I’ve googled all around the inter webs but I can’t find anyone talking about getting flu-like symptoms cycling OUT of ketosis. I find lots on keto-flu when starting to cut carbs but not on when you add a few back in.
I’ve been in regular ketosis for about a month, but had a bite of some homemade pumpkin bars (sugar and flour) that my son made on thanksgiving and a tiny serving of sausage stuffing (made traditionally with bread) No other cheats in a month.
The next day I felt awful!! Body aches, intense weakness, headache, nausea. I thought it was good poisoning but the next day I was fine. I believe this is the third time this has happened to me in coming out of ketosis. But I’m not sure if this is coincidence??
I’m not sure if I should give up keto or just never ever cheat again EVER. Has anyone been on keto permanently? I have no specific health reasons for doing this except I feel amazing in ketosis (more energy, less brain fog, no cravings, smaller belly, and I don’t bonk on my long runs (5-8 miles nothing crazy)
Anyone wanna weigh in on this? (No pun intended)
Flu symptoms going OUT of ketosis? Anyone?
Yes! This happened to me the three times I ate carbs. Once was peanut butter cups on Halloween, the other on peanuts and today I had what I think was my first migraine and I was crying and desperate and spotted an apple and had a few bites (I hate apples anyway).
All three times I got aches and extremely tired. I think my body was basically telling me I was poisoning it and teaching me a lesson.
Have you tried less sugary carby things with the same effect? Or without gluten?
I don’t think I was kicked out of ketosis, or that it is a result of that, I think it’s some inflammatory response in my body.
No, but that’s a good idea! Although I’ve only been doing keto the past few months, Ive been paleo/primal for years and almost never eat refined sugar. Maybe sugar and grain are just not tolerated by my system anymore. Maybe if I want to “cheat” I should eat an apple or sweet potato…but why?? I mean that’s not even a real cheat!! Might as well stay keto!
Anyway, thanks for your response! I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who has violent reactions to sugar/carby foods!
Right!? It’s such a bummer, I know! But hey, you could enjoy researching and making keto treats which won’t be as bad and might hit the spot when you want to indulge.
Could be what’s going on with me. I decided to have an intentionally higher-carb meal yesterday - oat bran and wheat bran hot cereal - net carbs around 17 for the serving. I felt fine yesterday and didn’t really have much else with carbs during the day. Today I have just felt exhausted most of the day and have a headache, which I very rarely get.
Take it as a sign from your body and the keto gods. Much of what we ate before keto caused inflammation and lots of other negative stuff… then we stopped eating poison and our bodies started to heal and became used to the new normal. Then when some of us go back to eating all the things that we weened ourselves off of, the body has forgotten how to deal with them and reacts very negatively. The effect isn’t the same for everyone. Some can handle it, some get a little bloated and some feel like they got hit by a truck.
You are fortunate you didn’t have to deal with cravings like @kaclp did:
I believe this is what is happening to me. I’ve been traveling for 9 days and have had a really hard time finding keto friendly meals and snacks at my location.
I drank one beer one night and woke up in the middle of the night feeling terrible. I think I’ve had just too much carb overload and need to start a reset detox tomorrow morning from home.
Best of luck to you
I think @MRC may be onto something. Carbs are not created equal. Refined sugar causes symptomatic BG spikes and crashes. Many folks have problems with grains, dairy, and eggs, ingredients typically found in deserts.
Personally, I don’t my body to become carb resistant from long term carb restriction. I want to be metabolically flexible, able to switch seemlessly between using glucose or fatty acids as fuel. I hope that I’m achieving this by testing and eating to the limit of (not under) my carb threshold. I typically do this with high carb veggies (like pumpkin, sweet potato, plantains, peas, green beans) and nutrient dense fruits. I feel fine eating this way, even if I over do it sometimes. The only time I’ve ever felt like crap, is when I’ve eaten a lot of crap.
@Sherpamom you’re not alone! I’ve only been on keto for a month but I had a similar experience.
I’ve been struggling with inflammation for years (joints, soft tissues, even blood vessels weird as that is) and my response to too many carbs was definitely inflammatory yesterday. I’m still dealing with it today. But now I know how to control my inflammation permanently. Hopefully you start feeling better!
Yes! I made keto pumpkin cheesecake for thanksgiving too! I REALLY didn’t have to cheat. I think I felt bad cuz my son actually made something!! I wanted to show my encouragement!
I understand. I ate a piece of my mom’s apple pie and felt so sneaky but as I was eating it I thought, this isn’t even that good anymore. But she made it, and I was thankful for her efforts. Thankfully there aren’t many sit down binge holidays.
I definitely think I have a sugar sensitivity but I’ve never reacted like this before! It’s interesting that you started having this reaction to wheat at age 45. I’m 49 and I certainly don’t feel great on any grains, but I enjoyed pizza in Sept (I was in Chicago I HAD to!) without problems…that I can remember.
I think I’m realizing I need to keep better records!
But this is all good food for thought!
I think I’m also realizing that I could’ve had these intense reactions to food and blamed them all on alcohol (hangover is what it felt like) I completely stopped drinking 6 weeks ago. I wonder if these food sensitivities were just being masked!
Anyway thanks for your help!!
That would be a good test for me to try eating high carb veggies. I highly doubt I’d get sick from a sweet potato! I really want to be metabolically flexible too, I’m not sure if restricting carbs long term is sustainable…but I feel soooo good when I’m testing positive for ketones!! I’m out of ketosis right now but eating paleo and I’m still exhausted and sluggish.
Amazing! That you got some support from the keto gods! That sandwich sounds yummy!!
I also have felt terrible if I don’t eat ENOUGH on keto! I learned early on that if I don’t force myself to eat regularly even when I’m not hungry (cuz I’m never hungry on keto) I will have flu-like symptoms the next day and be kicked out if ketosis. It’s really weird!
I do the intermittent fasting so I’m not eating totally regularly but regular during my 6-8 hr window.
It’s frustrating cuz I’m on keto to feel good and usually I do but it seems like one false move in this diet and you are hosed!! I don’t know if it’s worth it! If I don’t do keto I would switch back to paleo not the SAD. It’s eating the same just less carb restriction.
Interesting! I wonder!
It’s definitely like that for me and my symptoms are always the next day not right after.
I am feeling somewhat better now in the evening, but for the life of me it felt like I was back in week 1 “keto flu” most of today
It could be from several other causes, but the timing of my higher-carb meal combined with your experience makes me think it’s related. Next time I do one of those experiments, I think I will do it on a Friday so I have a weekend to suffer.
So hard to travel and stay on any diet!
Have you seen those books and posts about keto choices at all the fast food restaurant chains? There are keto options at all of them. But you might not even have those chains where you are or might be having to eat fancy dinners out at Italian restaurants! Idk. Regardless it’s hard to travel!
So thus far you’ve had one or two bad days while doing keto? And how many good ones? If you feel amazing I think it’s worth the effort. Learning about your body and its limits is just part of the journey. As long as it’s consistent you should have the knowledge to avoid future bad days… at least for the same reasons.
A neurologist once told me that beer is one of the most highly reactive and allergenic drinks known. The hops and barley alone can be a mess not to mention the alcohol and the carbs. He said people, however, who get sick after a night of imbibing always seem to want to blame it on something they ate.
You should listen to your body. 
Seriously, I can’t believe how easy it is to identify certain foods that negatively affect our body.
When you go long enough feeling great, and then you eat that one thing you think is going to taste so good…
no thankyou, I’d rather go back to feeling great.
An apple, huh? But I thought fruit, in moderation, was a good thing. 
(Too soon?)