Hi guys. Back again with another question. I’m on day 12. Seems like adding 2 tsp of salt and taking an electrolyte supplement and magnesium is helping a little. However, I’m still feeling so out of it and sluggish. I think I felt better on the first few days than I do now.
I’m staying at or below 20 g of carbs. Mostly hitting my macros and walking everyday. Even though I’m tired, once I get to the gym I feel like I can walk on the treadmill with a pretty good speed and incline forever. It’s once I come home that I feel bad again.
Ketostix have always shown ketones at some level.
Could I possibly need even more salt and electrolytes? I would love to drink more water too (currently at about a gallon) because I’m thirsty a lot but I’m afraid to overdo it and wash out my minerals. Most things I’ve read said people get over keto flu in the first week, so why am I feeling worse? Thanks for the help!
Keto flu getting worse in week 2?
You can get keto flu at any time when you are low carb. What are you calories like? How much protein and fat do you get?
Took me a good 3 weeks before those symptoms subsided. And even into week 4 I’d have an occasional symptom or two.
I’ve been consistently keeping a ratio of 5% carbs 20% protein and 75% fat, except one day when I had a bad episode before I upped my salt. That day I had 60 g net carbs. My calories have ranged between 1450 to 2200.
Really? I have zero cravings. My problems are feeling dizzy, brain fog and trouble sleeping. Plus a headache today. It helps to know they can last longer but man It’s hard to live life in the meantime.
Because you are drinking so much water (a gallon? Wow.) You probably need even more sodium. Extra salt with your food.
Yup. They say it’s due to elecrolyte imbalance or deficiency, but if it was, I was doing everything I could to get it in balance and failing miserably.
I even missed a day and a half of work because of the fatigue and dizziness, and I NEVER miss work.
I can tell you I just wrapped up week 4 and I am feeling a lot better.
One thing that helped me a lot… I used to drink Zipfizz all the time. I stopped before starting Keto as it has 2g carbs in each drink and I didn’t want anything to add to my carb count that wasn’t actually food.
Well, it has magnesium and potassium in it, so I decided to go ahead and give it a try again. I could feel the dizziness melting away as I drank it. So now I have one a day and it’s helped me break the flu. I’m hoping to ween off as I become fat adapted.
I use Nu salt for potassium, and take magnesium supplement separate. Way cheaper than zipfiz, and without the carbs and caffeine. I’ve heard the “Dudes” talk about Nu salt or Morton’s lite salt for potassium. That’s where I got the idea. Just in case that helps.
How do you know you are supplementing the correct amount of potassium and not getting too much, which can be dangerous?
Yeah, I was trying other supplements but in a moment of desperation at work, I grabbed the Zipfizz. It just worked so well for me that I’ve stuck with it. Again, I hope to ween off soon.
I track it in MFP and use their recommendations. I don’t just dump the Nu salt on my food, I measure it out. I’m not an expert though so you might ask someone else.
I wonder about the rest of the essential minerals our bodies require. There’s more to our cellular function than sodium, potassium and magnesium.
Do you eat green leafy vegetables? If yes, how much? If no, that might be a good place to start.
Do you eat eggs? Avocados? Fermented foods?
Are you consuming apple cider vinegar?
All of these things add crucial elements to our lives.
I hope you feel better soon
Keep calm and keto on
Yes. Eating spinach and avocado every day. I added more potassium last night and woke up feeling not so tired today but still a little woozy as in trouble focusing. Really ready for that to be over with. I wonder if it could do with working out? I’m really going fairly easy intensity wise though.
You might hold off on the workouts for a few weeks. Others on here have suggested it does contribute to “flu” symptoms as your body is already adjusting so much that this delays the progress.
Yes, that seems normal. And don’t be surprised if you feel better for a few days and then it gets worse again. For me, I didn’t feel permanently better until after a month.
Thank you all. I’m in the same boat on week 2. The exercise makes it worse. I used to run, but now I can only do yoga… that feels good afterwards, but cardio doesn’t. I’m on day 13 and wound up with keto flu all over again.
Can’t wait for the first month to be over:/
PS one word of caution on supplements. I bought these expensive keto support vitamins and they make me feel terrible (arrhythmia, heart burn, insomnia). Try getting everything you need from organ meats, wild caught salmon and organic greens. Good luck!
I am a runner and it took me three month before my running energy returned. After that I can now run fasted and have lots of energy. Just started training for a half marathon and have my eye on a full soon.