Hypoglycemic failing keto

(123valgal) #1

I started keto 5 days ago (20 g carbs daily). Things were going well. All of my hypo symptoms we’re gone 90%.

I was having 12 cups of water a day with salt and apple cider vinegar for electrolytes.

The only hypo symptoms I would get would be nausea.

Now, I just had to eat bread after 3 hours of the following symptoms: severe nausea, pale complexion, racing heart, shakes, feeling faint, feeling queasy like my intestines are spasming and tingling limbs.

I tried fluids, protein and fat and potassium, calcium and magnesium. Nothing but the bread worked. I felt better pretty quickly.

What is this? Is this normal keto symptoms? I feel like a big baby. People say they feel like death and just wait for it to pass.

I have experienced all of these symptoms before and was dreading the possibility of it happening while trying this diet.

I have experienced these sensations when 1. I was an anorexic teen. 2. Every time I have depression and don’t eat or drink anything for 72hours.

I’ve had hypo symptoms my whole life (I’m 28). Only recently was I diagnosed (doctor finally believed me).

Possible reasons for this episode, I forgot to drink all of my fluids yesterday. And my second and last meal of the day only had 3 carbs.

I understand if people don’t have any advice, I have possibly posted this on the wrong forum/website.

Thank you for your time!

(Ken) #2

This is fairly normal. You’re going through withdrawl, as your insulin and leptin resistance begins to drop. It doesn’t last long, as your body increases glucagon production, and you switch over to burning fat instead of carbs. Eat plenty of fat, drink lot’s of water, and have a little extra salt.

To switch over to fat burning, you have to become hypoglycemic. It’s part of the adaption process.

#3

Hi, and welcome. I, too, have suffered with what I believe is “reactive hypoglycemia” most of my life. I have tested my blood often and it’s always pretty much in the normal range, but it seems to rise and fall quickly and I DEFINITELY can feel the symptoms whenever it happens and it’s not fun - it pretty much wipes me out for hours afterwards.
This way of eating has pretty much gotten rid of that problem except on the occasions when I give into a sweet craving and have too much “sweet” by way of artificial sweeteners.

As far as feeling awful right now, I think it’s part of the normal process of keto and the timing seems about right. Try having more salt… I actually pour some in my palm and lick it up - sometimes it brings instant relief.

If you don’t start feeling better in a few days then it might be something else but this does sound like symptoms of keto flu.
Sue

(123valgal) #4

Thank you everyone for the help. After more research I realise these symptoms are normal. How do people go through this and keep their job at the same time? I work through all ailments, but I don’t think I can stay on my feet with this. I see that people do pass out and crawl around on their hands and knees.

I don’t want to pass out or vomit in my place of work.

I will try again. Thanks

(Ken) #5

I suggest following the 60/35/5% macro. One third fat to two thirds meat, by weight. In addition eat veggies with fiber like broccoli, cauliflower, etc. a “Winter Mix” is ideal. Put butter/cream/cheese on them for a sauce. This’ll give you more food in your stomach to quiet things down. Eat all you want, don’t restrict calories, focus on getting through the adaption during the fist two weeks.

(Athena) #6

12 cups of water is a lot. Drink only if you are thirsty. You don’t want to flush out your electrolytes.

(Bud Zimmerman) #7

I’ve had hypoglycemia since I was 21. (53 now) I would have the symptoms you describe when I first started keto if I didn’t eat enough fat. Since the normal hypoglycemic diet is low in fat, you may be skipping some out of habit. Pay attention to the fat and see if that helps. I’ve been on the diet now for 6 weeks and haven’t had a sugar episode now in four even though I no longer eat 6 times a day.

(123valgal) #8

Thank you everyone. Tomorrow will we day 5 (second try after eating carbs last week) and so far so good. I take in a couple teaspoons of salt a day, tons of magnesium and potassium, and fat. I feel pretty much how I did when eating carbs blood sugar wise.

The diet I had before this was a low fat raw vegan diet as I found it eliminated a lot of my lifelong symptoms. But my blood sugar was all over the place and I couldn’t take it.

