Questions about the Keto Flu

(Daniel Crispin) #1

Hello everyone,

I have some questions regarding symptoms of the Keto flu.

I have been experiencing the following for about 2 weeks, and I am not sure it they are typical symptoms of the Keto flu or something else.

Runny nose. My nose has been dripping water for about 2 weeks. I am not sure if it is allergy related or if it might be linked to getting into Keto.

Abdominal pain: Again for about 2 weeks I have a mild pain in the abdominal muscles (obliques and lower part of the 6 pack). In day to day, it doesn’t really affect me, just feel a slight pain when I move but at the gym it completelly prevents me from doing sit-ups or any abs exercises. When I try the pain shoots up and it feels like a muscle cramp. Keto related?

Otherwise I have some general muscle fatigue and pain that I usually have when I work (I am a car detailer so I do some light cardio work for hours on end) and I started going to the gym so that doesn’t help either.

I am not experiencing headache, coughing or anything serious.

So what do you guys think?

(Doodler for @KetoKailey) #2

Hello, Daniel! I did not experience those, but I eased into this WOE via Whole30. Maybe that helped me.

Waiting for those who have wisdom to chime in.

Wishing you the best!

(Allie) #3

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(Jane Reed) #4

My carb withdrawal consisted of general malaise and headache. It was a long time ago and I seem to remember a bit of muscle ache but very little. The symptoms you mention–runny nose and abdominal pain–don’t generally fit the description most people give of their experience, but the range of symptoms can be very wide.

(Richard Hanson) #5

I had a bit of Keto Flu and it helped to consume more salt and I added some supplements. I also had an issue with one muscle cramping at the bottom left front edge of my rib cage. It was just on the left side and if I moved in a certain way I would feel a very sharp stabbing or ripping pain that would persist for about five minutes in spasms and then fade to a low level soreness for a few hours. This happened several times over a few days and then it never came back.

I experienced physical fatigue, but not sleepiness, and this went away after about 4 to 6 weeks. One day I just realized how great I felt and was surprised that I no longer felt that way. It does not take much time to get into ketosis but it can take some weeks to become fully keto adapted as your cells are gearing up to utilize fats for fuel instead of sugar. Some people have an effortless transition. Others, not so much.

One of my coworkers started keto and one morning, at about day 4, she came in and looked horrible. I gave her a great big smile and told her congratulations, you are making fantastic progress! Keto Flu is something to celebrate.

Congratulations Calendyr … you are on your way to a new life!

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #6

Dr. Phinney, in several of his lectures available on YouTube, ascribes the keto flu to the diuretic effect of not eating carbs—or, to put it more accurately, carbs cause you to retain water and sodium, and when you stop eating carbs, your kidneys excrete the extra water, and start excreting sodium at a higher rate. His remedy is bone broth—homemade if possible, but even those store-bought beef and chicken stock cubes will do the job, he says. A couple of cups of bone broth throughout the day should help keep your sodium levels up and keep you hydrated.

Dr. Phinney also says that recent studies done at McGill University suggest that the RDA for sodium is far too low for many people, and especially for people in ketosis. He recommends really working to keep your level up. Also, it’s important to get enough potassium and magnesium as well.