Quick question. I am almost 3 weeks in and have been doing great except… today I worked out after drinking a bulletproof coffee. Had about 16oz of water with some electrolytes. Shortly after at an appointment I thought I was going to pass out. Got super lightheaded. Checked my heart rate and it was 30 beats higher than at resting. I thought I was going to pass out or puke. I guzzled water etc but still felt out of it. Any thoughts or suggestions?? Thank you in advance!!!
Lightheaded, dizziness advice
Sage
#2
Sounds like keto flu to me. Maybe try resting and relaxing a bit. It is not unusual to have keto flu at this point. I am in 2.5 weeks and still experience some symptoms. Listen to what your body is telling you…everyone is different. Hope this helps.
Alpha
(Omar)
#3
In the beggining of keto I used to have super hi heart rate. I even reported it here.
but it went away. I think it is a transition period.
I also get light headed sometimes when I go zero carb.
So I increase the carbs by eating nuts or yogurt and it helps.
Anniegirl9
(LeeAnn Brooks)
#4
Salt. When you think you’ve taken enough, take some more. And when you think that’s gotta be enough, take some more.
I had the same problem almost to week 4. I don’t have dizzy spells anymore (unless I’m going from a prone position to a standing position too fast), but I am have nausea at times, and it’s all from the same thing. Electrolyte imbalance. If you start to feel dizzy, take salt straight. If I’m right, you will feel better in minutes. I just pour a little in my palm and lick my finger and consume it that way.
I just ordered salt tablets so I can take it with me easily. And trust me, I thought I was adding it to everything and doing my electrolyte drinks enough. But you can literally feel the dizziness or nausea wash away from your body in minutes as soon as you consume some salt.
Crit28
(Christie)
#6
Thank you! Def. I was surprised because I thought that only happened in the first week etc. but I know upping my salt intake is key. I’m def taking it easy for the. Rest of the day!
Anniegirl9
(LeeAnn Brooks)
#7
Yup, I even missed a couple days work because of it, and I NEVER miss work. When I was walking up the stairs with a laundry basket at home and suddenly had to sit down or I was going to pass out, it was really scary. My husband tried to make me quit Keto because of it.
Finally in a moment of desperation at work, I went out and bought some ZipFizz as it had all the electrolyte minerals in it. I added some salt for good measure, and it worked so well I now do one ZipFizz a day. It has 2g of carbs, but I’ll take it considering how well it worked.
Anniegirl9
(LeeAnn Brooks)
#8
Oh, and I keep pink Himalayan rock salt at my desk and pop one under my tongue every so often.
Crit28
(Christie)
#9
Oh I’m glad to hear his story actually! I went to get my hair done today and acted a fool. Thank goodness my hairdresser was so nice. Got me like 2 liters of water and the whole time I was hoping I could finish the appointment without puking or passing out! I’m going to get some zipfiz. That’s been on my list to try! Thanks again for the info!
uniprod
(Troy Anthony)
#10
I experienced the same thing as well with heart rate. It completely went away when I chilled out on my normal workout routine for a few weeks. After that I went back to more intensity with no problems.
atomicspacebunny
(Bunny)
#11
Possibilities:
References:
- Two Ways Your Brain Breaks And Exactly What You Can Do About It: Part 2 “…Interestingly, HPA axis dysregulation is 100% linked to the neurotransmitter imbalance issue you learned about earlier in this chapter. For example, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor anti-depressants can actually be very effective at treating panic issues. This is because as as serotonin levels rise, levels of norepinephrine fall. Of course, as you also learned earlier, this is not the best way to treat stress, since you’ll simply need more and more anti-depressants as time goes on, and your body becomes desensitized to serotonin (2). But it is a good way to point out the fact that as your neurotransmitter production becomes enhanced, you become more equipped to fix HPA axis dysfunction. …More
Note: bullet proof coffee or exercise will make some people feel really wacky (viz. dizziness, adrenal spiking, cortisol etc.) sometimes!
High HR, BP, poor kidney function since Keto...advice/insight appreciated
High Heart rate after drinking Full fat coconut milk
Heart rate during Keto adaptation
Crit28
(Christie)
#12
How long did you wait in the beginning before you started back up? I hate to get out of my routine but I def want to get passed this.
uniprod
(Troy Anthony)
#14
I’m the same way so I totally understand. I still stayed active but stopped anything intense for a couple weeks. I would just try it again when you are feeling high energy and great, because the transition lasts longer for different people. I was forcing it during the transition and it was only making me feel worse. Just look at it as a time to chill out and be gentle to yourself, your body is going through some huge changes!
PaulL
(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing)
#18
It sounds like postural hypotension (which basically means “low blood pressure from standing up too fast”). As people have mentioned you probably would benefit from a lot more salt and from drinking more liquid. Dr. Phinney recommends home-made bone broth as a solution to both challenges, and it is certainly tastier and healthier, but you could in fact make do with store-bought stock cubes (try to get ones with as few nasty chemicals as possible). The reason this is necessary is that the body retains water and salt when we eat carbohydrate, and the kidneys flush it out at a much greater rate when we go keto. Also, recent research at McMaster University suggests that we need far more sodium than people have previously thought.
One advantage of home made bone broth, by the way, is that while you are making it, magnesium and potassium dissolve out of the marrow, and they are also important electrolytes.
Crit28
(Christie)
#19
Thank you for that info. I actually bought some bouillon cubes tonight and am starting that as well as the calm brand magnesium. I appreciate the advice and am hoping to kick these symptoms soon!
monsterjuice
(Ashley)
#20
I would highly doubt pots disease, unless there’s a active feeling of passing out/tired and fatigue. I’ve felt horrible years before keto. It’s super low chance of having it. I had it as a child and never got any better but just found out what it was exactly.