Liver pain ONLY AT NIGHT - 8 days into keto diet

(Steven Fisher) #1

My previous diet was poor with lots of breads, sugars and carbs. (Strabucks, breads… etc.) Overnight, I basically cut out all grains and sugars and got more healthy fats. Lost 10 lbs the first week, and lost 20 lbs over the first month and a half, and my cholesteral and triglicerides dropped to healthy levels and my h1c started dropping like a rock. YAY! (I was pre-diabetic when I started.)

However… 8 days into it my diet change, my liver pain/discomfort started but ONLY AT NIGHT. Discomfort started 15 minutes after I went to bed and stopped 15 minutes after I got moving in the morning. I’m pretty sure I had fatty liver disease before I started from my years of bad eating habits.

The liver pain/discomfort lasted for about 3 weeks and eventually stopped. I also added limited amounts of quinoa, oatmeal and brown rice at the time it stopped.

I’m really curious about the medical reasons for the liver pain only at night. I’m assuming my liver was detoxing the excess fats too fast and I imagine my liver was trying to transition from burning carbs to burning fats both which probably caused some inflamation but I can’t find any medical references to this phenomena of liver pain only at night, and NO doctors or medical professionals I talked to (more than a few) knew anything about this.

Has anyone had this happen to them when they started keto and does anyone know of any hard medical science studies or evidence or medical science explaining my symptoms of liver pain only at night when I started the keto? If you can attach links to scientific explanations shedding light on this I would be grateful.

(Lonnie Hedley) #2

See a medical professional.

(Steven Fisher) #3

I saw a doctor and had a physical at 30 days into the keto and did the blood work tests. This was right before the nightly liver discomfort stopped. Lipid panel was the best in years, and the liver panel showed only slightly elevated for one liver enzyme and everything else was fine. They said they had no concerns and no explanations to offer me.

#4

Sounds postural related - as in occurs when you are lying flat. Try to see if you can figure out a way to elevate your upper body (e.g. blocks under the upper legs of the bed/foam bed wedge etc) and see what happens. Or try a night sleeping in a recliner chair (if you have one) and see if it affects your symptoms.

(Candy Lind) #5

Are you 100% certain it was your liver? Have you continued the limited high carb foods or are you back to keto? Were/are you taking any fiber supplements that could cause gastric distress?

(Steven Fisher) #6

The symptoms are already gone, but I did try different postures at the time, with different pillows …etc. I always slept on my side anyway and changing sides never helped.

(Candy Lind) #7

Question of the day: did you tell them you went keto, or just “I’ve been on a diet”?

(Steven Fisher) #8

I’m pretty certain it was the liver because of the location of the discomfort… researched it carefully. I’m continuing the keto now (however I do cheat sometimes with a little brown rice or quinoa sometimes) and it’s going fine with no problems and more mental clarity and more energy. Love the keto, and I plan to continue, but I’m just curious about the issues with transition from the carb burning lifestyle…

(Steven Fisher) #9

Told them all about the keto and the liver transitioning from burning carbs to burning fats because of diet. ALL the doctors and medical professionals I spoke to knew little to nothing about it.

(Candy Lind) #10

Too sad for words … :cry:

(Steven Fisher) #11

Yes it is sad, but it is a completely true story… I hope our medical community will evolve to match our science and move past their preconditioned notions.

(Candy Lind) #12

I have a friend whose endocrinologist put her on keto to heal calcification in her liver & beginnings of fatty liver disease (discovered during an emergency appendectomy). If it was indeed your liver, it could be simply part of the repair process.

(Steven Fisher) #13

That’s what I’m thinking. Also, I do realize that some medical professionals have an awareness of these issues. However, promoting health and how nutrition impacts the body is not generally taught in medical and nursing schools and funding for more medical research on these issues is not as good because the money is elsewhere. I’m hoping they will fix these problems at some point.

(Steven Fisher) #14

If anyone has any specific medical info on my symptoms or can point me in the right direction, I’m still searching for clues to these issues…

(Bunny) #15

I am guessing it has to do with glutathione (anti-oxidant for the liver) levels being low! :face_with_monocle: This happened to me too in the past!

What I do:

  1. Ox bile

  2. Milk Thistle (silymarin)

  3. Bone broth (on empty stomach)

  4. Taurine

  5. Apple Cider Vinegar & Lemon Juice (1 Tbs. of each to a glass of water) every day.

  6. Lots of cruciferous veggies to flush out liver!

(Boatner) #16

Steven, I am new to this forum but not new to LCHF lifestyle. I would echo some others; are you sure it is your liver? When your doctor feels the 4 positions of your abdomen, he is looking for hardness and a pain response from you. Blood tests should tell the tale of liver damage. Good luck.

(Bunny) #17

Almost sounds like gallstones from the description?

Any ultrasounds or some type of scans?

#18

Very good! And you might also recommend an N-Acetylcysteine supplement to increase glutathione.
:+1:

(Bunny) #19

Taurine & bone broth and eggs (cysteine) does that to…

Ricotta Cheese is a good source of cysteine (substrate) too when combined with the bone broth (glutathione)!

(Stephen Price (Lythix)) #20

Speaking about Taurine, I know a lot of those energy drinks have Taurine and other things.

I’ve sat down and done some research to find out what each one is, and often they are chemicals that are found in the body naturally. Has there been any research if they are bad or good for you? Or perhaps neutral?

I’m thinking they are bad, being they are manufactured. I should be drinking water, but I occasionally buy them. Am looking for the science. They are currently my only vice. Don’t smoke, occasionally drink socially (a glass of red wine as it supposedly has antioxidant super powers) or some big head beer. (Aussie zero carb beer).
Keto with some Intermittent fasting (did my first 5 day fast for the first 5 days of 2018).

Or should Taurine come from elsewhere? Oh have been taking fish oil and apple cider vinegar.