Every time I try to stop my Keto diet ( 3 times for the past 3 weeks ) I get extremely agitated and just can’t stand it. I’m on an anti-anxiety medicine. Maybe that is the reason. I’ve been on a lazy Keto diet for a month now.
Anyone knows whats happening or have experience with this?
John, my 26 year old son can’t eat processed or sugary foods without getting anxiety and agitation. He’s not keto and does eat grains but mostly sticks to veg, beans, legumes, nuts and meat simply to control those symptoms. Is it possible it has nothing to do with keto and more to do with the types of foods you’re eating when you try to “stop” keto?
Thanks for your suggestion.
This has been suggested to me before. It would surprise me though. Last time I tried I was eating very little. Some Cabbage, blueberries and some whole rice. I did have half a slice of white bread with bacon and eggs. Again. I would be surprised it would create this extreme reaction.
I don’t remember what I ate the other times.It was during Christmas once and I was having some small treats of fruits for example, a small piece of chocolate for example. And trying everything in very small doses.
Did I read in another of your threads that you were having VERY little food per day? Fasting can cause some euphoria type side effects and in someone susceptible to anxiety this could cause agitation instead of feeling “good”.
This time of year (low light, way too much social stimulation) can cause me problems as well. Yesterday I opened my eyes and almost started crying because my chest was tight. I hate waking up with anxiety, for no good reason. I pulled out my bag of tricks (light box, comfy clothes, self talk, special perfume, downloaded a new novel to listen to at work) and by mid morning I was feeling better.
I love keto but it doesn’t solve all of life’s problems. Diet in general is a wonderful adjunct to the many other coping techniques I use. Something to consider?
Yes something to consider.
It’s true I was eating very little because I just didn’t know what I could eat. I’m eating more today though.
Thanks 
John, you want met to tell you what I ate yesterday, for an example?
Ok, don’t judge, I’m lazy keto most of the time. 
Breakfast: coffee with artificial sweetener and half and half (sprinkle of ginger for flavor)
Lunch: 2 cans Vienna sausages, one avocado, two string cheese
Dinner: 1/2 tube ground beef in a taco salad with iceberg lettuce, salsa verde with bacon on the side. 1-2 low carb yogurt with chia seeds.
Usually don’t snack but keep an emergency container of raw pumpkin seeds. It takes a long time to get the seed out of the skin which satisfies my “do something with my hands and mouth” desire watching a movie.
I think they’re a pound each, I could probably eat the entire tube but I like to have it twice and eat other things. So, 1/2 lb of ground beef on the taco salad. About a quarter head of iceberg lettuce.
Ok
Ok. You know how heavy that is?
And one more thing, do you measure if you are in ketosis or not?
After a year, I know based on the taste in my mouth, urine odor and how I feel. I do sometimes, for fun, check a urine test strip and it measures ketones.
I’m personally moving toward more carbs here and there so I’m in an experimental phase as well. Weight loss is great, but I originally came for the blood sugar control. It has helped my mood swings, peripheral neuropathy caused by chemo, even the chemo induced menopause and night sweats.
John. Most people go through something similar. First - your anxiety medicine. You might try this instead - https://www.amazon.com/SAM-400mg-Natures-Trove-Caplets/dp/B071CQ3Y8F/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=SAM-e+400mg+by+Nature’s+Trove+-+90+Enteric+Coated+Caplets.+Vegan%2C+Kosher%2C+Non-GMO&qid=1577892363&s=hpc&sr=1-5
Read about this. A 30 day supply may very well help instead of the drugs the dr’s are giving.
2nd. How many calories are you eating? Without knowing your weight, you can and NEED to eat AT LEAST 2000 calories so your body doesn’t go into starvation mode. Like that nice smile, Squirrel Ky gal said, load up on the meat. You probably want to skip the Lazy Keto cheating stuff for now and go Carnivore. (thinking about cheating or lazy helps defeat us) Read about Carnivore; it will inspire you and make it easier to go full Keto. If you cheat a little on the Carnivore, walla! You may have eaten only 15g of carbs and thus be true Keto (under 20g)
Much of the first 3-4 weeks is mental…so these things may help you. Don’t read about cheating or lazy or watch TV commercials. This will help.
What helped me was trying different kinds of meat. I’d eat 2 or 3 different kinds at a meal, getting around 10 oz. I"d eat pork, hamburger and oysters or sardines at the same meal. Eggs and Philadelphia Cream Cheese are great too. Try ditching the blueberries too - for now. They were one of my weaknesses too. I’m starting week 5 now btw.
These things may help to get you over the hump.
Did you write down you goals of why you’re doing Keto? If not, do that. Read them every day. Mine were and are a) to lose fat and get to my ideal weight b) to feel better and no more carb induced sleepy and sluggish feelings after eating. c) to cure my fatty liver d) to live longer e) to have more energy
Regarding Sam-e: do your research and take with care. May not be safe for people with bipolar disorder.
I am not on meds but I have anxiety for sure. Going extreme low carb literally fixed it but with some bouts of ‘‘ugh sigh’’ in there. I went carnivore and I all by dropped it from what it used to be…and it used to be very life limiting for me back in the day.
Only question I wonder is why did you type this? Why are you truly going off keto? Once we know why you might want this…than some of us can maybe put up more info to help you in some way??
Why I want to is because:
OK number 1 is easy to work with from people’s advice who been on plan longer so we can tackle that later.
#2…DO you know for sure what your meds interact with? Just a worried feeling or do you have the ‘interactions’ and ‘side effects’ and ‘do not eat XYZ when on this med’ info etc. I mean there is real fear and there is imagined fear…so if you truly research your med you are on you can make a more real call about what could be bad?? Have you done this yet?
and so agree, med and interactions are very serious. But with your med what is seeming to be the ‘interaction’ you know might happen etc?
I have just seen research that makes the suggestion (like a hypothesis) that Keto affects GABA, which Benzos do as well, so I made my own theory of interactions. It is just a theory from me that is not supported by evidence or particularly much understanding. But that it seems so difficult for me to go out of Ketosis makes me jump to that theory even more!
ok missing understanding on this statement you typed.
going out of keto is a good thing from what you are reading, or is a ketogenic lifestyle the best thing for you on these meds? I don’t know why but I can’t seem to get it from that sentence LOL
going out of keto would put you more into this ‘GABA’ level more? so you should be keto for your best interests? just checking before we can chat more in depth about it
did super fast GABA and got anti-seizure med info?
is this what you are dealing with in any way?
remember more we all chat the more we can all understand a bit
Ok sorry. When I try to go out of Ketosis I feel intensely uneasy and anxious. Like withdrawal even. So I worry that by being in Ketosis I am getting more anti-anxiety effect, and I will become even more addicted to these benzo drugs.
So in a nutshell I fear that Ketosis will make me more addicted to my anti-anxiety drugs, which can be incredibly hard to stop.
Does that make more sense? Just ask if you have any questions or don’t understand my thinking.