I don’t know about others but vegetables make my blood sugar drop and cause bloating. I love veg but I’m now going to experiment with eliminating them. Eating veg feels like eating rice, just sits in my stomach for 6+hours.

One thing that is exciting is that I’ve noticed a lot of my life long symptoms (like feeling nauseous and bloated after any carb) has disappeared. I was raised vegetarian so I lived off of carbs. I always blamed either fat, protein or just myself for feeling so lousy. I never would have guessed it was the carbs. My father has the same problems and he never figured it out either.

(Bud Zimmerman) #9

Since I’ve been on the keto diet, I feel better than I have in years. My energy, my digestion, my overall feeling of well being. I wish I would have discovered this years ago.

#10

Be careful about potassium supplementation. Too much potassium can cause heart palpitations, as well as fatigue, nausea, vomiting, etc. There is potassium in a lot of foods that we don’t realize. I have always seen on the boards that if you take care of your magnesium and salt then your potassium should take care of itself.

I had the personal experience of heart palpitations from too much potassium and it’s not fun. For sure.

(123valgal) #11

Thanks for the warning. I know, I don’t understand why so many keto people insist on taking potassium supplements. I take multi mineral supplements in powder and liquid form that have 99mg - 3mg. But that is it. I also use cronometer to track nutrients.

(Richard Hanson) #12

Valgal,

Postprandial hypoglycemia, reactive hypoglycemia, is not unknown in people with neuropsychiatric disorders such as those who have a history of eating disorders. You where an anorexic teen. I think your situation is perhaps a bit outside the scope of most forum members personal experiences and I very reluctant to give you any advice that might unintentionally do you harm. I am an ignorant man.

That said, one of the benefits of ketosis is a lower sensitivity to hypoglycemic events. In one experiment, keto adaptive participants where injected with insulin to intentionally force them into a state of hypoglycemia and there blood sugar levels where driven so low as to induce unconsciousness, or even death, in “normal” people eating a “normal” diet. The keto adapted suffered no ill effects. This was an old experiment and unlikely to be repeated at this time because of ethical considerations and I only mention this to give you a bit of hope. If you can make the transition, if you become keto adapted, it might be that you will no longer be impacted as greatly by hypoglycemic episodes as you brain will be deriving most of it’s energy from ketone bodies instead of from sugar.

Unlike most people, making that transition too keto adaptation might actually be dangerous for you, the transition, or it might not, I don’t know, but I would recommend seeking medical help. This will also not be easy for the vast majority of doctors are at least as ignorant as am I on this topic.

Keep safe!

Warmest Regards,
Richard

(joievawter) #13

Hmmm, I actually have to supplement potassium with No Salt because I was severely under everyday and couldn’t seem to find a food combo that would give me enough potassium to very anywhere near the required 3,000mg daily.
Now, with the added assistance of No Salt providing 640mg of potassium per 1/4tsp I get my 3,000mg almost everyday.
The improvement for me has been astounding. I have no more heart palpitations or sudden racing, no more headaches and I recover from my workouts properly now.
I use MFP to track my nutrients. My salt, magnesium and potassium are all on point now. :100::facepunch::dancer:

(Cour ) #14

you sound just like me. have been vegan for nearly 10 years. are copious amounts of carbs bc i was told they were good for me. i got a stomach ache after almost every meal, even after taking HCL/enzymes/apple cider vinegar…
i would often feel hungry right after eating a meal… blood sugar whack!! i also had binge eating disorder for a while which probably made everything so much worse.
but now that i am on keto (7 days) i finally feel full after meals and don’t feel the desire to eat all the time nor do i get stomach aches at all. however i have been feeling pretty dizzy/light headed and sometimes with confused thought. i do not know if my blood sugar is going way down or electrolytes too low. maybe both .

(Bob M) #15

If you think you’re hypoglycemic, don’t guess: get a blood sugar monitor and test. I’ve been testing since June of 2016 and have over 1,300 recorded samples. I can tell you that if I think I’m hypoglycemic, I’m not, at least by test. It’s therefore something else. But I know that only because I test my blood sugar.