Ketosis, you eat tons of carbs, so I don’t see how you can be?

#11

60g isn’t too much for everyone. 20g is low enough for most people but it doesn’t mean we can’t be in ketosis eating way more (net) carbs. Our personal ketosis carb limit vary (and depends on activity too). I am fine at 40g but 60g is much for me. But others are fine even there. And it’s quite possible that someone eating only 60g net carbs gets into ketosis now and then, not all the time but a very low-carb dinner, a very long time without eating because breakfast isn’t their thing and bam! Ketosis. It’s possible as far as I know, even with breakfast but it has better chances without it.