Horrible feet cramping whenever I have alcohol

(Jennibc) #1

I have been doing this very low carb high fat eating now since March but started the intermittent fasting in July and it seems THAT combo has really brought on feet cramping in the middle of the night every time I imbibe in alcohol. I have to get up and jump around in the middle of the night to stop the agony. I drink probably 3 quarts to a gallon of water throughout the day and I take magnesium/calcium/vitamin D supplements daily. Should I be adding electrolytes to this? I ordered a bottle of something called “Hi Lyte” today via Amazon. Has anyone found electrolytes helpful? Can anyone recommend anything. I don’t want to give up booze - I mean, I pretty much have given up everything else!

(Denise) #2

I’m no expert, but potassium and magnesium supplements could be helpful.

(The amazing autoimmune 🦄) #3

Alcohol is a diuretic, so my guess is that you are short of water or electrolytes, remember on Keto your body processes water and salt differently.

#4

Might be your body’s hint that its time to give up the booze.

#5

The booze is throwing off your electrolytes. Get more potassium and sodium, especially when drinking.

#6

I have had the exact same issue if I don’t take enough magnesium. Always happens at night, always after drinking, and always in my feet.

(Jennibc) #7

I have been taking magnesium supplements and I eat avocados for potassium but last spring gave up bananas so it may be potassium.

(Jennibc) #8

yeah, nope. I am an infrequent drinker like a couple of times a month. I have already given up everything else, I am not giving this up :laughing:

(Alex ) #9

@Jennibc

I’ve been taking a fizzy tablet electrolyte called SIS Go Hydro - I got them from Tesco for £2 and just throw one tablet in the water with my fizzy multivitamin tablet every morning.

No major side effects now with cramps, nausea and lightheadedness… thats as far as I go with it.

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(Doug) #10

I think this is the deal. Not sure exactly which minerals/ions are changed, but for me it’s my calves - they’d rather seize up than just go to sleep, after boozing.

(Jennibc) #11

When it first started, I went to see if I could find potassium supplements but the most you can get is something that is 3% of daily recommendations. I asked the pharmacist about it and she said getting too much of it could prove fatal as it’s very easy to create an imbalance, so that’s the most that supplements can carry. But the electrolyte tabs I just ordered have 4.5% daily recommendation so who knows.

(Terence Dean) #12

GO Hydro works! :+1:

(Alex ) #13

Yep @tdean - the actual sodium, calcium, and potassium levels are reasonably moderate in the SIS tablets but they seem to work for me, and they are cheap, and they are very carb conscious.

(Troy) #14

Yeah…nice!
That reminded me when I took something similar
It’s been awhile

2 carbs though
Sigh

They also had the electrolyte tablets too

(Terence Dean) #15

I’ve been using them for quite a while, they work well. Spinach is a great vegetable that stops cramps too but these tablets are so easy to take, they dissolve in 500ml of water, perfect size for an average drink bottle. I down one whenever I exercise. You can have 3 a day.

(Alex ) #16

Good plan ! Watch the citric acid though, it’s shockingly bad for your teeth, I discovered this a few years ago when I developed a love for SUCKING Berocca effervescent tablets and a couple of teeth got a bit damaged :joy:

Also, those fizzies can produce diarrhoea!