Greetings! I’ve been doing keto for 3 months. I can’t decide if I have electrolyte issues or just a back injury. Obvs I have a doc appointment but not for 2 weeks!. I don’t want to go off keto I’m finally not hungry all the time but I’m tired of supplementing electrolytes twice a day. I’d like to just get everything from food. I wasn’t supplementing electrolytes for like two months and then a week ago I got major leg cramps and tingly hands and feet! I have a sore back and I also happen to have a heavy toddler I pick up all the time. Is it the electrolyte issue? Or am I blaming every ache on the diet? I know no one can diagnose me but I just gotta vent. Maybe someone has experience? I don’t have any underlying health issues so this is just annoying. Thank you for reading. Watch this you tube guy tell us we don’t need electrolytes but I do. When does the supplementing end in this diet? Does it ever?
Electrolyte mess, help
So just supplement salt, most of us just do that. You should be using 10-15 grams of salt daily. Some use magnesium, I needed it to stop muscle cramping and restless limbs when I started keto 20 months ago but I stopped magnesium about 4 months ago. All I do is use liberal salt eating and if I get cramping of headaches a quick 3g. dose of salt fixes me in about 10 minutes.
That guy seems to be selling a lot of products…
I am new to Keto as well but have had issues in the past with over hydration and leg cramps. I run obstacle course races in Florida and Southern California in the summer when hydration is a must. I would hydrate in preparation for a race and inadvertently flush salts and minerals out of my body and then have the cramping problems at the race. As soon as I started using electrolyte supplements and additional salt this issue dissapeared. It’s just become routine for me to add electrolytes to my bottle of water every day and have no issues with cramping at all. Keto on and good luck!
Hello! I’m one of the ones who take magnesium supplements regularly. 
Your body may still be adapting to keto. I learned the hard way that I was very deficient in magnesium. Once you get your levels up, your body can probably do a fair job of keeping levels where they need to be with only a little supplementation if you are getting enough salt.
We don’t know what supplements you have been taking, nor how much.
I learned that Magnesium Oxide doesn’t absorb well and we are lucky if our bodies absorb 4% out of our gut. I started using Magnesium BIsglycinate or Glycinate (without Mag. Oxide) and that fixed my problem. Personally I still make sure I get up to 600 mg daily through food and supplements. (I’m 5’3" and 212 lbs.) Magnesium is the one electrolyte that is difficult to get enough of from food.
Your symptoms may indeed be unrelated to electrolytes. But it’s difficult to know without playing around with them a bit while you wait to see your doctor. Magnesium helps our muscles relax and is very important for your heart.
Thank you! I do indeed take magnesium as I started that before I started Keto.
I think my symptoms are unrelated to the diet. I got bloodwork sons I’ll update! Cheers!