Getting sick - not keto flu

(Jessica ) #1

I am 10 weeks into Keto and have never cheated! Two weeks ago I ended having really bad anxiety and threw up at work, left work and as soon as I got home I had diarrhea. Then that was it. Didn’t happen anymore that day. I chalked it up to anxiety.

I decided to try a second extended fast starting last night at 10:15, I want to go a couple days, last time I went 41 hours. Anyway, I decided to try and load up on fats yesterday to try and help with the fast. Then this morning around 2 am I woke up with diarrhea and then I threw up. Haven’t had any issues since then. I also didn’t have any intense anxiety yesterday. Anyone know what could be causing this? I keep trying to google this, but information is so biased out there. Ketoacidosis keeps popping up and I just don’t think that is it…or am I wrong?

#2

I really really really doubt ketoacidosis is the issue.

Can you provide more details on your typical eating regime, and what extra fats you ate the day before you had the experience? This will help us provide you with some insight.

(Jessica ) #3

Yesterday for breakfast I had 3 pieces of bacon, 2 eggs fried in bacon grease, and a small avocado. I also had a small coffee on the side with HWC. Usually I only have coffee for breakfast, but I had a work party in the afternoon and didn’t want to be tempted to eat whatever they catered with.

I went to the party and it was actually burgers! Since I wanted to fast starting that night, I thought it might be ok to eat. So I had a burger on a bed of lettuce with a tomato, cheese and mustard. I also drank a lot of water.

For dinner, I had some pot roast that was cooked in the crock pot with butter and I mixed some sour cream into mine. Then after dinner I had a few fat bombs that I make in ice cube trays so they aren’t very big. Overall, my calorie intake was more than normal according to MFP, but I usually don’t monitor that. I just noticed it yesterday.

I drank a lot of water throughout the day and some Powerade zero as well.

#4

I have a pretty sensitive stomach. Any time I eat catered food at work, or restaurant, it’s 50/50 chances how I will feel. I even get sick when no one else has any issues. If I had your reaction after eating catered food at work, I would point to the catered stuff.

Are you going through some stressful issues in your life to cause this?

(Jessica ) #5

Oh yeah, I had to start going to therapy two weeks ago. I started two days after that incident. However, over the last week my anxiety has been lower.

My stomach reacting differently would make sense. I thought I was save cause I watched him BBQ the burgers and from what it looked like it was just hamburger meat. But maybe there were preservatives or something added in. Maybe I will chalk it up to that and see if it happens anymore over the next couple of weeks.

#6

Tricky. Could simply be coincidence. Ketoacidosis is basically off the table unless you are a Type 1 diabetic so I wouldn’t worry about that.

Do you have any history with sickness/diarrhoea when eating a lot of fat? Sometimes there is a tipping point with some people and it goes straight through. Any gallbladder issues for example?

If your digestive system tends to get affected by your mood then it could easily be tied up with that, even if there was nothing noticeable at the time. I get days when I can have awful digestive pain and it confuses the hell out of me because I can eat the same things another day without issue. I wonder if it is rather like the trigger stacking that happens with migraines. You have all sorts of potential triggers, be they food items, stress, weather, sleep, you name it. Any one or certain combos will be fine but then one thing will just make that stack tip over and boom! This makes it really hard to identify the cause because there isn’t one thing that you can point to and avoid. I know that doesn’t really help that much but it might be something to consider and maybe draw up a list of potential triggers to be aware of?

(Scott Telfer) #7

I’m sorry to hear your story as your diet sounds fine on the surface. You mention anxiety a few times. The hormones released by mental stress and trauma can derail the best of efforts, you may wish to consider seeking advice to address the causes of the anxiety to help support your dietary progress. All the best :slight_smile:

(Sondra Rose) #8

Too much fat at once can cause diarrhea and nausea for some folk.

(Jessica ) #9

I think I have figured out the issue and it isn’t keto related. My doctor started weaning me off of one anxiety med 2 weeks ago and started me on another. I didn’t put the two together at first since it has been two weeks since cutting the med in half. But then today during the day I started having the same symptoms as when I used to forget to take my anxiety pill. I looked up withdrawal symptoms of Venlafaxine/Effexor and nausea/vomiting/diarrhea are listed there, as well as some other symptoms I have had today. Thanks for all the input, hopefully this all passes soon. Anxiety sucks. I will KCKO!

(Jessica ) #10

I agree, I started with a therapist about 2 weeks ago. I go in once a week and I am already noticing a difference in the way I feel.

(Jessica ) #11

I have noticed nausea if I over eat on fat, but haven’t thrown up from it.

#12

When on chemo yrs ago, diarrhea was daily problem. Doc said, do not lose wight bcs toxins stored in fat stores; when losing wght, they are released into system. Maybe that could be culprit, losing too quickly.