Fainting?

(purezion ) #1

Hello! I have a question about an near-fainting issue that I now realize is potentially keto related. I was keto a year ago, for about 6 months. I went Paleo for another 6 months and I have been back on keto for 3 weeks now. Since I had remained low carb, the transition was quick and easy. However, I have been feeling very faint between meals. It dawned on me that the last time this would happen, was when I was last on keto!

Back then, I was always checking my blood sugars and they were normal. The symptoms have returned. They are near-fainting, and sometimes it presents as jittery anxiety with heart palpitations. Sounds like low blood sugar, right? Whenever I feel this way, my sugars are never low. I only feel this way when I am hungry (sudden onset). Today, it happened about 4 hours after any food, and my glucose was 115.

I am not diabetic and am otherwise healthy. The only thing that makes these symptoms go away is to eat protein. Any suggestions of what this could be would be appreciated. I had bloodwork about 6 months ago and it was normal, slightly anemic. I eat 15-1600 calories a day (5ā€™5ā€ 160lbs) and follow my keto macros strictly. I love being on keto, but these fainting issues make me scared to start fasting. Thanks

(Keto Koala šŸØ) #2

I have no answers for you but Iā€™m replying cos I have the exact same problem. Iā€™m not diabetic either and I cop fainting spells and heart palpitations too. Iā€™m anemic too, always have been and have low blood pressure. Iā€™ve only been KETO two months though since January the 1st. Do you eat enough?? Cos I probably donā€™t. I honestly try but I get full very quickly since being in ketosis. My biggest amount of calories has been 1600 and to me thatā€™s a lot. My smallest amount has been 300 calories :roll_eyes:. On average I eat about 700 calories. I know thatā€™s not enough. So maybe Thats why I get dizzy. I was carnivore for nearly two months but yesterday I decided to go to keto again. Hopefully we can both get answers. Dizziness sucks. Also sometimes my eye vision goes blurry. I am OMAD and if I am slack and go more than 24 hours without food I get the weird vision. Do you drink plenty of water and have plenty of salt with your meals?? I was guided towards pink Himalayan salt. Itā€™s great. I hope your dizziness stops.:heart::heart::heart:

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #3

Might be low blood pressure. Have you checked? I have had ā€˜low normalā€™ BP all my life and I often get so-called light-headed, even just standing up sometimes. For me, at least, this has nothing to do with blood sugar or keto, although it might be a symptom of low sodium. Sodium is one of the regulators of blood pressure, which is why doctors tell folks with high BP to reduce sodium intake. The keto connection is that with little to no glucose and/or glycogen storing water we often pee a lot and excrete more sodium than non-keto people and may need to supplement sodium. You might try that to see if it helps. Maybe just putting more sodium salt on your foods might help.

('Jackie P') #4

I am agreeing with @amwassil. Keto causes a massive water loss in the initial stages, this comes from glycogen stores, inflammation and reduced insulin levels. This is why most people with hypertension, me included, come of their BP meds.
Eat more salt and stand up slowly.

(purezion ) #5

Oohhh low blood pressure could make sense. Many light bulbs are going off for me. I have always had ā€œexcellent blood pressureā€. However, I do recall a year ago when I was on keto, my blood pressure was labeled ā€œlowā€ for the first time ever. I will start monitoring this and will increase my 40,000 volts electrolytes. Thanks everyone!

(Bunny) #6

I experienced the exact same thing your talking about, and hear it all the time on the forum.

Your gut microbiome is starving to death (the real cause), my only solution to this was increasing carbohydrates and taking very small amounts of resistant starch occasionally is what cleared up the problem for me.

That is how your gut microbiome communicates with you, is through the heart palps and jittery like your going to pass out feeling with no other medically valid explanation? Your 1% human and 99% microbiome.

I went to an ER twice about this and they could find nothing wrong with me?

Sometimes it can be a throat or ear infection (with no pain at all) with similar symptoms.

(Hyperbole- best thing in the universe!) #7

salt

(Jeff S) #8

FWIW, after being on keto for several months my wife and I took a vacation, with a very early flight and then a very short layover to the next flight. I do IF so had not eaten anything, and didnā€™t drink much water, so I think I was dehydrated. Shortly after take-off of the second leg I got sweaty, nauseous, felt the world closing in, and then passed out. Having been a regular blood donor I recognized the low BP symptoms, so I was more careful on the way home.

(Full Metal KETO AF) #9

Sounds like sodium and probably magnesium deficiency. Search ketoaid here if you like salty drinks. :cowboy_hat_face:

(Bunny) #10

Also beware but highly unlikely on a ketogenic diet:

ā€ā€¦A harmful concentration of magnesium, sodium, potassium, or calcium can produce one or more of the following symptoms:

  • irregular heartbeat
  • weakness
  • bone disorders
  • twitching
  • changes in blood pressure
  • confusion
  • seizures
  • numbness
  • nervous system disorders
  • excessive tiredness
  • convulsions
  • muscle spasm

A calcium excess can also occur, especially in those with breast cancer, lung cancer, and multiple myeloma. This type of excess is often caused by from the destruction of bone tissue. ā€¦ā€ ā€¦More

(purezion ) #11

Thanks for the help everyone, I took my blood pressure during one of these episodes and it was 79/51. Yup, pretty low. This has been an issue for me for years even before keto. So I really appreciate you guys!

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #12

Yep, electrolytes and hydration should do the trick. Obviously, if hypotension has been a problem for you, you donā€™t have to worry about blood-pressure medications! But people on medication to lower their blood pressure often need to have the dosage lowered or the medication stopped when they start a ketogenic diet.