Is this keto flu? I feel awful! Help

(Emma) #1

Day 3 of starting (after significant carb intake/addiction) and I have what I think is keto flu. Woke up feeling hungover, like really bad, as if I’d drunk 2 bottles of wine, headache, really bad nausea then all the signs of about to vomit (cold sweats, heart pounding, salivation etc). So I ran to toilet all shaky and totally weak, could hardly walk, flopped by toilet bowl. Sat by toilet ready to vomit but after about 5 mins nothing and felt I could try to get up. Gently walked downstairs and made a cup of beef stock from a cube. Managed to sip this and drink 3/4 of it without being sick. Went back to bed and slept on and off until about 1pm.

Had omelette with cheese, yellow bell pepper and tomato for “breakfast”. Was hungry but nauseous. Coffee and cream - usually enjoy this but didn’t. Still felt like death warmed up but able to eat. Still nausea and don’t fancy anything. Had some celery dipped in salt and a glass of water. Taken painkillers for the headache.

Hasn’t really worked. Still feel dreadful. What should I do? I worked a 16 hour shift yesterday as it was so busy. Started getting a sore throat yesterday as well. I’m a veterinary surgeon and did a 4 hour surgery from 7-11pm so I was exhausted to say the least and didn’t get home til after 2am. Wondering could this be stress and a bug or is it keto flu? The timing seems right for keto flu but the sore throat doesn’t really fit. I get headaches normally anyway when I’m tired/stressed.

Should I be drinking more water? As much salt as possible? Anything else?

Luckily I have someone to have my kids for me tonight so I can rest up, but I really need to get over this as quickly as possible! Help.

(Chris) #2

Probably less, you could be flushing the sodium right out. Take more salt in for sure.

(Emma) #3

Wondering this as I’m trying to go with my natural thirst and although I feel hungover, I can’t say I feel that thirsty. Can’t bear the thought of another stock cube right night but I’ll try some more celery and salt.

Thanks @Dread1840

(Carl Keller) #4

Try to drink 8 cups of water per day as well as try to get at least 2 teaspoons of salt. Most keto flu symptoms are from electrolyte imbalance. For me, the “flu” was lightheadedness and increasing salt and water made it go away with the day.

(John) #5

Having done Atkins before, I knew what to expect. I started when I had a whole week off from work. I usually recommend people to start on Friday, and expect to be wrecked on Saturday and Sunday. Usually days 2-3 when you have exhausted your glycogen stores is when it really hits.

My symptoms were nowhere near as severe as what you describe. However, for about the first two weeks I would tend to feel like crap in the morning until I had my first cup of coffee and a glass of water.

I added a magnesium supplement pill, plus I would occasionally stir in 1/2 tsp of Morton Lite Salt (both potassium and sodium) into my glass of lemon-juice-infused water. I also liberally salted my food.

#6

I would definitely recommend drinking more, adding more salt and electrolytes!!!

(Emma) #7

Thanks guys, feeling slightly better after more salt and moderate water. Not hungry at all but not sure if that’s just the nausea. Planning to take it easy for rest of today and most of tomorrow. Good job I don’t have to work for a couple of days but I hope I feel better tomorrow when I have to take care of my kids :disappointed:

(Empress of the Unexpected) #8

Hi Emma, glad you are feeling better. All of the above advice is excellent. I vote for a combination of things. The nausea can definitely be part of carb withdrawal, but the sore throat, to my knowledge, is not. But water and salt are great for both! I had a similar experience, as I started keto when I had bronchitis, so there was a lot of laying around on the couch that week. But I guess I killed two birds with one stone. Keep us posted!

(John) #9

You could also, just by unfortunate coincidence, be coming down with a real cold or the flu. I never, ever experienced nausea.

(Ken) #10

Eat more fat! You’re going through a withdrawal process, and your body doesn’t use fat very efficiently yet. It takes a few days to increase glucagon and lipase production. It helps to eat lot’s of fat initially. Load up on bacon and avocado.

#11

When I tried to keto for the first time I thought I was dying. Felt a lot like you described. At first I thought it was the keto flu. Turns out it was food poisoning. I no longer eat brie. Ever.

(Emma) #12

Hmmm I do think this might be more than keto flu as I feel properly ill, not just lethargic and irritable. I feel particularly bad, especially the headache and nausea. I’ve had so much salt and water and I can’t stomach anymore.

Thanks for your experiences.

I’ve had 113g fat today (75% of calories, with 20% from protein) and 17g carbs. So hopefully enough fat.

(Emma) #13

Thanks @Regina again for your experiences. Unfortunate to be ill while starting this but I can’t give up now as I couldn’t possibly go through this again :grin:

(Empress of the Unexpected) #14

You’ll be fine - we are all rooting for you! But I had the thought that you might want to ease up on the fat a bit, as that can worsen nausea. Just for a day or two.

#15

That’s it! Welcome to initiation. Stay hydrated, crank up your salt intake!

(Emma) #16

Day 4 and feeling sick as a dog! Have an actual migraine now (which I get usually every couple of months - often when stressed or tired). Ate bacon and eggs for breakfast. Wasnt really hungry but weak and shaky, felt like I had low blood sugar. And I know I have to keep up my fat and calorie intake so I ate even though I think I’d have been fine with just a coffee.

Felt sick after breakfast and at lunch time couldn’t face any of the stuff I planned to eat and really fancied something sweet… My carb addiction rearing it’s ugly head. So I compromised and (somehow, don’t know how) managed to knock up some low carb choc chip cookies out of ground almonds, egg, butter, cream, few drops vanilla extract (not too much), tiny bit of unsweetened dessicated coconut and 85% dark chocolate (50g for 8 cookies) chopped up. Luckily it was just a mix everything in a bowl and pop in the oven affair. Cup of tea and a couple of these and psychologically I feel better. Phew.

I hope I’m still in ketosis/going into ketosis after the cookies :persevere:

Have ordered some ketones urine sticks from Amazon but won’t be here til tomorrow. Didn’t intend on using them as don’t want to get fixated on stuff like that and keep it simple initially at least. But I really need to see tangible results now to motivate me to keep going while I’m feeling rubbish.

The pic is my cookies. They were a strange consistency but otherwise hit the spot. A hint of sweetness from the coconut and chocolate and plenty of fat

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(Carl Keller) #17

I truly hope someone can offer you some advice that will help you feel better. From what I’ve read, it could be hormonal resistance to ketosis and your body thinks it’s starving, but I would assume you would feel hungry. I don’t know… maybe you do actually have a case of the flu or a nasty cold?

(Emma) #18

Thank you @CarlKeller for your concern. I honestly think this is a really bad migraine now and I’ve got keto flu lethargy and lightheadedness on top. I’m positive tomorrow will be better. It has to be! :joy::joy: I don’t think I’ve eaten quite enough today as only 2 meals (stayed in bed til 10am and just not been hungry) but I haven’t exactly been restricting calories and they’ve been high fat meals. So hopefully it will all balance out by the end of the week.

#19

The calorie restriction becomes an issue when you do it chronically &/or without sufficient bodyfat. Skipping a meal when you feel like garbage is perfectly sensible :slightly_smiling_face:

Also, migraines can get a little more frequent at first but once you’re fat adapted they are far more rare for many.

#20

I have all your symptoms but the nausea. What I DO have is bad right shoulder pain which signals too much fat as I have no gallbladder. I have read many accounts of similar problems of keto dieters and ordered a supplement people swear by. Dr Berg’s Gallbladder formula and digestive bile salts. Hope this helps or I may have to quit the high fat